[Alberta's Child]

Question #4: How did you determine that this meets the standards of a PFIC under U.S. tax law? I'm wondering how they make this determination for someone who invests U.S. dollars in a foreign company that is listed on the AMEX exchange here in the U.S.

Question #5: If you are interested in investing in a gold/silver company and you are investing U.S. dollars, what made you select a Canadian company for this? (I don't mean this wasn't a wise move, just that it seems to add a degree of complexity that may be unnecessary for a simple gold/silver investment strategy.)

[E. Pluribus Unum]

4. CEF's website says it is a PFIC. It is in this PDF

5. Unlike GLD and other gold/silver ETFs, CEF owns physical metal and is required to be 90% invested at all times. It is the next best thing to owning physical gold, which I have no desire to do, for a number of reason. Plus, it's been around since 1961, much longer than the other precious metal ETFs.