Buying gold is usually the preferred option for investors who want to protect themselves against inflation and exchange rate risk by buying silver ingots. The first alternative is another precious metal. Gold bars can be purchased at several reputable dealers, or investors can opt for a service that stores the ingots remotely. However, it may be impractical for most people to participate in the physical gold market due to challenges related to security, exchange and transportation costs, or functional liquidity; if you have real gold, selling it requires physical transportation to the buyer and price negotiations.
Alternative solutions include stocks and ETFs that offer very similar performance with more practical functions. There are a variety of gold and silver mining companies to invest in. You can also invest in a handful of ETFs that contain a basket of miners. With all the talk of a gold bubble as investors rush to get hold of this asset, it's worth taking a look at other hard assets that are good investment alternatives to gold.
