If you have always wanted to invest in the gold market but have not made the move, this article will help you get started. You should not feel afraid. Learn all you can and begin your gold investment adventure. Investing in gold offers great advantages, which you should take the time to discover.

Look for a gold buyer that has a good reputation. Check with business groups and read online reviews. See how fairly treated former customers feel. When you get bids from multiple buyers, you may be able to get top value for the gold.

If you’re buying gold to save for your retirement, buy the right type. Gold needs to be IRS-approved. It needs to be either 24 karat coins or bullion bars. Bars are generally more valuable than coins and should, therefore, be favored.

If you are buying gold jewelry as a gift, make sure you have a money back guarantee. It’s not uncommon for many pieces to not be the receiver’s taste or the wrong size. By ensuring that the dealer offers a return policy, you can help protect yourself.

Check the price when you are buying gold. This information can be found on several different websites. Paying for gold that is any higher than an 8% markup is not a wise investment. Paying that price would simply be unfair to you.

Before you ship gold jewelry to a buying service, find out whether you will be charged for return shipping. If you are not satisfied with the offer, you will have to pay this amount. A lot of companies say they offer free shipping, but if you refuse their offer they charge a great deal. Understand what you will have to pay if you don’t like their offer. Protect yourself.

Approach the market with caution. Markets all have their share of unscrupulous players, but gold is a market that seems to have many. Lots of folks are willing to steal right out from under you. Research gold and gold companies before trading.

Shop around before you decide which gold buyer you will use. You may be shocked to see how different the offers are! Going with the very first buyer who comes along might prove a bad deal. Wait a bit of time so you have the greatest cash in your pocket.

How does the seller know what the karat rating is? The item is stamped, a lot of times. However, you may see no sign at all but there are ways to determine its value. If you see the gold buyer performing an acid test, this is probably somebody who is inexperienced in this market.

Fine Print

Always read any fine print on your contracts. If you’re using a mail-in gold program, read all the fine print prior to committing to the deal. This will show the commission and fees associated with your transaction.

When you go to sell your gold have it separated into how much each karat weight. You don’t want everything thrown together in one pile, because it will all be weighed as if it is the same karat. You will end up losing money. Instead you should go in with pre-separated piles to make the biggest return.

Fine Print

You should read all the fine print of a contract when working with a gold broker. There’s a lot of money involved in this business. Make sure you completely understand the contract you are signing. If you don’t care for the fine print, move on. It’s important to protect your finances.

Never sell gold without a purpose! Gold is always increasing in value, so don’t sell it unless you really need the money. The longer you can keep your gold, the more valuable it will become.

When you are selling gold, sort your gold pieces by their value in karats. If you don’t do this, the buyer is likely to give you the price for the lowest karat. Higher karat values yield higher prices.

If you’ve come across a company over the Internet that buys old gold, shop around for pricing before doing anything. It’s entirely possible that you can secure a better deal by working with a local dealer face-to-face. Just putting your pieces in the mail is easy, but you may not be getting the best price you can.

Like other kinds of investing, gold works better as a long-term investment. Avoid buying it when prices are up. Investing needs more research than that. If you buy in both positive and negative times for gold, you will get a cheaper overall price.

Now you have the knowledge you need to start off on the right foot. Now is the time to get involved with investing in gold using all the strategies listed here. It won’t be long before you start witnessing the perks of being a gold investor.