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What Exactly is Bullion?

Welcome to my blog, where we talk about important topics related to finance and investing. Today, we are going to delve into the world of gold, and more specifically, bullion.

Now, some of you may be wondering what exactly bullion is, and how it differs from other types of gold. Well, let me break it down for you.

Bullion is simply gold, in its purest form. It is typically sold in the form of bars or coins, and its value is based on the weight and purity of the gold content. Unlike other types of gold, such as jewelry or collectible coins, bullion is primarily valued for its precious metal content, rather than its aesthetic appeal or historical significance.

To better understand the importance of bullion, let’s meet our two characters, Jack and Sarah. Jack is a seasoned investor, with a passion for precious metals, while Sarah is a curious newcomer, eager to learn more about the world of investing.

Jack: “Hey Sarah, have you ever heard of bullion before?”

Sarah: “No, not really. What is it?”

Jack: “Bullion is just another word for pure gold. It’s different from other types of gold because it’s not mixed with other metals, and it’s not used for jewelry or other decorative purposes.”

Sarah: “Oh, I see. So why is bullion so valuable?”

Jack: “Well, Sarah, bullion is valuable because it’s a hedge against inflation and economic uncertainty. When the stock market is down, or the economy is in a downturn, gold tends to hold its value, making it a safe haven for investors.”

Sarah: “That makes sense. So how do you invest in bullion?”

Jack: “You can invest in bullion by buying physical gold, in the form of bars or coins. You can also invest in gold ETFs or mutual funds, which invest in companies that mine or produce gold.”

Sarah: “Interesting. So, what should I consider before investing in bullion?”

Jack: “Well, Sarah, before investing in bullion, you should consider the purity and weight of the gold, as well as the reputation of the dealer or institution you are buying from. You should also consider the storage and insurance costs, as well as any taxes or fees associated with buying or selling bullion.”

Sarah: “Wow, there’s a lot to consider. Thanks for explaining all of this to me, Jack.”

Jack: “No problem, Sarah. Investing in bullion can be a great way to diversify your portfolio and protect your wealth over the long term.”

In conclusion, bullion is a form of gold that is valued for its purity and precious metal content. It differs from other types of gold, such as jewelry or collectible coins, in that it is primarily used as a hedge against inflation and economic uncertainty. If you are considering investing in bullion, be sure to do your research and consult with a trusted financial advisor to ensure that you are making the right decisions for your portfolio.

How To Pursue a Career in the Precious Metals Industry

Alright, listen up folks. Today we’re gonna talk about how to start a career in the precious metals business. Now, let me tell you something, if you’re thinking about getting into this industry, you better be prepared for some serious ups and downs. It’s a wild ride, but if you’re willing to put in the work and learn from your mistakes, the rewards can be huge.

First things first, let me introduce you to my man, Johnny. Johnny here is a successful precious metals dealer who’s been in the business for over 20 years. Johnny, tell these folks what it takes to make it in this industry.

“Well, Ray, first and foremost, you gotta have a passion for it. You can’t just be in it for the money. You gotta love the thrill of the chase, the excitement of finding that perfect piece, and the satisfaction of making a sale. It’s not an easy business, but it’s damn rewarding.”

Johnny’s right. Passion is key, but it’s not enough. You also gotta have some serious knowledge. That’s where Professor Smith comes in. He’s a renowned expert in the field of precious metals and has written countless papers on the subject.

“Thank you, Ray. As Johnny mentioned, passion is important, but it’s only the beginning. You also need to have a deep understanding of the market, the various metals, and their uses. It’s a complex field, but with dedication and hard work, anyone can learn it.”

Now, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. How do you actually get started in this business? Well, there are a few paths you can take. You can start by working for a dealer, learning the ropes, and building your network. Or, you can go the entrepreneurial route and start your own business. Either way, you’ll need to do your research, develop a business plan, and secure funding.

“Hey, Ray, let me tell you something. Starting your own business ain’t no joke. It’s a lot of work, but it’s also a lot of fun. You gotta be willing to take risks, make mistakes, and learn from them. But if you do it right, the rewards can be huge. And hey, if all else fails, you can always fall back on selling weed.”

Alright, that’s enough from Joey. Bottom line, starting a career in the precious metals business takes passion, knowledge, and hard work. It’s not for the faint of heart, but if you’re willing to put in the effort, it can be a highly rewarding career. So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and start making some deals!

The Process of Mining For Precious Metals

Mining for new gold and silver deposits involves a complex and resource-intensive process. Here are the basic steps involved:

Exploration: The first step in mining for gold and silver is to locate a prospective deposit. This involves conducting geological surveys and analyzing data to identify areas where deposits are likely to be found.

Site Preparation: Once a deposit has been identified, the site needs to be prepared for mining. This involves removing vegetation and other obstructions, constructing access roads, and preparing the site for heavy equipment.

Extraction: The actual mining process begins with the extraction of the ore from the ground. This may involve open-pit mining or underground mining, depending on the location and type of deposit.

