Buying gold online? Here's what to know
24 February, 2025
With our latest Gold Demand Trends report citing that total annual gold investment grew 25% in 2024, many investors are exploring what gold ownership entails and whether their investment should be actively or passively managed. At a high level, there are three key categories of products where US retail investors can own gold: physical (bars or coins), physically-backed gold ETFs, and gold futures (listed COMEX derivatives).
Our report also shows that many western investors continue to gravitate to the ETF market. Why? There are key benefits to this type of product: investors who buy shares in gold ETFs do not have to deal with the management or safekeeping of their holdings, and it’s as easy as investing in the stock market.
Many other investors choose to buy gold in the physical market and do so online. And while buying gold online has made it easier, it still requires due diligence. I spoke with the Royal Canadian Mint to identify the four key questions to consider when buying gold online:
- What are your investment goals?
- What exactly are you buying?
- Who are you buying from?
- What are the costs?
Factors including portfolio diversification, return on investment, risk level, collectability, functionality, and asset liquidity can make gold a compelling addition to a portfolio. To read the full blog post, please visit the Royal Canadian Mint’s website here. For more information on how to start investing in gold, you can also review our 5-step guide for investors on how to get started.
