Sebastian Tenier


Is gold a good investment? Yes! For quite some time now, people have been placing all their wealth into non tangible investments. They have overlooked gold bullion for supposedly more profitable ventures like real estate, forex trading, and stock options. These people are currently loosing their shirts right now in this recession. If they could do it all over again, what do you think they would invest in? Gold. At the beginning of the Bush administration, gold bullion prices were around $400, at the end of the Bush regime Gold bullion now sells for upwards of $1000. On the other hand, the stock market has done nothing but plummet.

To truly recession proof your investment portfolio, you need to invest in gold bullion. But is now the time to make such an investment, gold prices have tripled in the past 10 years, is it truly a good investment? In short, yes. Here’s why:

During a recession institutions run for gold. It is a safe-haven investment as it never looses it’s value. The gold market never has crashed in thousands of years. The demand for gold will remain high for some time, and the price of gold will continue to rise as the world scene shows only more and more instability.

As global inflation is on the rise, more and more will be seeking out assets that are inflation proof. Gold bullion has historically proved itself to be a hedge against inflation. Oil and food will continue to inflate in price, or crash altogether, gold is secure and solid.

Unusual market conditions can wreak havoc on our investment portfolio of stocks, bonds, equities and so forth. People who are intelligent will naturally look into investing in gold as it does not behave badly in bad markets, it only continues to rise in value.

Currencies fluctuate rapidly, faster than some can keep up with. Right now the dollar is falling in value, some predict inevitably it will crash. Investor demand for gold bullion will continue to rise as the dollar denominated commodities such as gold bullion continue to fall, which makes it cheaper if you hold other currencies.

Gold is a highly liquid asset, it can be bought and sold anywhere in the world. It is universally recognized as a valuable asset. Right now, many countries will not exchange dollars, or buy US currency outright. In economies like this, having assets that are liquid is essential should an emergency occur.

If you take a truly objective look at the world economy, you will see nothing but continued problems and disputes. All of these things make for an increase in the value of gold. So if you truly want to invest for success, and want your investments to last far into the future, invest in gold.

Christina Goldman


There’s never been a better time to buy American Eagle Gold Coins. An economic recession is almost assured. Along with the varied fluctuations in the stock market and the downward trend in the real estate sector, more investors are compelled to put their money in items that will hold value, such as bullion coins. A recent trend analysis puts the gold market as one of the most flourishing areas of investment, offering the maximum returns.

Most investors select mint gold Eagle coins as their option for gold coin investments, as these are of assured quality. Likewise, coin collectors, as a hobby or antique collection, prefer American Eagle coins, which are 91.67% purity or 22 karat. Generally pure gold is actually a mixture of the soft yellow metal and other metals like silver and copper, to make it more wear-resistant.

American Eagle coins are made out of gold mined in United States. These bullion coins were first released from the US Mint in 1986 and are of assured 22 karats.There are two varieties of gold American Eagle coins - the bullion and the proof.

The bullion coins contain the best raw gold and is highly suitable for solid investment. These are readily available and are a worthy and safe investment. These coins have been recognized, appreciated and sold the world over. Many coin buyers consider bullion coins as the best option for a long-term investment.

The American Eagle gold proof coins are actually bullion coins that have been specifically struck for collectors and to highlight or mark special occasions. Proof coins are not designed for general public circulation. Most of the coin collectors hunt for these types of gold coins. They are very impressive, attractive, glossy and worth the amount that is spent. Different processing techniques are used to make these American Eagle proof coins, which gives it an imposing look and beauty.

American Eagle gold coins are available in different weights. There are four options of 1 ounce, 1/2 ounce, 1/4 ounce and 1/10 ounce. Generally smaller weights might appear to cost less, but in reality it can be more cost-effective to buy the 1 ounce gold coins.

You should be always be very selective from whom you choose to purchase bullion coins. It is advisable to buy from reputable, authorized merchants and clearly check for the purity and weight. There are many establishments approved by the US Mint. The online auction site, eBay, is very convenient and can be very cost effective method of obtaining American Eagle gold coins. A proper online search on eBay will turn up many varieties to add to your collection.

At the moment, the gold market is very customer friendly. The handsome collections available gives ample opportunities for the customer to get the best price and selection, making American Eagle Gold Coins a very worthy investment!

Mark Andrew Woodcock


With the current financial climate so turbulent, alternative solutions to protecting your finances are becoming increasingly popular, especially as the UK’s banks have lost a significant amount of trust and respect in recent years. But what are the safest ways in which we can protect our money? There are several options to choose from, be it spreading your savings over a number of banks so that every penny is protected, taking a risk on stock and share investment, opening a pension scheme or purchasing real investment products, like precious metals. This article is intended as an introduction to protecting your money in the long term, and presents an opportunity to make a profit out of some of the options.

The safest form of investment has to be gold bullion. Research covering the twentieth century has shown gold bullion investment to be a constantly popular form of wealth protection due to the value of gold remaining fairly level, even whilst the currency of individual countries depreciates. Record levels of interest in gold investment have led to the World Gold Council expanding its US team and demand is continuously outweighing supply. Once you begin to understand the gold bullion market, you can quickly make money off existing investments and then reinvest, meaning that you are constantly adding to your gold shares.

However, before you jump right in and pour all of your wealth straight into gold, ask yourself these questions; do I want the real asset or just exposure to the real gold price? How will I store the physical product? And finally, can I afford the additional costs including taxes, commission, storage and insurance? If, after answering these questions, gold bullion investment is still for you, there are several options you can consider. Bullion coins and small bars are an easy way to invest and their value is based on their fine gold content. Commemorative coins on the other hand are valued for their design, rarity and finish. A bonus of purchasing gold for investment purposes is that the EU does not charge Value Added Tax on top of the purchase price. So, with gold bullion investment, your wealth is protected and you even have the chance to make more money if you follow the market closely.

In the UK, our national banks are regulated by the Financial Services Authority FSA which has implemented the Financial Services Compensation Scheme FSCS. The scheme was set up to protect some of our money in the unfortunate event that a bank goes bankrupt, as we have seen happen in the US and the UK. Although the government has tried to ward off complete collapse as much as it can, with nationalisation, mergers and bail outs, the financial sector remains on shaky territory so it is important that we secure all of the money we have invested in UK banks. The FSCS protects the first £50,000 per person, per institution. This means that if you have less than £50,000 in one bank, it is all protected. However, if you have a total of £60,000 for example in two accounts at the same bank, £10,000 of that will be at risk. So to protect as much of your money as possible, limit your savings in any one bank to £49,500 as this will also protect any interest you have built up.

It is important to note the amalgamation of some banks into one institution, for example HBOS has Halifax and The Royal Bank of Scotland under its institution so if you had more than £50,000 between these two banks, you would still only be protected for £50,000.

Investing your money in stocks and shares is a risky form of investment and as such, the FSCS protection covering risk based assessment is complex. You are not protected if the company you personally invest in goes bust or one of your funds performs badly. However, if a product provider like a bank offering a Shares ISA goes under, you will be protected. Pensions and Life Assurance policies are similar. However, as they are considered to be long term investment, they do offer a bit more protection. The first £2000 is covered and 90% of the rest is also protected. But investment protection differs from product to product so it is important that if you are investing rather than saving, you check the protection offered for every product you use.

These are harrowing times for many people with savings that they want to protect. Whilst I am not advising a run on the banks, spreading your money across a variety of savings and investment opportunities will protect your money in the long run and you may find that your monetary assets actually grow.