Gold prices keep climbing in todays searches: is now a terrible time to buy, or is there still a sensible way in?
Gold prices are all over todays trending searches and the price keeps climbing. I have never owned any gold and I am not looking to bet the farm, just wondering if there is a sensible way for a regular person to hold a little of it as a hedge. Is buying after a big run-up just chasing, or does a small steady position still make sense? And for a beginner, is it physical coins, an ETF, or something else entirely?
1 answer
- Dollar-cost average, never chase a spike
Buying a lump sum right after a big run-up is how people end up holding the top. If you want a small hedge, buy a fixed dollar amount every month through a low-cost gold ETF and ignore the daily price: over a year you average out the spikes and the dips instead of trying to time one entry. Keep it small, maybe 5 percent of your portfolio at most, and check the expense ratio before you buy, because some gold funds charge ten times what the cheapest ones do for the same metal.