For those of you that have been following things other than commodities, “things” such as equities, you’ve probably been wondering what you should do with your money, because you’re not about to put it into trading on the NASDAQ or NYSE. Of course unless it’s trading SLV.
That just may signal a time to getting into buying silver. One of the tougher things to do is to figure out how to buy real silver bars and not just show pieces that might be only part silver. The best thing to do is to buy them through an ETF like the one mentioned above, SLV. However, if you want to own the real thing, there are many many places you can look for silver.
One of those places is your local jewelry and metals exchange shop. These places will usually buy and sell precious metals in addition to making that pendant you’ve always wanted. Since they’re local, you at least have a place to go back to, so long as they stay in business, that you can take your silver back to if it turns out not to be as pure as you once thought.
The next place is of course online. This is where you need to go to someone reputable if you’re going to buy physical silver. You’ll need to make sure the place has some number or person you can chat with, get a feel for the company. Next you’ll want to make sure they have some type of return policy. You may have to pay shipping, but it’s a nice piece of mind.
Of course, make sure everything paid for is secure, that goes without saying.
Finally, see if the minted bars or rounds they sell come from reputable companies such as Northwest, Johnson Matthey, Silvertowne, etc. There are plenty out there, and make sure they’re .999 pure silver. Other than that, price them out over spot price (which you can get here with us) and good luck.
Remember buying any investment is a risk, so make sure you can take it.
Probably the best choice for the beginner investor is physical gold and silver bullion; that way, it’s in your hand and the premium over spot should be low if bought from a reputable (and competitive) dealer.
I personally recommend buying local as it supports business within your community and many online dealers have quite the lengthy wait period (roughly 6 – 7 weeks). Just make sure to check your state’s tax law regarding bullion purchase to maximize value for your dollar.
If you have silver, it will always be transferable into any currency because it’s a precious metal. This gives you the power to go anywhere if needed and transfer it to any currency. Even if the type of currency changes your money will still be protected.