Investing money in gold bars. How to buy gold on the example of Sberbank, which is more profitable - gold bars, coins or compulsory medical insurance, detailed instructions, calculations and safety rules Alternative ways to invest in gold

The tradition of keeping your capital or its significant part in gold equivalent is quite ancient, but it does not lose its relevance. Why gold? Indeed, in nature there are other metals, more expensive and rare. Humanity has preferred gold for several reasons:

• the metal is not subject to oxidation, does not darken;
• has a high density, therefore it is quite heavy (and weight affects the price);
• the ability to exchange for any of the currencies used in the world.

Gold bars, types and characteristics

What are gold bars? Bars of precious metal, differing in weight and shape.

According to the manufacturing technology, gold bars are divided into:

• stamped - made by cutting from solid flat sheets;
• cast - made by pouring into molds.

The weight of the ingots is 1, 5, 20, 50, 100, 350, 500, 1000, 12000 grams.

Large bars weigh up to 12.5 kilograms, but this is more an industry standard than used for private investment in gold.

From the point of view of a private investor in Western countries, gold bars, along with coins, play an important role in the process of investment diversification. They are slightly cheaper than gold coins (the difference is about 1%), but they are less protected from counterfeiting. do not contain complex artistic elements typical of coins.

In Russia, the situation is completely different. The purchase and sale of bars, in contrast to coins, is subject to value added tax (18% of the price). This can be avoided only if the ingot is bought in a bank and left there for storage. This feature practically puts an end to the circulation of gold bars in our country. Experienced investors use gold bullion coins to invest in physical gold.

Where and how to buy gold

The instability of the economic situation makes even those who previously trusted only banknotes to look at gold with different eyes. Perceiving precious metals exclusively as jewelry is now irrelevant and incorrect. They will not help to get out of a difficult material situation, but gold in its physical form - best of all in gold investment coins.

Gold prices tend to rise in the medium to long term.

You can buy gold both in a bank and in a company that buys and sells gold investment coins. Anyone can make a purchase individual.

When choosing a seller, you need to focus on two factors:

• optimal price;
• physical presence.

Do not hesitate to call the contacts found and ask if the gold prices presented on the site are up-to-date, and if the required amount of precious metal is available. With perseverance and patience, the buyer has a chance to purchase cheap gold not from his hands, but from a specialized institution.

Parameters affecting the price

As mentioned above, due to VAT, a gold bar in Russia is a priori more expensive than a gold investment coin of the same weight (provided that you want to pick up your purchase and store it yourself).

But there are a number of other pricing features for gold bars and coins that need to be considered:

1) Whether the seller deals with gold coins or gold bars professionally. If this activity is just one of a wide range of services, chances are you will have higher prices, less stock and not always professional staff.

2) If we talk about coins, then it is most profitable to buy gold investment coins specially designed for investing and preserving funds, which are traded with a very small markup to the price of gold and can easily be sold back with minimal losses.

These coins include domestic coins of St. George the Victorious and Chervonets Sower, as well as foreign Kangaroo, Philharmonic, Maple Leaf, Krugerrand, Panda, American Eagle and Bison (Buffalo), Britain.

3) Safety of gold coins and bars. When buying, pay attention to the absence of scratches, dents and other defects on the purchased product. Gold is a very soft and ductile metal, therefore, it is necessary to store gold coins and bars very carefully. It is highly discouraged to take coins and bars with bare hands; use special gloves. Remember that a scratched coin or bar immediately loses value significantly.

4) The mass of the purchased ingot or gold coin. As a rule, the following rule applies in the market - the more weight, the lower the price per gram. But there is also a downside to the coin - the higher the weight, the harder it is to sell gold coin or a gold bar.

Ingot vs coin

When looking to invest in gold, a potential investor implies a benefit. Investment quality and future income directly depends on the form of investment, so it is worth considering which is preferable for the safety of funds: ingots or coins.

Investing in bullion is convenient for very large investors, but they also feel some problems when selling the yellow metal. The need to sell the entire ingot if necessary to sell a small part of it is one of the disadvantages of such an investment. Thousands of market participants are eager to buy gold cheaply. And they will have such a chance if the seller is forced to give up the massive bar at a low price.

