Are coins and bullion bars good investments? In today’s post, you will learn what you need to know to make a good decision about whether to sink your money into these popular investments. 

The 2021 Annual Crime Report published by the Jewelers’ Security Alliance, a nonprofit trade organization, is a free downloadable report that we all need to read. At least, everyone who is involved with jewelry or precious metals should download and read it. It reveals, in depth, exactly where jewelry-related crimes are taking place. Also, it explains how many of those crimes are happening, and whether those crimes are becoming more or less frequent.

Our phone rang a few days ago. A woman on the other end of the line asked a question that seems to be on the minds of many people just now . . .

“I’ve been furloughed from my job and I could use some cash,” she said. “Now would be a good time for me to sell some old items of jewelry, but I can’t find any gold refineries that buy from the public near me. Even those `We Buy Gold’ roadside stores in my area have shut down during the coronavirus crisis.”

On Monday, July 20, 2015, the financial markets got a jolt when the trading price of gold in Asia suddenly plummeted to a five-year low. The impact was felt globally. Half the world away in London, the price fell 2% on news of the Asian price drop. One celebrity investment expert, CNBC’s Jim Cramer, got on air only hours later and advised people to buy gold at its low price, as a “hedge against inflation.” That’s traditional wisdom about buying gold and other precious metals – investors should buy and hold as a hedge against inflation. It’s good advice, but it makes us wonder why so few investment experts are recommending buying gold at low prices and then selling it when prices rise.