Investing in Gold
ABC Bullion is here to help you find the products and services that are right for you.
Buying bullion is a straightforward process, though it can feel daunting at first. That’s why ABC Bullion offer a number of products and services to help make your journey a simple one. Outlined below are the key steps to help make the physical bullion investment process as easy as buying shares, if not easier.
Our highly experienced and expert staff members are also here to help you through your first steps into bullion investment and will happily answer any questions you may have.
Contact our team Monday – Friday from 8.30am – 5.00pm on 1300 361 261 or via [email protected] .
1. Open An ABC Bullion Trading Account For Free
Opening and maintaining an ABC Bullion Trading Account is simple. There is no obligation for you to trade immediately, though once it is open, you can order online anytime at your leisure 24/7, 365 days a year. That means that you can take advantages of price fluctuations – even at 2:00am.
- Online: Account openings can typically be done in less than two minutes
- In Person: Visit one of our showrooms located in Sydney, Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane
Please note that ABC Bullion offers a number of different account types, including:
- Individual accounts
- Joint accounts
- Superannuation accounts for SMSF Trustees
- Company accounts
- Trust accounts
We also have accounts you can open for minors, which are very popular for clients wanting to open an ABC Bullion Gold Saver account for their children or grandchildren.
Please take note of our Terms and Conditions, which govern our relationship with clients.
2. Start Trading!
Once your account has been activated you are able to make your first purchase with ABC Bullion.
3. Want more information about precious metals?
Download the ABC Bullion investment guide.
ABC Bullion is proud of its reputation as the region’s leading precious metal educator. Our annual precious metal investment guide is the perfect tool for new investors, highlighting the key reasons to invest in gold and silver.
The guide also features key products investors commonly select when allocating money to precious metals, as well as FAQs that our clients ask.
4. Gold, Silver & Platinum Infographics
Why Australian Investors are Turning to Gold
Gold is by far the most popular precious metal amongst investors, and with good reason. ABC Bullion’s gold infographic covers highlights why gold can be such a great investment, focusing on:
- Long-term capital growth
- Protection when its needed most
- Outperformance when interest rates are rising
- Effective hedge against inflation
- Highly liquid and easy to trade
Five Reasons to Add Silver to your Portfolio
This ABC Bullion silver article and infographic goes into detail explaining five key reasons (listed below) Australian investors may wish to add silver to their portfolios.
Outperformance in precious metal bullion markets:
- The best metal to hedge against inflation
- Correlation to rising stock market
- Market indicators suggest silver remains undervalued
- Trade flexibility
Why Add Platinum to your Portfolio
Platinum demand has soared in 2025, with the precious metal beginning to catch up to gold and silver, after years of relative underperformance.
Investor interest in Platinum is being driven by a range of factors; including:
- The recent price break out above USD $1,200oz
- Rising demand for bars and coins, particularly in China
- Constrained supply, with physical deficits expected until the end of this decade at a minimum
- Relative undervaluation, with Platinum looking cheap compared to gold.
5. Sign up to the ABC Bullion Investor Centre
There is a wealth of information out there about investing in gold and other precious metals, but how do you make head or tail of it all?
The ABC Bullion team of analysts, economists and commentators contributes to the ABC Bullion Investor Centre, which offers some of the best insights and knowledge on financial markets and the economy, and how precious metals can help you grow your wealth.
You’ll find plenty of the information you need on the following parts of this website:
- Investor Centre: Created especially for our new investors or those interested in investing, you can browse articles and guides to help you gain a good understanding of the precious metals investment and how to capitalise on the bull market in gold and silver.
- Market Updates: ABC Bullion publishes regular market reports which look at the latest developments in precious metal markets. Delivered to your inbox weekly, it is a simple way of staying on top your gold and silver investments.
- FAQ: Our Frequently Asked Questions section covers many of the usual questions about buying precious metals. Let us know if there are any unanswered questions. Give us a call on 1300 361 261 or pop into our offices for a more detailed discussion.