Buying gold investment coins will help insure yourself against an unenviable situation. In fact, a coin is the same ingot, only of a cylindrical shape and minimal weight. Its value lies in the metal from which it is minted.

Coins, like bullion, have certain gold finishes, their price varies from several to hundreds of dollars, they are ideal as a commodity in a familiar situation when money is urgently needed.

Coins are necessary for the convenience of buying gold - small packaging is more profitable and much better protected from counterfeiting, so the demand for coins is much higher than for bullion.

It is impossible not to note the tangible material difference when choosing between two methods of investing in gold:

• coins are not subject to VAT, and this is not such a small amount - 18% of income;
• in case of successful (or not so) sale of the ingot, the tax will have to be paid.

Where to put the gold?

Gold in any form (coins or ingots) should not be kept at home if there is no confidence in their complete safety. Home safes are not as reliable as we would like. Mechanical damage is not excluded, automatically transferring gold to the status of satisfactory, that is, cheap.

In order not to develop in oneself the Kashcheev habit of wasting away over gold, it is advisable to store the precious metal in a safe deposit box. Then the owner will only have to keep track of the prices for gold bars and wait for the moment for the most profitable sale.

Buying gold bars is the most traditional way of investing in gold to save money. About one thousand tons of gold bars are purchased annually in the world.
Gold is a unique asset class, studies show that in the long term, it is optimal to invest from 2 to 10% (depending on risk tolerance) of the total portfolio value in gold, which can protect and increase the return on the investment portfolio.

Rietumu offers its customers the opportunity to purchase gold bars directly from the German refinery C.HAFNER GmbH + Co. KG.

You can purchase 999.9-carat gold in LBMA (London Bullion Market Association) standard bars with the possibility of storing it in a bank (in a general vault or in an individual safe deposit box). In addition, you can pick up the bars and store them yourself. Each bar meets industry standards. When buying physical gold with delivery, if you wish, you can choose the preferred weight of bars - 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 250, 500 grams, 1 ounce, or purchase standard bars of 1 kilogram. Commission for bars with a lower face value may differ from the standard.

Individual order of gold bars 1,2:

Rietumu also offers the possibility of individual ordering of investment gold in bars, with a choice of weight denomination.

1 Physical investment gold is not a financial instrument
2 To purchase investment gold, you must submit a written order through your personal Area in the Internet bank. To receive gold, you can agree in advance on a convenient time for you, as well as other conditions for the transfer of metal.
3 The transaction price is fixed only after the bank receives confirmation of the authenticity of gold from the counterparty
4 Charged monthly in euro currency (actual / 360 method used), VAT included
5 Buying and selling only from an investment account

02.08.2019

Investing in gold: how and where to invest money?

In 2019, gold again gained high investment attractiveness. Since the beginning of summer, the cost of a troy ounce has consistently exceeded $ 1400. Experts note that in the future the precious metal will hold its positions for at least the next 6-7 years.

“Today is perhaps the best time to invest in the gold mining industry,” said Kenes Rakishev, the largest shareholder of Petropavlovsk in July.

Of course, the positive climate in the gold mining industry has been shaped by many factors.

And if investors know all the pitfalls of investing in precious metals, then individuals, before investing in gold, need to carefully analyze the market situation and choose a method of investment.

Where to start for a novice investor?

First, an investor must decide in which segment he can invest his funds. There are several main ways to invest today, let's look at each in more detail.

"Real" gold

Anyone can purchase gold bars or coins. Now this type of investment is starting to gain momentum: in July 2019 in Russia canceled taxes to purchase physical gold to attract investment in the sector. Previously, the purchase of bullion and coins was subject to VAT, so there were high risks of going negative.

Gold bars

Gold bars an individual can purchase from banks that own a license to buy and sell precious metals. The transaction is quite simple and takes about 10 minutes on average.

A person chooses a suitable bank, comes there with an identity document and decides for himself how many bars he wants to buy.

The representative of the bank brings the ingot from the warehouse, inspects and weighs the goods in the presence of the client. Then the parties conclude an agreement, you pay the required amount and receive your purchase along with the acceptance certificate.

In the document, the name of the precious metal, sample, weight, number, amount, date and name of both parties to the transaction are necessarily attributed. Together with the act, the person is given a check and a certificate, which must be kept.