Processing: Once the ore has been extracted, it is transported to a processing plant where it is crushed, ground, and treated with chemicals to extract the gold and silver. This process can be quite complex and may involve multiple stages of crushing, grinding, and chemical treatment.

Refining: The final step in the mining process is the refining of the gold and silver. This involves removing impurities and producing pure metal that can be sold on the market.

Overall, mining for new gold and silver deposits is a complex process that requires significant resources, specialized equipment, and expertise in geology, engineering, and metallurgy. It can also have significant environmental impacts, so it is important to carefully manage and mitigate these impacts through responsible mining practices.

Gold Price Slides and Rebounds

The year 2022 is going to be described best by one word: volatility.

It has already been a heck of a run with the stock market tanking, wiping out much of 2021’s gains, and it’s not even February. The Goldilocks investing phase has ended, welcome to chaos.

Does this mean that all asset classes will crash? No. This doesn’t even mean that the stock market will stay down. It means that prices will be all over the place with highs, and lows, and everything in between.

So, what does this mean for gold? That is a great question.

The big thing that has shocked the stock market, and caused some of the biggest tech names (the FAANG’s) to lose trillions of market cap, (Netflix dropped 25% in one day) is the Fed’s tightening or raising of interest rates. Now, this requires a bit more digging. If you study the Fed you will begin to understand how they use “credible threats”.

The Federal Reserve now views the rampant inflation as a credible threat and they have to do something about it. But the Fed often threatens the market to project what it wants the market to do, without actually doing the thing they threaten.

This means the Fed is threatening to raise interest rates, but they haven’t raised the rates hardly at all. Yet. Markets have tanked in anticipation of the Fed’s actions. Remember, the market is a forward-looking mechanism, so you want to buy the rumor and sell the news. The market action so far has been the selling of the news.

Now that we discussed Fed tightening, what else can move the gold price? That leaves two major influences left, inflation, and the supposed economic recovery from the worldwide flu.

The inflation problem is difficult. There are two causes of the inflation, the money printer go brrrr and also the supply crunch. We’d like to think that the supply side of the equation is slowly working itself out, and when supply opens back up prices on durable goods like lumber and automobiles will decline.

BUT.

Most of the supply problems are caused by government restrictions around the world. And governments love all these restrictions because it gives them vastly more power than if they were not imposing tyranny. That leads us to believe that the supply side will not be fixed anytime soon, so that will contribute to an increase in inflation.

And Fed’s tightening at the very most would be a 1% rise in interest rates, which would definitely cause a shock to the markets because they are so used to easy monetary policies, but even a 1% rise is still very low and unsustainable rates from a historic perspective.

And the government is still going to be spending and printing money with reckless abandon, this will never change.

So, the short of it is, the most likely scenario is that inflation will not go down, but the rate of increase of inflation may go down slightly.

All this talk of Fed tightening (OMG, they’re gonna raise rates a tini-tiny bit) initially put downward pressure on the spot price of gold. But as the days unfolded the gold price has been able to absorb this negative news and is starting to rise.

Why?

Because nothing has changed from the macro picture. Yes, there have been some recent noise to rattle the markets and investors, but all the catalysts are in place to push gold prices hirer. When you zoom out, nothing has changed and all the energy is supporting the gold price.

You might be wondering; “What is the best way for an individual investor to get exposure to gold and precious metals?” The best way for most people to own gold is in a tax-protected account called an IRA. Now, it is complicated to have gold in your IRA so it is best to work with a company that can walk you through the process. If you’d like to learn more about this then you should read this Noble Gold review.

With markets doing their best to recover from the shutdowns and get supply lines back up and running, and the Fed entering a hawkish phase and tightening or even raising rates, you may think that gold’s best days are behind it. That is not what I’m betting on.

You see, things are only getting crazier. One of the big misconceptions about gold is that it rises in the face of inflation, well, we hate to break it to you but if you look at the data from the last 100 years of inflation versus the price of gold, you will see that correlation is weak to nonexistent.

This is where most investors get it wrong. Gold is not all that good at being an inflation hedge, what gold is good at is being a chaos hedge. When populations of people do not trust the actions of their government, they buy, store, and hoard gold. And governments around the world are displaying the most wild, erratic, and aggressive behavior we have seen in decades.

This is great for pushing the price of gold upward.

Now, it’s time to consider what no one is talking about. What if we have gotten as good as the economy is going to get? What if we are at full employment, and the economy takes a nosedive. What do you think will happen then? The governments around the world will do what they always do, they will print money endlessly.

No, unlike the economy, gold has entered a Goldilocks phase. Gold wins almost no matter what. If the economy gets a little better, gold is likely to go up. If the economy tanks, the government will binge on money printing like never before, and gold will go up.

If you are a buy and hold investor, and hopefully you are because most traders are short-term traders. After all, they quickly go broke trading, then the next 3-5 years should treat you very well. If you just sit back and hold, and do nothing you can ride through this storm comfortably. If you do this while holding in a tax-advantaged IRA, you’ll do even better.

The future is bright for the prudent investor.

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