Buy Genuine Gold Coins and Bars Please!

Last week I suggested that investing in Gold might be a very wise decision in our present economic climate, as the recession continues to hit hard at our hard earned cash stacked away in bank vaults for that rainy day.

As we all know the value of Paper Money has been weakened tremendously in the west, because of the greed that has fed the financial economic models in the last twenty odd years. We are about to start really paying for this, and the wise ones will make sure that their eggs are not all placed in one basket, namely in Paper Money saved in the bank vaults of our banking institutions.

So lets say you've decided to be wise and start investing in Gold bullions and the like, well one word of advice though, ensure that you buy your bullions from reputable firms and individuals preferably those that belong to the relevant trade associations in your countries. Bullions do not always come with certificates, but if you buy from a reputable dealer or firm you wont go wrong. There are a lot of fakes out there and you do not want to find yourself lumbered with worthless bits of metal someone sold to you as pure gold or silver.

Some reputable associations that dealers belong to include:

BNTA (British Numismatic Trade Association)
CAND (Canadian Association of Numismatic Dealers)
IAPN (International Association of Professional Numismatists)
SAAND (South African Association of Numismatic Dealers)
ANDA (Australasian Numismatic Dealer's Association)

Paper Money Collectors should note that this is not a call to abandon your hobby and paper money investment portfolios, but this is a call to broaden your investments and not keep every saved penny as raw cash in the banks.