Golden coins

The investor has 2 types of coins available for purchase at the bank: investment and collection... The first type is guaranteed gold in the form of a coin, which is more reliable for investment.

The price of collectible (or commemorative) coins varies depending on the rise / fall in value among collectors, so their acquisition is fraught with high risks.

Sometimes the risks pay off: during times of high demand, commemorative coins can give much higher returns than investment ones.

The price of gold bars or coins directly depends on their "appearance". Of course, when you buy, you get the product in perfect condition, but over time it "deteriorates", especially if you do not follow the rules for storing gold.

It is important to know that a bank can only buy bars and coins in excellent or satisfactory condition. Ideally, the bar (as well as the certificate) should show no visible damage when sold, only stains, scratches or abrasions are allowed that do not affect the weight of the product.

Bank employees have the right withdraw goods and send for examination if in doubt about its authenticity.

If the bank does not accept the product, the individual can find another buyer. Gold bars and coins are accepted by buyers, jewelry workshops or pawnshops - albeit at a much lower price.

"Virtual" gold

Besides buying physical gold, there are many ways to invest in "virtual" gold. An investor can cooperate with banks, funds, stock exchanges, or purchase shares of a gold mining company.

OMS

Anyone has the right to open in a bank impersonal metal account (OMS). In essence, this is the same bank account, only “virtual” grams of gold, tied to the exchange rate, will be stored on your account.

This type of investment is attractive because an individual can invest absolutely any amount, at least 1 ruble. After the opening of the OMC, it remains only to wait for the precious metal to rise in price - then you can sell your gold at a higher price.

Mutual funds

In Russia there is also the possibility of investing in gold through mutual funds... These structures are formed at the expense of a large number of depositors (shareholders). Today there are enough mutual funds - for example, "Sberbank Gold" or "Russian Standard Gold".

You can purchase units of a mutual fund in person at the office of the management company, on its official website, or at the agent's office. Some funds sell shares on stock exchanges, but buying them there is not so convenient.

The essence of the work of a mutual fund is as follows: the manager trades on the basis of the investments of the shareholders in order to make a profit. The funds are usually channeled into shares of gold mining companies or shares of other investment funds.

Upon the expiration of the investment period, the profit is divided among the investors depending on the size of the investment. Roughly speaking, an individual “shifts” all work to persons competent in this area.

A novice investor should carefully study the investment scheme of the selected mutual fund. The fact is that funds can invest both in gold itself and in shares of foreign funds.

And some foreign structures invest in securities for which no precious metal is assigned. Such a scheme is fraught with high costs for the shareholder; as a result, the person receives less profit.

In addition, it should be borne in mind that the management of the mutual fund takes an annual management fee of 3-4% of the amount of assets.

ETF

In parallel with mutual investment funds, similar structures operate in Russia - exchange investment funds ETF.

Unlike mutual funds, they take a commission in the amount of less than 1% of average annual cost assets, therefore it is more profitable to cooperate with them. And if in mutual funds all control is carried out management Company, then in ETF shares can not only be bought, but also sold on the exchange.

To purchase shares in this structure, you need to open brokerage or individual investment score(ISS) - for this you need to use the services of any brokerage company.

ETFs are considered a more reliable instrument because their activities are controlled not only by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, but also by foreign banks.

Futures

There is another way to invest in gold - buying futures on exchanges. This is a contract for the purchase and sale of gold at a price set at the time of purchase, for the volume and delivery time in the future.

In other words, the seller agrees with the buyer on delivery on a certain date and at the agreed price, while betting on a fall in price, and the buyer, on the contrary, on an increase.

In Russia, you can purchase futures through the RTS futures and options platform Moscow Interbank Currency Exchange (MICEX).

To join the site, an investor enters into an agreement with a broker who has access to it. Note that the broker charges a small percentage for each trade.

The underlying asset of the futures contract is refined gold bullion, one lot is equal to one troy ounce (in US dollars). The final settlement of the contract is made on the date of its execution.

Promotions

On the Moscow Exchange, again through brokers, investors can purchase and shares of Russian gold mining companies - "Polyus", Polymetal, "Petropavlovsk", "Lenzoloto", "Buryatzoloto".

By buying stocks, you become shareholder and get the right to a share of the company's profits Note that shares, as a rule, are sold not one at a time, but in a minimal lot - 10 units.

