Investing in gold bars

There are many tools for investing money that allow you to preserve and increase your capital: investments in bank deposits, stocks, bonds, mutual funds. With such investments, there is a risk of losing your money or the income received will be depreciated by inflation.

But there is an investment option that has shown its strength over the years - investing in gold, or more precisely, in gold bars. These investments can become your “personal pension fund” or capital that you pass on by inheritance. Today this is not the most common option for saving savings among our population.

Before you buy gold bars

First, you must determine for yourself the amount you are willing to invest.
Secondly, you need to determine how much of this free money you are willing to invest for a short period - up to 1 year, and how much - for a longer period. What amount are you willing to “forget” for several years, and maybe even decades?
Experts advise that you should invest no more than 15% of your capital in gold bars.

Options investing in gold There are several types of precious metals on the market: bars, coins and unallocated metal accounts.

Each option has its pros and cons.

Let's look at the benefits of investing in gold bars:

• Gold is always valuable in all countries. It does not become cheaper, but during periods of crisis, on the contrary, it rises in price. Demand for this precious metal exceeds supply. Therefore, gold retains and even increases its value, despite any events in the world economy.
• Gold is valued all over the world because... it is a rare metal. Its reserves in the world are not very large. There is not as much gold mined as it might seem. During the entire period of gold mining, humanity produced no more than 135 thousand tons of the yellow metal. If it were possible to fuse it into one cube, then the edge of this cube would be no more than 18 meters. Gold in all countries of the world has been a means of payment throughout history. The central banks of developed countries have reconsidered the role of gold and stopped its sales. China and Russia buy the most gold in order to reduce dependence on the US dollar. Russia buys an average of 18.6 tons of gold per month. Having a gold reserve can help balance a country's financial system.
• Gold is not subject to corrosion, does not lose its properties over time, does not interact with other chemicals, beautiful, reliable metal. Clean Gold is a very soft material that can be easily deformed, most often used in the jewelry industry.
• Gold is widely used in many areas of our lives, especially in dentistry (for the manufacture of dentures). The advantage of gold products is that they are completely harmless to humans.

The combination of these properties has allowed gold to become a material that is so highly valued throughout the world.

A gold bar is a profitable investment option. It is a product in itself and must have a sample, depending on which its value is determined. Today the price of gold is falling slightly, but history shows that it will eventually begin to rise again. Gold will never depreciate in value, and this fact should be decisive when deciding to invest in gold bullion.

A bank gold bar can become not only a profitable option for investment. When buying a gold bar, you can sell it, give it as a gift, or pass it on as an inheritance. The advantage of investing in this precious metal over investing in securities is that you get rid of the need to monitor stock quotes on the stock exchange every day. But this is only if you invest seriously and for a long time.

The advantage over deposits is that investing money in gold bars will allow you to save your savings from inflation and financial crises, and receive income. But you need to keep in mind that buying a gold bar will not give you quick income. The price of gold fluctuates constantly, but not as much as, for example, exchange rates or the value of securities.

As confirmation, we provide data on the dynamics of gold prices for the period 2000-2017 (in dollars per troy ounce):

Year	Minimum	Maximum	Average	Average price growth in % compared to the previous year
2000	263,8	316,6	279,11	X
2005	411,1	536,5	449,74	161,13
2010	1058,0	1421,0	1224,53	272,27
2015	1050,6	1301,55	1158,66	94,62
2017	1151,05	1356,26	1257,53	108,53

As of April 18, 2018, the price of gold is $1,355.30 per troy ounce.
Accordingly, the discount price of gold in Russia also changes.
By forecasts According to analysts, the price of gold will increase in the period from 2018 to 2021, and in 2022 it will begin to decrease again (in dollars per troy ounce):

• April 2019 – 1442,
• April 2020 – 1394,
• April 2021 – 1475,
• April 2022 – 1324.

Pricing factors

The cost of a gold bar depends on the price of gold per 1 gram, the weight of the bar and its technical condition.
The price of gold per 1 gram in our country is set by the Central Bank. This is known as the discount price.
Gold quotes from the Central Bank of the Russian Federation reflect the price of pure gold of 999 purity per 1 gram. The Central Bank of the Russian Federation sets accounting prices for gold daily.
The value of one gram of gold is based on the world price per ounce.

The concept of “ounce of gold” in the modern world means a troy ounce of gold weighing 31,1034807 gram. Historical name " troy ounce" originated from the French city Troyes(fr. Troyes), located in the province of Champagne, where international trade fairs were held in the 12th-14th centuries.

The official world price of gold around the world is expressed in US dollars per troy ounce. The fixed price for a troy ounce of gold is set on the London Metal Exchange twice a day. This is the so-called London fixing, which sets gold prices.

