Gold Investment in India
Indians go gaga over gold ornaments. As per a research, over 16,000 tons of gold is stored in Indian households in the form of jewelry. The estimated value of that gold is 27.2 lakh crores. It is twice the reserves of foreign exchange held by the Reserve Bank of India.
The gold rate today in India is very high. This is one of the reasons why people in India, and people from different parts of the world are investing in gold. Unlike other types of investments, gold is also one of the best hedges for financial market risks, and is considered as a highly liquid asset. As long as managed properly, investing in gold can become your ticket to attain financial stability, and diversify your investment portfolio.
However, before you start investing in gold, it’s important to look at the bigger picture, and consider the pros and cons of your investment. Here are the points that you must factor in when it comes to investing in gold.
1. Various Forms of Purchasing Gold
Gold comes in various shapes and sizes. Contrary to popular belief, gold doesn’t always come in bars.
As an investor, you ought to know about these forms of buying gold by spending time researching, asking pros who have been investing in gold for years, and using reliable online resources such as the gold investing hub. Jewelry is the most traditional form of purchasing gold in India. From an investment point of view, this isn’t a good idea. It comes with losses in the disguised in the form of making charges and wastage. It constitutes 10-35 percent of the total jewelry cost.
Bank coins aren’t a great investment idea either. Banks charge 5-10 percent premium for coins. Also, the bank coins offer lesser liquidity.
Bullion bars are a good mode of investment but it comes with a high amount of money as a minimum investment.
Gold Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) is a trending option. It is alike mutual funds but it invests particularly in gold. It is a safer and easier option to buy gold. The charge is very less and the gold is accessed via electronic means. The only disadvantage is that you never get to see your gold.
Since there are many forms of purchasing gold, it’s best if you take it slow, and carefully research all of your available options. As a neophyte in investing gold, you should be able to get as much information as you can on the various forms of purchasing gold, and use one that is apt to your investment goals.
2. Current Income
In any form, gold doesn’t offer any source of income. The sole exception is dividend option that comes with the gold ETFs. When held in a physical form, the only outflow of money for the lockers maintenance is there.
3. Capital Appreciation
Gold has been the ideal shield against inflation since ages. When it comes to the returns on investment, it has performed terribly poor at 0.8 percent above the inflation. Shares and real estate beats gold on the grounds of capital appreciation by giving the returns of 11 percent above the inflation
4. Risk
In India, gold doesn’t come with much of a risk. In fact, we hardly get to see deflation in the literal sense. When the figures were depicting negative inflation, i.e. deflation during the previous year, the actual price of gold was increasing.
The real risk associated with buying gold lies in the opportunity cost of other investment options with higher returns.
5. Liquidity
Gold comes with the highest liquidity as compared to the different investment options. Any day, any time gold can be converted to money. Banks give you a jewelry loan. Gold jewelers would give you money in exchange for your gold jewelry after subtracting the making charges and wastage charges.
The liquidity of gold can be very convenient, especially in times of emergencies. When experiencing a medical emergency, for example, you can easily apply for a jewelry loan, and get cash fast. This will save you from unwanted stress, and ensure that you can survive any type of financial emergency.
6. Tax Treatment
Gold is the victim of capital gains tax according to the Income Tax Act. It is recommended to ask your jeweler shop for the receipt. Gold doesn’t offer any other tax advantage.
7. Convenience
In terms of convenience, gold scores super high. As the price rises, the smallest investment becomes higher. ETFs, offer the convenience to hold gold for a short period of time.
Final Words!
Undoubtedly investment in gold is the perfect instrument when it comes to inflation. From the hedge avenue viewpoint, people in India are yet to explore this market actively. This is highly recommended because the purchase statistics break the record of jewelry. Gold does beat inflation. However, it does give poor returns in comparison to that given by real estate or share market, especially when we talk about returns in inflation.
Investing in gold can pave the way towards your financial stability, but making decisions hastily can also lead to debts and financial losses. If you truly want to make the most out of your gold investment, make sure to know the ins and outs of the industry, and if possible, ask the help of a professional. Never invest in gold if you don’t know what you’re going into as this can only do more harm than good.
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