Before choosing a company in which it is best to invest, you need to carefully study the world market, and then analyze the main indicators of Russian enterprises.

In particular, the investor should pay attention to the company's production cost: the lower it is, the more likely it is to receive real income. It is also important to take into account the profitability of the enterprise - with an increase in income, the cost of gold will also increase.

Companies that do not have their own gold reserves should be afraid - sometimes this indicates a lack of production results, which entails a decrease in the value of shares.

A novice investor should understand that with the purchase of shares he "acquires" the risks of a gold mining enterprise. They are directly related to operating activities - for example, stock prices are negatively affected by various kinds of violations of the company's production plan.

In addition, supply and demand in the financial markets play an important role.

There are plenty of ways to invest in gold. This precious metal is a scarce asset, so it will never completely lose its value.

But any investment is worth it only if the investor plans to engage in this business for a long time - on average, from 4 to 10 years.

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Investments in measured and standard bars of bank gold are unattractive for investors from countries where an irrational form of taxation of this type of transactions is established at the legislative level.

Investment in gold bars

An ingot of bank gold can be a good gift, an adornment of some personal collection, and an excellent investment vehicle.

Investing in gold bars in Russia is one of the simplest ways to meet investment needs in the domestic precious metals market. Many banks specialize in buying and selling gold bars. Prices, the specifics of the transaction, its volume, as well as the possibility of the subsequent redemption of the bullion by the bank, are regulated in each individual bank in a special way.

You can invest in Russia in two types of gold bars:

• dimensional.

Standard ingots are manufactured and labeled by the plant in accordance with industry production standards. The weight of standard gold bars varies from eleven to thirteen point three kilograms, which is identical, respectively, three hundred and fifty and four hundred and thirty troy ounces.

Measured gold bars are produced by specialized Russian refineries. Their weight is often barely one kilogram. The percentage of pure gold in such bars is 99.99%. The weight denomination of such ingots:

• one gram;
• five grams;
• ten grams;
• twenty grams;
• one hundred grams;
• two hundred and fifty grams;
• five hundred grams;
• one kilogram.

The cost of one gram of gold contained in an ingot depends on the weight denomination of such an ingot. As a rule, the larger it is, the lower the cost of one gram of gold contained in it.

An important aspect of investing in gold bullion in Russia is the need to pay an eighteen percent value added tax.

It is important! VAT is levied on the buyer of the bullion only if he wishes to receive the bullion in his hands. There is an alternative to such a transaction, thanks to which the need to pay VAT disappears - to leave the bullion for safekeeping at the bank. This service is also paid. Its cost is different in each individual bank.

Gold Bull Investment Video

Prices

According to the instructions of the Central Bank Russian Federation "On the procedure for determining the mass of precious metals and precious stones and calculating their value in the Bank of Russia and credit institutions»The cost of precious metals (including bullions of precious metals) is calculated by multiplying the quantitative indicator of the precious metal by the indicator of its price per gram, established in Russian rubles.

Throughout January 2015, the accounting prices of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation for gold changed as follows:

The graph of the dynamics of accounting prices for gold in the Central Bank of the Russian Federation for January 2015 is presented below:

Sberbank of Russia is one of the financial institutions Of the Russian Federation, which offers its customers to purchase refined gold bars by concluding an appropriate agreement with a bank.

Among the variety of services provided by Sberbank of Russia in the sale of banking gold bars, it should be noted, in particular, the possibility of purchasing refined gold bars in gift wrapping.

In general, Sberbank of Russia offers its customers today to purchase measured gold bars in the following mass:

• one gram;
• five grams;
• ten grams;
• twenty grams;
• fifty grams;
• one hundred grams;
• two hundred and fifty grams;
• five hundred grams;
• one kilogram.

In gift wrapping you can buy gold bars in the following weight:

• one gram;
• five grams;
• ten grams;
• twenty grams;
• fifty grams;
• one hundred grams.

One of the additional services provided by Sberbank of Russia to its customers is the safe storage of precious metals. The advantages of this service are as follows:

1. Safe and structured storage. Banking gold bars are stored here separately from bars of other precious metals, and are delimited among themselves by weight, fineness, manufacturing method (cast, stamped, and so on) and other features.
2. Efficiency of services. Bars are placed very quickly, and if necessary, they are returned to the client as quickly as possible.
3. Professionalism. The employees of the bank are competent each in their field, which allows ensuring the high quality of the services provided by the bank.

