Gold Investments

Gold prices these days relate primarily to the rise and fall of the dollar, rather than inflation itself.

There are many other ways to protect yourself against inflation. A weaker dollar waxes and wanes cyclically. Other investments are more directly attuned to inflationary factors.

For those who have decided to buy gold, however, an option that often is not fully understood is whether to buy gold mining shares, instead of gold coins or bullion.

There is dividend income in holding shares and potential capital growth. Gold coins and bullion offer no income. And you have to store and safeguard the physical assets.

However, mining company shares run into occasional production problems and potentially negative management issues.

Gold can be bought without physical possession, in the form of mutual funds or exchange traded funds (ETF)s. . ( See the Earl J Weinreb NewsHole® comments.)