Many people advocate using gold assets as a form of insurance against stock market risk. That argument has a lot of valid arguments, but having large, hefty gold bars has certain drawbacks as well. For these reasons, buying gold exchange-traded funds may be simpler.

Like buying shares from any other sort of firm, gold exchange funds, often known as ETFs or GETFs, are bought and sold online. These shares will be kept in a brokerage account. This is a terrific method to buy gold without being concerned about the drawbacks of gold ownership, even though you aren’t actually buying the gold bullion-the shares of firms that invest in gold.

If you have loose lips, owning actual gold coins or bullion may also be problematic. If you divulge your home’s safe’s location to too many people, the incorrect person might overhear and your house might be broken into before you realize it. Even worse.

Since owning actual gold can be challenging, utilizing EFTs is another option since many buyers will want to inspect the gold if you wish to sell it.

Owning EFTs can help you avoid many of the drawbacks of owning gold, but it also has certain drawbacks of its own. For starters, EFTs are not good long-term investments, although actual gold can be. You want to buy low and sell high because they are short-term investments.

It’s simple to get engaged in buying and selling EFTs if you already have a brokerage account. Be sure you are aware that there is a genuine danger of losing your money, like with any other form of stock trading.

It’s important to keep in mind that when you buy an EFT, you are actually buying stock in the company. If the company fails, your stock will be worth nothing more than the paper it was printed on. There is still a big risk as you do not control the gold.

When used as a vehicle for short-term investments, EFTs work best. These are not the same as purchasing gold coins or gold bullion, which can be a great long-term investment plan that is recession-proof. You have little influence over the decisions a company takes when you buy its shares, and you are at the whim of the management and board of directors, which doesn’t give you much security. Take a look at what has occurred in the past few years.

Gold exchange-traded funds may be a great option for you and your investment portfolio if you want to manipulate the market and make money from brief price surges. If you’re looking for anything that can provide you with long-term stability, you should stick to investing in real gold, either coins or bullion, as these have value in and of themselves. If you’re looking for something else, don’t rely on a corporation’s value.