Difference Between Gold, Silver And Investment ?

1. Silver’s Future Dependence On The Global Economy

Heavy industry and high technology consume half of all silver, which includes smartphones, tablets, automotive electrical systems, solar-panel cells, and a variety of other products and applications. As a consequence, silver is more susceptible to economic fluctuations than gold, which was limited applications outside of jewelry and investment. When economies grow, demand for silver tends to rise.

2. Silver Could Be A Superior Inflation Protector

When inflation in the United States rises, silver and gold have historically performed well, in part because higher costs of goods & services often correspond with a weaker dollar. Because both metals were valued in US dollars, when the dollar declines in value, Gold & silver normally climb as the cost of purchasing them in other currencies decreases. With rising inflation & a declining currency, silver tends to climb more than gold due to greater industrial demand.

3. Silver Has A Higher Volatility Than Gold

3On any given day, the volatility of silver prices might be 2 to 3 times that of gold. When traders may benefit, controlling portfolio risk can be difficult with such volatility. Nicholas Thompson, who handles Morgan Stanley’s physical precious metals portfolio for Wealth Management customers, adds, “That volatility can translate to larger brief gains, but it further carries the risk of greater downside.”

4. Gold Has Shown To Be A Better Diversifier Than Silver.

Silver has a moderately weak positive correlation to equities, bonds, and commodities, making it a good portfolio diversifier. Gold, on the other hand, is seen as a more potent diversifier. It has always been uncorrelated with stocks and has very weak correlation with other main asset classes, and for good reason: Because gold’s industrial uses are relatively limited, it is less affected by economic downturns than silver & industrial base metals.

5. Currently, Silver Is Less Expensive Than Gold.

Silver is far less expensive than gold, allowing access to individual investors. Silver may be a good investment choice for those who are just beginning to construct their portfolios due to its lower cost.

The Best Ways To Invest In Gold & Silver

One of the benefits of silver and gold is that they are both available in different investment forms:

Gold and silver, unlike stocks and bonds, can be purchased as tangible assets, such as bars and coins kept in  Morgan Stanley brokerage account and American Eagle coins maintained in a retirement account. The metals would be held by a 3rd depository rather than Morgan Stanley, however investors can take physical delivery if they like.

“Investors who need to own anything substantial that they can take ownership of can find satisfaction in owning gold and silver in physical form,” Thompson explains. See also the Gold & Silver investment.

Keeping bars and coins might be risky. For one thing, production and distribution markups on gold & silver coins require investors to pay extra over the metal market price. Costs of storage & even insurance should be considered.

ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds) have become an popular tool for investors to obtain exposure to silver and gold without having to store real assets. Shares can be purchased and held in a typical brokerage account.  The fund’s operator is in charge of managing the costs of maintaining a physical supply of the gold & silver, as well as charging an interest rate. Investing in an ETF, however, does not provide access to  underlying metals. Furthermore, some precious-metal ETFs were taxed as collectibles, so they are not eligible for lower long-term capital gains rates.