[SandWMan]

Gold was a good investment ten years ago, when it was $250 an ounce.

[OneVike]

Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda!

If my grandmother was my grandfather, my grandfather would still be alive.

However, then my grandmother would be dead and I would still be less one grandparent.

I don't live in the past, except to learn from it, and that is why I want to know about the thoughts about gold investments. It is a discussion on the future, because of what has happened in the past.

Obama's not the only one who is well versed in double speak.

[mosaicwolf]

Yes it was a good investment at $270.00 and I sold at $850.00. But I held it for many years while it did almost nothing. I was in a Precious Metals Fund at the time and did well. Now I have about 15% of my investments in physical gold, ie Krugerrands. I have made 21.8% on these coins in three months.

I would recommend physical gold rather than paper gold. 1 oz American Eagles if you can get them; Krugerrands as a second choice. I believe there is about a 4 week wait for Krugerrands. Yes the demand is that high!

If you go that route, get a good high quality gun safe for your guns and gold. The rest is up to God and Guts. :-)

[arthurus]

Gold is not an "investment" in that it does not increase in value and the assets you put into it decrease a little for transaction costs. That said, in bad times when the dollar is set to crumble it can be the sensible method of storing value. Absolutely gold does not increase in value. Relatively it changes inversely with the value of the money. Whereas stocks sink relentlessly or gyrate unpredictably and the value disappears out of the currency so that maintaining one's estate becomes extremely difficult with those media, gold holds its value. If you are a little more pessimistic then physical silver is advisable. You can trade it in smaller units of value.

In the poorer parts of the world, Asia in particular, gold is the only store of value trusted by the populace and every family strives to own some gold as a hedge against severe inflation and hard times.