Is Now The Time To Get Into Gold?

I'm also about to take the jump and go for some fractional gold. I've been thinking about this for some time and present prices look awfully like a big "green light"
to me. Everybody who has a voice is loudly proclaiming how Au and Ag spots aren't done their down-slide yet, but I don't think present prices look all that bad.
If I do buy in it'll only be for a couple 1/10oz or 1/4 pieces, so even if prices continue to go down I won't end up all that badly underwater.

If/when I do make the big move, it'll be into 1/10oz or 1/4oz Eagles or Maples and they'll most likely come from my LCS or Provident.

Before you buy anything you need to figure out why you want to buy it and what your goal is. This will impact what and how you should buy.

As of now theres nothing that indicates the price isn't going to keep sliding like it has been for quite some time.




Not wanting to miss out on something is the number one reason people make really bad investment decisions. You cant force things to be a good buy, its better to miss out then buy not wanting to miss out and watch its value dwindle.

The return they got is unique, its really not even a very good return considering they had to hold for almost 30 years before they made money. They were also a out a lot of money that entire time in-between.

Theres a reason why the Buffets of the world dont consistently buy metals as an investment. 1300 dollar gold also isn't super cheap gold. You can count the number of spikes where it had significantly more value than that in the last 100 years on one hand. This entry point is already significantly limiting any potential upside.

This is also why you need to figure out why you want to buy. If you just want some gold then I would agree with the above to get some numismatic gold whose value is tied more to the value of the coin instead of its metal content. If youre thinking you can buy and flip and make money I would advise to stay away from it. Just remember if it was that easy everyone would do it.

The only things I would consider right now are numismatic gold. I wont even consider bullion gold until I see a three digit price tag and really I'm waiting until under 700

The first thing you need to ask yourself is why do you want gold? After you answer that question you can move on to reason out premiums for different "forms" of gold (bars, coins, jewellery, alloys, art).

You're young, so does price really factor into your decision? You can get a gold ring, for example, because they are relatively inexpensive and there are thousands upon thousands of styles from which to choose. And they don't weigh an ounce.

If you're looking for coin, do you want .999, .9999, .99999, 22K, .900, and why?

Don't get sucked into a metal bubble. First know why you want the stuff. Seems to me that people want it because it is perceived as being cheaper than it was 2 years ago.

It doesn't look like you're looking for an investment and being that you're on a coin forum you may want a coin that is worth "coin prices" and not metal prices. Old American gold in high grades may be something for you. Would you want a coin that is slabbed or not slabbed? Proof? Rare? Semi-key? Search out a resource that gives you track records of coin prices over the decades. In fact, if you're looking for numismatic rare coins, why even go with gold at all? Plenty of rare coins are made of copper.

Again, research and come to a reason for your venture. Driving without a map or a goal can be very costly.

And remember that different people will give you their own PERSONAL answer to the question depending on their OWN situation. So the better you can get to answer the "why" on your own the better your vision will be and you can filter out what you don't want.

I would run with sovereigns and half eagles.

Buy in gloom, and sell in doom!

Vanguard Target Retirement 2055 mutual fund (VFFVX) is actually a combination of index funds.

Vanguard Target Retirement Funds offer a diversified portfolio within a single fund that adjusts its underlying asset mix over time. The funds provide broad diversification while incrementally decreasing exposure to equities and increasing exposure to bonds as each fund's target retirement date approaches. The funds continue to adjust for approximately seven years after that date until their allocations match that of the Target Retirement Income Fund. Investors in the funds should be able to tolerate the risks that come from the volatility of the stock and bond markets. The 2055 fund invests in four Vanguard index funds, holding approximately 90% of assets in equities and 10% in bonds. You may wish to consider this fund if you're planning to retire between 2053 and 2057.

1 Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Investor Shares 63.2%
2 Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund Investor Shares 26.7%
3 Vanguard Total Bond Market II Index Fund Investor Shares* 8.1%
4 Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund Investors Shares 2.0%

Thanks for the additional information starbuxinvestor, that is good information for new investors.

I don't actually own one of Vanguard's target funds directly, I own the admiral version of each individual fund and rebalance periodically. That way I own the equivalent but pay even lower expense ratios.