There are many ways to get exposure in the precious yellow metal market. However, this article will tackle physical gold investments and not gold-backed ETFs or mining stocks.

Traditionally, people bought gold with the help of a broker. This is still being done today, and with it are the fees investors need to shoulder not only for the broker premium but also the shipping and storage costs of gold. Premiums for the precious metal can go as high as 15%. For coins, the lower the denomination of gold content in each coin, the higher the premium.

Germany is the second-largest gold holder in the world and those who keep themselves in the loop with gold news would be familiar with the fiasco the country experienced in 2013.

BullionVault reported that the country ordered a repatriation program for some of its reserves that are stored in the U.S. However, apart from political issues, one of the problems that the country is experiencing is the sluggish repatriation of its reserves. In 2014, which is after a year of the repatriation order, the U.S. was only able to return a trivial amount of 5 tons to Germany. If investors can’t get a hold of their gold fast when they need to, gold investments would lose its sense as a good hedge to a bad economy.

Thankfully, there’s a new way to buy gold today, and it’s cheaper and more hassle-free.

The physical gold and silver market for private investors online, more commonly known as the “Internet peer-to-peer bullion exchange market”, is a trading site for physical metal investors. Some of these sites strictly follow the regulations of the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) – the center of the world’s trading of gold bullion – so investors can be assured that they’re only buying and selling good delivery gold. The Internet peer-to-peer bullion exchange market started in the UK and boomed in 2005. The good thing about this type of trade is that people can buy gold via the market and the provider will handle the shipping and storage fee of its customers. In addition, people won’t need to pay for high premiums since transactions are made directly between two people. It’s like being on Ebay where two people transact and after a deal has been reached, the site will direct both parties about the shipping and handling of the product.

Do you have reservations for the online trading of gold and silver? Have your say in the comments section below

Read More:

Safeguarding Your Future: A Comprehensive Review Of Augusta Precious Metals

Under the Affordable Care Act you have to be covered by health insurance or risk paying a penalty. So how does this work if you are a senior; is there a chance that an insurer will reject your application because of your age?

The Affordable Care Act, and the changes that have occurred around it, is actually intended to make things easier for seniors; if this applies to you then you should definitely not be rejected for health insurance.
Although there is a chance that your premiums will be higher as there is more of a chance of you having to claim against the policy. Of course the Medicare provision has been extended and action has been taken to reduce the “donut whole” coverage gap for Part D Medicare.

So how can you benefit from the Medicare System?

There will be a closer look at the individual parts of the Medicare program but suffice to say that the provision has been expanded to provide a better service for you if you are a senior and qualify. As part of the Medicare provision those who qualify can have access to some preventative services without having any out of pocket expenses. You can learn more about the various options on the HBF health insurance page & get protection for you & your family.
Some of these services include flu shots, and screenings for conditions such as diabetes and cancer. Over 37 million seniors received one or more of these services in 2013, with no out of pocket expenses.

How does Medicare work if you’re a senior?

As you get older you will probably need help with medical care more than ever. This makes it all the more important for the Medicare provision to be successful.

• Part A Medicare

This part of the Medicare system applies to costs for hospitalization and convalescence. You will not get full cover, and you are still likely to encounter high costs if your hospitalization is lengthy. It is intended as a safety net for people who need help to meet at least some of these costs. You do not have to pay any premiums to receive part A Medicare.

• Part B Medicare

Part B Medicare is intended to cover 80% of outpatient visits costs and therapy costs. Premiums for this type of Medicare are applicable and they are taken straight from social security checks. You shouldn’t think that this will necessarily mean you will escape high charges depending on what type of care you need.

• Part D Medicare

This type of Medicare helps with the provision of prescription costs. You’ll need to check with your pharmacist to discuss what level of part D Medicare you need. You need to make sure that you apply for this cover as soon as you become entitled when you are 65. If you don’t do this you may be penalized by having to pay higher premiums for the rest of your life. It is this part of the Medicare system where the Affordable Care Act is helping to reduce the “donut whole” coverage gap.

I am officially a quarter of a century old, according to my birth certificate. This week I celebrated a birthday. I had a great day; I took the day off from work, relaxed with a friend, did some wedding crafts, and went for dinner with my fiance. I rounded the day off by having a couple of drinks with my brother and fiance and talking to my family on the phone.

I have had a bit of a crazy week with a loved one in the hospital, so I didn’t get the opportunity to set up Wednesday’s post. Now that we have a long weekend in Canada, I have the chance to catch up a bit and review emails and schedule posts for the upcoming week.

I’ve also had the chance to read some of the posts that have been accumulating in my RSS feed. Here are some of my favorites for the past couple of weeks:

Trent from the Simple Dollar posted about avoiding the comfort zone. I have been thinking about the dreaded comfort zone for quite a while now, with my career, so it hit home.

Along the same lines, at Money Rebound there was a recent post about how it’s never too late to change your career. I’m not so sure about the concept, but it’s a good read.

My friends at Richmond Savers took a closer look at how much money you need to retire.

The team over at Untemplater gives us the secret to never being disappointed again.

Over at Bloggerpreneurship, we get a handful of very real reasons why you aren’t making any money from your blog.

At Impersonal Finance, Ryan writes about the magic of compound interest – and it really is magic.

At Average Joe Money, there’s discussion about the Olympics, and working/training hard for what you are doing.

There you have it, folks. My favorite posts for this week!