Precious Metals

The U.S. Mint doesn’t sell gold coins directly to the public. It sells to a small network of authorized purchasers (banks and dealers), who then sell to retail buyers, often at a markup over the metal’s spot price. So “buying from the Mint” really means buying Mint-produced coins (like American Eagles or Buffalos) through a […]

The IRS generally does not automatically know when you buy gold. Purchasing physical gold, whether coins or bars, from a dealer is not typically reported to the IRS at the time of purchase. There is no federal requirement for dealers to report most gold purchases. However, some situations do create paper trails. Cash transactions over

Yes, you can borrow against gold bullion. Many banks, credit unions, and specialty lenders offer secured loans using physical gold (bars or coins) as collateral, often called gold-backed loans. The lender typically holds your bullion in secure storage for the loan term and lends you a percentage of its market value, commonly 50 to 80

Many banks and financial institutions offer loans against gold, since it is a common form of secured lending. In India, for example, major providers include SBI, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Canara Bank, Punjab National Bank, and non-banking finance companies like Muthoot Finance and Manappuram Finance. In the US, gold loans are less common

Yes. Bullion banks routinely lend out gold through the gold leasing market, where they loan physical gold to jewelers, miners, refiners, and other market participants in exchange for a lease rate (interest). This works similarly to how banks lend cash, except the underlying asset is gold rather than currency. Leased gold often doesn’t stay idle

Not the kind of shortage where shelves go empty, but yes, a real structural one. The Silver Institute expects 2026 to be the sixth consecutive year the silver market runs a deficit, with demand outrunning mine output plus recycling. Roughly 70–80% of the world’s silver supply comes as a byproduct of mining copper, lead, and

The cheapest way is usually to buy larger bars (1 oz or bigger) from a reputable online bullion dealer rather than a local coin shop, since premiums over spot price shrink as bar size increases and online dealers have lower overhead. Compare “price over spot” across a few dealers (APMEX, JM Bullion, Kitco are common

Yes, Merrill Lynch (now known simply as Merrill, part of Bank of America) offers several ways to invest in gold. You typically won’t buy physical gold bars or coins directly through them, but you can gain exposure through: Gold ETFs (exchange-traded funds that track gold prices) Gold mutual funds Mining company stocks Gold futures or

StoneX Bullion is part of StoneX Group Inc., an international financial services firm headquartered in New York City, USA. The bullion trading arm itself, formerly known as FCStone Bullion or Carr Futures before various acquisitions, operates internationally, with significant trading and operational hubs in London, UK, one of the world’s major centers for precious metals

Yes. Schwab offers several ways to gain gold exposure, though it doesn’t sell or custody physical bullion for retail brokerage accounts. Options include gold futures, futures options, gold stocks, gold ETFs, gold ETPs, and mutual funds, giving near round-the-clock market access. Physically backed gold ETFs and funds can also be held in Schwab IRAs, though