In general, prices and investment opportunities for gold bars are acceptable in Russia. It should be noted that, on average, an investor can calculate the cost of a particular bar of bank gold independently. To do this, it is enough to have information about where you are going to purchase an ingot, and determine the mass of the purchased ingot.

Opportunities in Russia

In Russia, it is associated primarily with the state taxation system, since the eighteen percent value added tax that has existed for a long time, which is levied on the buyer of a bar of bank gold, is really disproportionate to the prospects for this method of investment.

Nevertheless, along with the official market, which, in particular, is represented by such banking institutions as Sberbank of Russia, VTB 24, Nikoil, Nomos-Bank, there is also a black market for precious metals, on which, among others gold bars are also sold. The absence of taxation often attracts investors to this market. But do not forget about the undeniable disadvantages of such a market. Among them, it is perhaps worth highlighting the following:

1. Uncertainty about the actual conclusion of the transaction. Market brokers often "throw" their clients by charging them an advance payment for the goods, which are not subsequently provided.
2. Lack of any quality assurance. An investor purchasing a gold bar through the "black market" cannot be sure that it meets the stated requirements.

Alternatively, which will be discussed later.

Video on the growth in demand for gold bars in Russia

Opportunities in Europe

If we compare investments in gold bars in the Russian Federation and in Europe, we can draw up a similar comparative table:

It is important! Thus, it should be noted that it is certainly more profitable to invest in bank gold bars in the member states of the European Union than in the Russian Federation.

Video about swapping gold bars in a Ukrainian bank

Alternatives

There are several alternative investment options for a Russian investor:

1. on the territory of the countries of the European Union. In this case, it is worth studying in detail legislative framework, which regulates this industry in the country of the Eurozone chosen by the investor.
2. Choose another one in Russia. It is worth highlighting here, perhaps, investments in unallocated metal accounts. Although, each investor, depending on his capabilities and needs, can choose any other form for investing in gold.

Investing in precious metals has long been one of the most common species notonly preservation, but also capital augmentation. A huge advantage of investing in gold is the stability of the pricing in the market. It is known that in times of crisis, gold remains a safe haven where investors transfer their investments to preserve them.

During such periods, the cost of the metal rises sharply, as all others are depreciated. financial instruments. During periods of sustainable economic development, the cost also gradually increases, but not as rapidly as during periods of crisis.Unlike other modern financial instruments - precious metals, in particular gold and silver, have always been valued.

Investment in gold

In the pre-crisis period, in terms of income, this investment in comparison with shares and commodity assets were, one might say, so-so. Because gold does not pay dividends, and short-term investing is pure speculation. Plus, prices can be quite volatile. No one even thought of this product as a safe haven when in early 1980 it cost $ 800 per troy ounce, and two years later, $ 300 per ounce.

However, no matter what happens to prices, this metal is always good. long-term investment. Common sense dictates that the price will never drop to zero. Many experts agree that gold cannot fall below $ 950-1000, since this is the cost of production and it will not be profitable to continue mining.

The price of gold is set by world exchanges, and it is customary to express it in American dollars per triple ounce (33 grams). It is worth noting that the price of gold, from 2000 to the present, has increased sixfold, which indicates the enduring value of this precious metal.

From the beginning of 2013, gold began to fall and the decline continued until early 2016. Then the price fell to $ 1050 per troy ounce. In 2016, the price recovery began, and many played on this, as the well-known Buffett at that time bought $ 20 billion in gold. Now the price has formed a corridor from $ 1100 to $ 1350 and is now near the upper border.

Where and how to buy gold

There are several options for investing in gold. The most popular among the population is the purchase of jewelry, in addition to the price component, they also have aesthetic value.

However, the downside of buying jewelry is that they are bought at a price that takes into account the price of the precious metal and the cost of making the item, which can often be comparable to the cost of the precious metal.

We can say that this is the most inappropriate investment in gold, since the sale of jewelry usually takes place at a scrap gold price, which is significantly lower than the cost of jewelry.

