Precious Metals

How You Can Invest in Gold and Silver

One of the attractions of gold and silver is that both can be purchased in a variety of investment forms:

Physical Metals: Unlike stocks and bonds, gold and silver can be purchased as physical assets, as either bars and coins held as part of a Horizon Capital brokerage account or as American Eagle coins held in a retirement account. The metals would be held by a third-party depository, not Horizon Capital, though investors can take physical delivery if they want to store it themselves.

Exchange-Traded Funds: ETFs have become a popular way for investors to gain exposure to gold and silver, without having the responsibility of storing a physical asset. You can buy shares and keep them in a traditional brokerage account. The fund’s operator is responsible for handling the costs of holding a physical supply of gold or silver and charging an expense ratio. But investing in an ETF doesn’t give investors access to the underlying metals. Also, some precious-metal ETFs are taxed as collectibles and don’t benefit from lower longterm capital gains rates.

Mining Stocks and Funds: Some investors see opportunity in owning shares of companies that mine for gold and silver, or mutual funds that hold portfolios of these miners.

Connect with your Horizon Capital Financial Advisor to determine how adding gold or silver to your portfolio might help you achieve your long-term financial goals.