How to invest in gold
Senior researcher and writer at Which?, focusing on health, with a background in data analysis and stats in the public and charity sectors.
In this article
How to invest in gold
Gold is a commodity, or raw material, that trades based on supply and demand. The difference between supply and demand ultimately determines what the price of gold is at any given time.
There are several ways to invest in gold, so if you wish to do so, you should take the time to find out which method best suits you.
Here, we explain the pros and cons of buying gold, and how you can invest.
Please note: the content contained in this article is for information purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice.
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Why invest in gold?
Gold has long been one of the most prized metals on Earth. It has played a major role in the economies of many countries, and used to be used as a form of currency.
Although this is no longer the case, gold may still be a valuable portfolio addition, particularly in times of economic downturn.
Here are the main advantages:
Outperformance
The price of gold can be volatile in the short-term, but in the long term it can out perform asset classes such as equities and property.
Inflation hedging
The price of gold tends to rise when the cost of living increases.
Diversification
The value of gold doesn’t move in the same way as bonds or stocks. Historically, stock market dips don’t appear to dent gold. Therefore, it’s a good way to diversify your portfolio.
What are the risks of buying gold?
Like with any investment, investing in gold involves some risk that you could lose some or all of your money, but there are some aspects of gold that make it riskier than other assets:
Price falls
Gold’s price is more determined by investor sentiment than other assets. There aren’t other influences like a business’s profit or declining sector that affect prices.
If it is in demand, the price goes up, if it is out of favour, the price falls. Its price is therefore more volatile than other asset types.
To limit the impact of gold price falls on your portfolio’s value, you’ll need to limit the percentage of gold in it.
No yield or dividends
Gold isn’t a fixed-income investment such as gilts or corporate bonds, or a stock that pays dividends. It doesn’t pay any sort of yield or dividends and you’ll only see any returns when you sell.
Costs
It will cost you to store and insure gold. Some sellers will store the gold for you for a fee, or you could pay for a safe deposit box.
You could also keep gold at home in a safe, but you’ll need to careful you’re keeping it in the right conditions to avoid any damage.
If you keep gold at home, you’ll need to make sure you inform your home insurer as it may not be automatically covered.
Environment
Gold mining has a severe negative impact on the environment – from huge carbon emissions to deforestation to mercury pollution.
As well as causing harm to the environment, these risks will in turn affect the value of gold as an investment.
How to buy physical gold
You can buy physical gold either as
While a bar’s value is always the same as the price of gold, some coins also have numismatic value – which means they could be worth more than their gold content alone.
When buying gold, make sure you opt for a seller with a good track record.
Sovereign mints, such as the Royal Mint in the UK or the Perth Mint of Australia, have the advantage of being government regulated as the bullion they produce is legal tender, albeit with higher mark-ups than private mints.
You could also buy gold jewellery, although items will likely cost far more than the value of the gold they contain, making them less effective as an investment strategy.
Some investors see gold as a way to pass on wealth rather than generate earnings, although gold is not exempt from inheritance tax .
- Find out more:Inheritance tax planning and tax-free gifts
What are gold investment funds?
Gold investment funds can be a good alternative to buying physical gold if you think the latter may be too much hassle.
This method can be cheaper, as you don’t have to buy whole bars or coins or pay for storage, though there will be a fee, either a management fee or a cost known as the Total Expense Ratio.
You can invest in gold using exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or exchange traded commodities (ETCs):
- ETFs buy and sell gold, or its futures, meaning investors effectively own the gold.
- ETCs are debt notes, which are backed up by gold.
They can be held in a stocks and shares Isa through an investment platform, protecting you from capital gains tax when you sell them.
You can also buy shares in gold-related firms like mining companies, although this is a much riskier option.
If a mining company is badly managed, owns unproductive mines or operates in unstable countries, its price may shrink even if gold itself is at a good price.
- Find out more:investing directly in shares
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