What are the advantages disadvantages of investing in gold?

Answer 1

The primary advantage of owning gold is that there is no counter party risk to the value of your investment. Gold has been a store of value since ancient times and this is not likely to change. By contrast, an investor in bonds or stocks could lose their entire investment if a company goes bankrupt. Despite the fact that gold can fluctuate in value, it is almost impossible to imagine a scenario when gold would have no value. The disadvantages of gold is that it is a sterile investment in terms of producing income. An investor holding physical gold will only see a gain in value if the price of gold increases. Many investors who purchase gold believe that it is a safe alternative to paper currency backed investments since over time many currencies have failed or the value of the currency has declined dramatically due to inflation. For a more detailed explanation, please see my article on "How To Invest In Gold" (http://investing.answers.com/types-of-investments/how-to-invest-in-gold).