Gold investors are some of the smartest in the financial world. Gold is not as modern as crypto or meme stocks, but it’s still rather valuable for many reasons. Just have a look at these arguments to see why gold is so valuable;
It Is Commonly Used as Cash
Gold is accepted as legal tender pretty much everywhere in the world. That is how things have been for centuries. Since all civilizations accept this, the value of gold remains high. For example, it may be impossible to purchase oil in the Middle East with your native currency if it is in freefall. But they will almost certainly take gold.
Keep in mind that there are several channels for accepting gold. But buying and selling gold bullion is the main way of exchanging valuable metal. The same applies to gold in the form of coins and bars. Gold in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or futures contracts could be less stable than physical gold during economic turmoil.
It’s a Form of Sovereign Reserves
Almost every country maintains its sovereign holding of gold, the single most significant way leading to gold’s value. The United States has around 4,500 metric tons of gold in its reserves.
Simply put, gold is used as a kind of currency insurance. Gold used to be a viable option for exchanging currency. This is no longer the situation in the United States. However, the country maintains a steady quantity of gold in reserve.
Gold Supply is Scarce
To begin with, there is a limited amount of gold available. To put it clearly, consider the fiat currencies like the U.S. dollar, which could have an unlimited supply. Many U.S. currencies in circulation came into being during the past few years. In comparison, there are only 131 million ounces of gold worldwide. That amounts to just around 0.015 ounces for each person on Earth. Gold’s value would increase dramatically if the dollar suddenly became worthless.
The subject of how much new gold is added to the market annually is mainly raised. The extraction of gold from the Earth is a well-known fact. Gold is becoming scarcer as a more precious metal is extracted from the Earth. The amount of gold available is expected to rise by about 3% in 2022. This trend closely parallels the normal expansion of the gold supply.
It Does Not Behave Like Other Assets
Holding gold is a good idea for any investor since it has a low correlation to other assets. Gold, for example, tends to maintain or even increase in value in the face of a general fall in the value of stocks.
As a result, many people and hedge funds will keep at least a part of their assets in gold. Experts advise keeping a percentage of one’s wealth in gold, anything from 5 to 15 percent.
The Market Determines the Limits of Supply
In contrast to that of dollars and Bitcoin, Gold’s supply is subject to market forces alone. Gold prices go up when there is a gold market demand. When gold prices go up, miners know they can make more money by cranking out more of the precious metal. For example, if there is less demand for gold on the market, the price will drop, and the signal will have the opposite effect, decreasing the supply of new gold entering the market.
The exact mechanism, the free market, exists under a pure gold normal system to either increase or decrease the gold supply. There is no need for a central bank, a governing body, or a supply limit. Gold’s use as money coincided with a time of relative stability and economic growth in history when this mechanism was widely in place.
The Worth Of Gold Has Persisted Over Centuries, and Even Millennia
Gold has been used as currency for thousands of years. It’s worth has not changed much throughout that period. In Ancient Rome, for example, one ounce of gold would have bought you a magnificent toga. The current market price of one ounce of gold is about $1,900, which is enough to buy a high-quality suit. The same analogy holds for acquiring livestock, buildings, and other assets.
Gold’s value has persisted longer than almost any other currency in history. The typical fiat money only lasts about 30 years. The British Pound, at almost 300 years old, is the world’s oldest currency.
In Summary
As you can see, there are many situations where gold will be a good investment. For this reason, gold should be considered by all investors as a means of diversification. In terms of long-term financial stability, it may represent one of your most crucial investments.