It is conducted by representatives of the five largest UK banks - players in the precious metals market. The price is set depending on supply and demand, in three currencies: dollars, euros and pounds sterling.

When calculating the discount price of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the value determined by the London fixing is converted from dollars per ounce to rubles per gram by dividing by 31.1034807 (the number of grams in one troy ounce), and then multiplied by the officially established ruble to US dollar exchange rate valid on the day following after the day the discount price was established. At the same time, the discount price of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation is not the basis for purchase and sale transactions.

The cost of a trinity ounce on the gold market depends on various factors.
Basically there are two main groups of factors: economic and political.

Economic:

• the level of the global economy,
• economic crises in individual countries,
• behavior of large consumers of the yellow metal.

Political:

• political crises in individual countries,
• general international situation, the presence of political and military conflicts,
• policies of large states.

Currently, changes in the price of gold are influenced by military conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East (in particular, Syria, Iran).

Economic factors, in turn, are divided into exchange and over-the-counter.

Stock factors include:

• gold and foreign exchange reserves of countries influencing the world economy (how much gold the national bank of a particular country sold or bought during the previous period);
• speculative transactions in the gold market;
• changes in the value of shares of gold mining enterprises;
• investor expectations;
• US dollar value.

Over-the-counter factors:

• volumes of global gold production (a shortage of production causes an increase in demand, which increases the demand for gold and its price);
• the cost of gold mining (in recent years, the cost of exploration of gold-bearing areas in Africa has increased several times, in Latin America, for example, 4 times);
• volumes of global gold consumption;
• interest in the jewelry industry (during the financial crisis, the demand for gold decreases, followed by prices);
• seasonality (different gold consumption throughout the year).

All these factors together lead to price hikes not only for raw materials, gas, oil, but also for precious metals.
Since the beginning of the current 2018, the price of gold has been above the psychologically important level of $1,300 per ounce. Over the past few weeks, the price of gold tried to get out of the level of $1350-1360, but it didn’t work out.

Military conflicts usually have only a short-term impact on gold price dynamics. Financial and political problems in the world have a much more stable influence on the formation of gold prices. Under these conditions, the price of gold is growing steadily.
The ongoing conflict in Syria can lead to an increase in the price of gold only if it has a negative impact on the entire global economy.

The cost of a precious metal bar, in addition to the price per 1 gram, also depends on its weight and technical condition.
It may be excellent or satisfactory, additional charges will be charged for packaging.
Gold bars can have different values ​​even when they contain the same amount of precious metal.

In addition to the global reasons affecting the price of gold described above, the cost of gold bars is affected by:

• Ingot production technology. There is a price difference between stamped, cast and powdered ingots. The former are the most expensive, while the latter are the cheapest.
• Availability of relevant certificates. Gold bars are always accompanied by a certificate, which contains the most important parameters of the bar. If the certificate is lost, not a single bank in the world will buy such precious metal. In such cases, the only way to sell a gold bar is to take it to a pawnshop.
• Ingot manufacturer. Only a refinery can produce it. Such enterprises are located in some regions of Russia, as well as in many other countries. In cases where the name of the manufacturer is unknown or unreliable to the buyer, the price of the gold bar may be reduced.

The London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) has 63 accredited refineries. They annually produce approximately 150 thousand gold bars (weighing 400 ounces each) with a total value of 102 billion US dollars.

In world practice, certain quality standards for precious metals have been adopted. They are approved by the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) and are known in world practice as the London good delivery standard.
Each bullion must have a certificate.

The following requirements apply to an ingot with a London good delivery certificate:
The weight of each bar is expressed in troy ounces and is a multiple of 0.025 ounces. Pure gold weighs between 350 and 450 troy ounces (10,886 g and 13,754 g).

The most important indicator is the purity of the metal. It must contain at least 995 parts of chemically pure gold for every 1000 parts of the alloy mass.
They must include the following: serial number, manufacturer's mark, fineness and year of manufacture (for ingots produced since 1988). The surface must be flat, smooth, and its shape must be convenient for carrying/transporting and storing.

Where to buy gold bars

Any citizen can buy gold in gold bars in our country.
The most reliable way to buy gold bars is from a bank that has a special license for operations with precious metals.
Banks purchase and sell gold bars, store precious metals in a bank vault under an agreement, and repurchase bullion.
The Central Bank of Russia has issued licenses to a number of commercial banks giving the right to operate with precious metals. Only in such banks (there are more than one hundred and fifty of them in the Russian Federation) can you purchase gold bars.
In fact, not all banks that can do this are engaged in the sale of gold bars.