Only 999 fineness is considered investment gold.

Investment in gold coins

The situation is similar with gold collectible coins. The manufacturing cost in terms of the price of the coin is significant. This leads to a high difference between the purchase price of coins and the price of their possible sale.

The Central Bank of Russia has issued special investment coins. Partner banks carry out their sale and buyback at independently set prices. Some financial institutions also sell investment coins, for example Alpari... However, it should be noted that the margin between the buy and sell price is usually also significant (about 15-25%). With such a high margin, investing in coins can only be profitable if you invest in them for long periods.

• The advantage of buying coins is that, by law, these operations are not subject to VAT
• But the spread will be around ten percent.
• And when selling, all the same, you will need to pay personal income tax

How to buy gold bars

One of the most liquid commodities on the market is bullion. Most of the domestic banks carry out their sale and purchase. The difference between the purchase and sale prices usually does not exceed 5%. At the same time, at certain time periods, there are cases when the cost of buying gold bars in some banks is lower than the cost of selling in others, but this happens extremely rarely.

Bars are also a good tool for medium-term investments. It should be noted that the price of a gram directly depends on the weight of the bar. In heavier bars, the cost per gram is higher and the margin between buy and sell is low. It is more profitable to buy bars weighing more than 30 grams.

• However, during such a purchase, we will be forced to pay VAT. because of this, the effect of investing in bullion is significantly reduced. And the bank also holds a large spread, about five percent.

Among other things, by purchasing gold bars and investment coins, you need to carefully handle the packaging, because in case of damage, you will have to undergo an examination, for which you will have to pay. Having bought coins and ingots, they need to be stored somewhere, if kept at home, they can be lost as a result of theft, fire or natural disaster. For storage in a bank, you will be charged about two thousand rubles a year, which is extremely unprofitable, if not a large amount.

Depersonalized metal accounts

Therefore, in extreme times, they are very popular unallocated metal accounts (OMS). You come to the bank with money and open a metal account, where money is converted into ounces of metal. Depersonalized metal account is not the most profitable way of investing, as it does not, in fact, provide for the ownership of precious metal, but only provides agreements with the bank to link the account with the dollar rate at the time of the agreement.

• When selling metal and closing an account, you must pay personal income tax
• Also, insurance does not apply to compulsory medical insurance in the event bank closing, funds will be lost.

This investment option should be chosen when you are confident in the reliability of the financial institution.

How else to invest in gold

You can buy gold futures on the exchange, here is the lowest spread ... And this is perhaps the most liquid way, since you can sell or buy at any moment, during the work of the exchange, without leaving your home, through a web terminal. This can be done with the help of a stock broker. Finam or forex broker Alpari.

E another way to make a high-yield investment may not be directly investments in gold itself, and the purchase valuable papers gold mining companies that can bring good dividends to the investor. But this option can be considered if the investor thoroughly knows and has information about gold mining companies and has available analytics and other materials. You can buy shares using the Finam stock broker. It is also possible to buy various "gold" ETFs.

Also, modern opportunities allow you to buy gold in a virtual form:

• For example, an account with a broker Alpari Gold Nominated (GLD). This requires open an account from a broker and replenish it in any convenient way with any currency. Then the funds are transferred to a gold account, thereby converting them. The advantage of this type of investment is the ability to invest your gold in or PAMM portfolios nominated in GLD. In addition to the rise in the price of gold, its quantity is also growing. This is how I keep my gold.
• Electronic payment systems WebMoney (WMG) and Perfect money (GOLD Troy oz.) Allows you to create accounts denominated in gold. So 1 WMG is equal to 1 gram of metal, and 1 GOLD Troy oz is equal to 1 troy ounce (that's 33 grams). By the way, Perfect Money charges 4% per annum on the balance on a monthly basis, so storage in this EPS looks more attractive. But in both of them it is more profitable to keep gold than on OMS, since you do not need to pay a commission to banks.

It can be concluded that this asset is a reliable investment option in times of crisis and a fairly profitable option for long-term investment. However, when choosing this instrument for investment, you need to understand that prices, like other market instruments, can vary significantly. Therefore, you should not consider buying precious metal as a guaranteed preservation of your capital. An investor must take into account all the pros and cons of investing in gold and make a decision only on the basis of his conclusions and goals.