Traditionally considered a sign of supremacy, beauty and peace, gold has immense religious value, especially in Indian culture, and connotes great sacred meaning. The Indians, in particular, believe that buying gold will bring them good fortune.

However, with the changing times, the connotation and value of the metal has undergone remarkable changes. People’s perception of the precious yellow metal has taken on a very different dimension. Now, gold is considered a smart investment option.

As an investment option it has gained remarkable acceptance around the world in recent years. As a result, it has become the most popular investment option among all metals. While the physical purchase of gold remains the most popular form of gold investment, investments in gold ETFs are also on the rise.

There are a number of investment vehicles for gold, such as bullion, coins, exchange-traded products, certificates, accounts, etc. The most traditional way of investing in gold is by buying gold bars. Gold coins are also a common way to own gold. Similarly, other vehicles are common investment options that people opt for.

Investors today have many options available to them. Those who are interested in acquiring gold in physical form, buy it at jewelry stores, banks or accumulate the metal through the monthly schemes offered by jewelry stores. Those who want to accumulate paper gold choose dedicated gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or open-ended gold savings funds.

While many investors choose to purchase physical gold from local jewelers, experts are of the opinion that this may not be an efficient way to invest in gold. There are chances that jewelers will charge a markup above market prices. Aside from these, there are issues like purity and storage/custody. Many experts recommend accumulating gold in an electronic format, also known as e-gold.

This means that one can buy gold through mutual funds. Mutual funds are well regulated and there are no purity and storage issues. If an investor has a brokerage and compounding account, he can purchase gold units through the ETF route. If he/she doesn’t have a demat account, investing through a gold savings fund offered by most fund houses would be a good move.

The true value of the precious yellow metal is inescapable by virtue of being one of the safest investment avenues available. In fact, even if the worst crisis hits a family, the gold they own could be used anywhere in the world.

Despite spiraling prices, the precious yellow metal has not lost its shine, and therefore many financial planners believe that investing in gold (physical or electronic gold) is a smart decision for a person to make and that they should be part of every investment. briefcase. While the former offers greater psychological satisfaction to the investor, the latter provides better returns and is more tax efficient. However, both options carry more or less the same risks and benefits.