Banks that carry out operations for the sale and purchase of gold bars today are Sberbank, Gazprombank, Rosselkhozbank, VTB Bank, SMP-Bank, Lanta-Bank, MDM-Bank and some others. The undisputed leader is Sberbank.
To buy a gold bar, you need to call a specific bank and find out which bank branch can carry out this operation.

Each bank sets prices for gold bars independently, but is based on the prices set by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation.
Since gold undergoes special processing, certain costs are required to produce the bar, and the cost of a 1-gram gold bar will be slightly higher than bank quotes today.

To find out how much a gold bar costs in a bank, you need to find out the price per gram on the bank’s official website or other sources on the Internet. The heavier the bar, the cheaper the price per gram. It is most advisable to purchase bars of medium weight category, from 10 to 100 grams. Small bars are relatively cheap, very large bars are expensive.

If you are going to invest in a gold bar for a long time, then it is better to buy a medium-weight bar. The price per gram will be cheaper than a small bar, but the bar itself will be cheaper than one that weighs heavier.

In Russia, measured gold bars weighing 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 250, 500 grams are produced and are in greater demand than others. You can buy standard, small ones weighing 1 gram, 5 grams, 10 grams and 1 ounce, as well as large ones - from 11 to 13.3 kg.
Abroad, the weight of bars ranges from 1 gram of gold to 10 kg. In troy ounces – from 1/31 to 400 troy ounces.

The procedure for the sale of precious metals in Russia was first carried out on the basis of the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated June 30, 1997 No. 772 “On approval of the Rules for banks to carry out transactions for the purchase and sale of bullion bars of precious metals”, and is currently regulated by the Regulation of the Bank of Russia No. 50 dated November 1, 1996 “On the performance of transactions with precious metals by credit institutions on the territory of the Russian Federation and the procedure for conducting banking transactions with precious metals” (taking into account additions and changes - Instructions of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation dated 04/09/1998 N 209-U, dated 04/11/2000 N 776-U) .

According to manufacturing technology, gold bars are divided into cast, stamped, and powder. Stamped ingots are more expensive due to their production method and are in great demand, weighing up to 500 grams. Cast ingots are produced by casting into finished molds, so their weight is usually more than 500 grams. Powder ingots are produced from powder using the electrolytic method; they are the cheapest, but they are not provided for by Russian standards.

By type, gold bars are divided into measured and standard. Measured gold bars can be cast and stamped, while standard bars can only be cast. Banks mainly sell measured stamped bars.

— Ingots are manufactured according to the Russian standard GOST R 51572-2000 and are bars weighing up to 1 kg, have a purity of 999.9. Such bars are necessarily marked with weight and manufacturer, and are used for the purchase and storage of gold by the population.

The requirements for measuring ingots relate to parameters, shape, size, and markings. There should be no dirt or scratches on the ingots. Deformation of the ingot is allowed, because gold is a soft metal. On the surface of a standard ingot, areas with a depth of up to 1 mm can be cleaned.

Mandatory markings on domestic bars: this is the name “Russia”, weight in numbers, name of the metal - “Gold”, fineness or fraction, manufacturer’s mark, registration number of the bar.

Table of gold bars according to GOST R 51572-2000

Ingot designation	Maxsa, g	Dimensions, mm
	Denomination	Limit deviations	Length	Width
SSHZ 1	1	+0,03	12,0-15,0	7,0-9,0
SSH3 5	5	+0,04	22,0-25,0	13,0-15,0
SSHZ 10	10	+0,05	24,0-29,0	13,5-17,0
SSHZ 20	20	+0,05	29,0-33,0	15,0-19,0
SLZ 20	20	+0,05	23,5-27,0	11,5-13,0
SSHZ 50	50	+0,06	36,0-48,0	21,0-28,0
SLZ 50	50	+0,06	30,5-32,0	16,0-17,0
SSHZ 100	100	+0,06	54,0-56,0	31,0-33,0
SLZ 100	100	+0,06	40,0-43,0	20,0-23,0
SSHZ 250	250	+0,08	79,0-81,0	46,5-48,0
SLZ 250	250	+0,08	52,0-64,0	29,0-32,0
SSHZ 500	500	+0,10	98,5-102,0	58,5-60,0
SLZ 500	500	+0,10	80,0-86,0	35,0-38,0
SLZ 1000	1000	+0,10	105,0-116,0	48,0-52,0

The letters “Ш” and “Л” in the designation of ingots reflect the method of their manufacture.
The thickness of ingots is not standardized by GOST. GOST allows the production of ingots and other sizes as agreed between the manufacturer and the customer.

