Are you one of the many people who goes through life with a vague curiosity about investing?
Perhaps you think you’ll get to it when you’re older or when you have more disposable income. Maybe you see it as gambling, and although interested, you don’t really know where to begin.
If that sounds like you, then this guide will serve as a pathway to your investing future. We’ll steer you through the major types of metals people buy and show you exactly where to buy them.
Explore the most popular metals people invest in, including what they are, where you can research them, and how you can begin making investments the moment you finish this article.
Which Metals Do People Invest In?
While the most common metals people invest in are gold and silver, most metals are viable investments. From the beginning of time and throughout every culture, gold, silver, nickel, and other metals have been used as currency.
When America issued its first paper money in 1690, these metals remained valuable. From jewelry to circuitry, building to computing, these metals are deeply ingrained into our society.
Unique for their hardness, beauty, and rarity, precious metals are known as one of the safest and most traditionally stable assets you can invest in.
Precious Metals
The main type of metals people invest in is also the rarest and most valuable. Precious metals are primarily used as a hedge against inflation, and gold, silver, and platinum are the most popular.
What that means is this: While the dollar loses value over time, precious metals like gold are known to climb with inflation, making them a valuable investment.
Each metal has its own traits, its own tendencies in the market, and its own uses in society. Learn more about precious metals and consider which might be worth adding to your portfolio.
Gold
Ancient civilizations placed a lot of value on gold, and thousands of years later, it’s still the most highly-coveted substance on Earth.
Most frequently used as jewelry and a form of currency, gold has special traits that add to its mystique. These include
Interesting Facts About Gold:
- Gold is unique in that it doesn’t rust or corrode, and it’s able to conduct heat and electricity.
- The United States has the largest reserve of gold in the world, with 8,867 tons.
- Investors love gold and gold stocks for their tendency to hold value in volatile markets.
Silver
Also a staple in jewelry, in addition to numerous other things, silver is less precious but far more useful than gold. From scrap to batteries, smartphones to car parts, silver is highly-versatile and constantly in demand.
Unique Facts About Silver
- Silver is one of the easiest investments to liquidate; jewelers will pay the market price for silver.
- Unlike stocks, silver is never likely to crash because it holds real-world, inherent value.
- One of the oldest elements, silver has been traded as a currency since 700 BC.
Whether you choose to invest in silver or silver stocks, consider it a viable and popular investment to add your portfolio.
Platinum
Rounding out the top three precious metals, platinum is every bit as unique as gold and silver. As the only material suitable for the electrodes in pacemakers, platinum is extremely valuable to humanity as well as savvy investors.
Unique Facts About Platinum
- The price of platinum typically fluctuates with manufacturing and industrial industries.
- Platinum is even rarer than gold; all the platinum ever found would fill a pool up to your ankles.
- Platinum is among the heaviest metals: a 6-inch cube weighs as much as an average person.
Palladium and Other Precious Metals
The list of precious metals goes far beyond the three most popular options. From palladium to rhodium, there are numerous metals available, each with its own value as an investment.
If you’re curious about some of the other precious metals you can invest in, here’s a list of some that are worth exploring:
- Palladium
- Rhodium
- Ruthenium
- Osmium
- Iridium
Whichever precious metal appeals most to you, it’s worth taking some time to research how they’re known to perform as an investment.
Brief Note on Base Metals
In addition to precious metals, you can also choose to invest in base metals. Base metals are used in manufacturing and are typically more vulnerable to corrosion than precious metals.
Common examples of base metals include iron, steel, copper, nickel, aluminum, lead, zinc, tin, and tungsten. While they lack the rarity of precious metals, base metals are in high demand nonetheless, so consider investing in them to balance your portfolio.
How to Start Investing
Whether you want to purchase metals or buy stocks from a company that mines them, there are many safe places to do it online. I recommend a few you may want to look into below.
The first thing you’ll need to begin trading stocks online is your credit card, bank account info, or another account, like PayPal for example. This information will be required when making an account so you can buy stocks and metals online.
Making purchases is easy, regardless of the site you’re using. Remember that it’s critical to understand the measurements of the metals you’re buying and to stay within your budget while investing.
Once you’ve bought metals stock, you can monitor their progress over time. If you need to liquidate your money by selling the stocks, every stock site will have slightly different guidelines for doing so.
Where are the Best Places to Invest Online?
It’s worthwhile to check out multiple options before choosing which site to purchase metals from. Precious metals are known as a relatively safe investment, so it’s likely you’ll be leaving your investment in place for many years.
Investing online is completely normal now with numerous options, and many precautions are in place to keep it as safe as possible.
Consider these sites that are among the most reputable places to purchase metals:
- Money Metals Exchange
- American Precious Metals Exchange (APMEX)
- Buy Gold and Silver Coins (BGASC)
- Silver Gold Bull
Understanding Commodities Markets
Commodities are raw materials that are actually used in industry to create and maintain products and infrastructure. You can invest in commodities in a commodities market that offers them.
Hard commodities are natural resources like gold or oil, while soft commodities are agricultural goods, including livestock.
The three main types of commodities are:
- Energy
- Metals
- Agriculture
If you’d like to find additional places to purchase metals online, then a simple search for commodities markets will point you in the right direction.
Fine-Tuning Your Investment Strategy
Depending on how deep you want to take your investment knowledge, you may opt to do additional research online. Many stock experts eagerly offer guidance and advice on maximizing your portfolio.
While you’ll find experts on every side of an investment argument, it’s critical to remember that it’s your money being invested.
Expert opinions may be valuable, but it’s ultimately you who will be celebrating the gains or suffering the losses in your portfolio. For that reason, it’s typically best to look at a variety of sources before making an investment decision.
How To Use Stock Advice From Experts
As a new investor, seeing detailed stock reports may initially seem overwhelming. When first starting, if you can focus on one or two key takeaways and truly understand them, you’ll become increasingly familiar with the terms and concepts.
Over time, some investment experts or websites may resonate with you, becoming a critical part of your research process.
Examples of Popular Sources of Metal Investment Information
Consider these popular sources of stock news and updates, along with a key takeaway from each of them.
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Stockhead: “Gold to Shine in 2023, says Bloomberg”
This article is immensely useful for metal investors, as it provides updates on iron ore, gold, and lithium. Among the many details is this key takeaway: Bloomberg senior strategist, Mike McGlome, explains how gold is already trending more positively and that it’s poised to go up in value in 2023.
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The Gold Report: “Expert Says Silver May Have a ‘Stellar Performance in 2023’”
Always a valuable source due to many knowledgeable contributors, The Gold Report covers all metals, in addition to gold. This highly-detailed article focuses on comments by expert Michael Ballanger.
One key takeaway is that Ballanger explained the parallel between the performance of silver and that of copper, and states that silver is in position for a “stellar performance in 2023.”
Ultimately, understanding how to interpret investment news and advice will get easier with practice and will likely help you become a smarter, more savvy investor.
Trust Streetwise Reports for the Latest News on Metals
Streetwise Reports is a one-stop hub for anyone whose curious about investing. Featuring articles and valuable information you won’t find anywhere else, you can count on Streetwise Reports to provide detailed and updated investment news daily.
Those who are interested in metals will want to check out the Gold Report. There you’ll find new, in-depth articles on the events that are effecting stock prices throughout the world.
Our team at Streetwise Reports works around the clock to compile meaningful stock information from a wide range of sources. We hope you’ll make Streetwise Reports the main source for investment news that matters.
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1) Nicholas Napier wrote this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an independent contractor. They members of their household own securities of the following companies mentioned in the article: None. They or members of their household are paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None.
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