— Standard Ingots are produced in accordance with Russian GOST 28058-8. They are used in production for melting into other items: wire, jewelry, parts, microcircuits. Standard gold bars weigh from 11 to 13.3 kilograms. The requirements for standard ingots are less stringent: parameters (by agreement), shape (truncated pyramid), flaws up to 5 mm deep are allowed. But the ingots should also be free of dirt and scratches. The marking is present on the lower base of the bar pyramid and includes: gold grade, registration number, weight of the bar, hallmark number, manufacturer identifier, year of manufacture.

To purchase gold bars you need any of the identification documents: incl. passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation; passport of a citizen of another country; ID card; military ID (during military service); refugee certificate; seaman's passport.

When purchasing bullion, documents for the purchase of the bullion must be drawn up, incl. The buyer receives a manufacturer's certificate. For example, when purchasing a gold bar weighing 50 grams, the certificate will contain information about the metal, its fineness, weight, date of manufacture and name of the manufacturer.

Please note that in order to avoid problems when selling a bar, it is better to buy gold bars from recognized gold producers with a certificate, a receipt and without “distinctive bank marks”.

Purchased gold can be stored both at home and in the bank itself.
The certificate for the bullion must be stored as securely as the gold itself. Otherwise, if the certificate is lost, the bank may refuse to buy back the gold, and in pawn shops or on the black market the price of such a bullion will be significantly lower.

In banks, gold is given out in special containers; it is not recommended to touch it, so as not to leave marks on the ingot, which are very difficult to remove.

We also advise you to pay attention to the appearance of the metal so that it is free from scratches and other damage, as this directly affects its value.
It is important to remember that the certificate must be stored with the same responsibility as the bullion itself, since if it is lost, the bank has the legal right to refuse to redeem the gold.

It is also important to protect it from possible damage, since in this case the bank may reduce the redemption price of the bullion due to defects in the certificate.
Having a unique number allows you to trace the movement of each ingot from the manufacturer to the end consumer at any time. If the certificate is lost, the mark (trademark) of the manufacturer will still be present on the ingot.
In addition, the manufacturer can use its own numbering of ingots. For example, “NV” means that the manufacturer is the Novosibirsk Refinery, “Kr” - the Krasnoyarsk Non-Ferrous Metals Plant, “Ek” - the Yekaterinburg Plant.

Comparative sales quotes for gold bullion bars (from bank websites):

Ingot weight, gr.	Sales quotes for bullion bars on the Sberbank website as of 17:50 (Moscow time) 04/16/2018, including VAT	Sales quotes for measured ingots on the Rosselkhozbank website at 18:10 (Moscow time) 04/18/2018. With VAT	Sales quotes for measured bars on the Gazprombank website at 18:10 (MSK) 04/18/2018, including VAT	Sales quotes for bullion bars on the Otkritie Financial Corporation Bank website at 10:40 (Moscow time) 04/17/2018, including VAT
1	3 704,00	3 720.00	4 259,48	4 019,00
5	17 458,00	17 100.00	18 478,65	17 065,00
10	34 680,00	33 850.00	36 017,70	33 491,00
20	69 006,00	67 200.00	69 529,80	66 026,00
50	171 631,00	167 000.00	169 126,50	162 673,00
100	342 200,00	332 000.00	335 121,00	324 707,00
250	853 789,00	825 000.00	829 972,50	807 780,00
500	1 706 516,00	1 647 000.00	1 652 115,00	1 613 965,00
1000	3 411 734,00	3 283 000.00	3 297 640,20	3 221 550,00

But, like any type of investment, buying gold bars has its own nuances. According to Russian law, a gold bar is a commodity, and its value upon purchase increases by the amount of VAT (18%). In addition, banks can set a commission for issuing gold in the form of bullion.

Storage of gold bars

Even before purchasing the bullion, you need to decide where and how you will store it.
It is better to store gold bars with a certificate in the bank where you bought them, and, without taking them out of the storage facility, enter into a rental agreement for a safe deposit box. The bullion itself is accounted for in a metal safekeeping account and is located in a specialized storage facility. In this case, you will save on paying VAT (18%).

A metal custody account is a client account for recording precious metals transferred for storage to the bank, preserving individual characteristics (name, quantity of valuables, fineness, manufacturer, serial number, etc.).
But if the storage period is long, then the amount of the commission can be significant. Unlike VAT, which will need to be paid immediately, payment of the commission can be made under the agreement during the storage period.

If you decide to store it at home, keep in mind that the bullion must be stored in its packaging, along with the certificate. The storage location must reliably protect the precious metal from possible damage and contamination. Any scratches or even fingerprints can reduce its value. The requirements for storing the certificate are the same.

Sale of gold bars

There are special rules for the purchase and sale of precious metal bars by banks from the public.
Each bank has the right to establish its own rules for the redemption of bullion from individuals, but all of them must comply with the law of the Russian Federation and the following conditions must be met:

• All precious metal bars must comply with accepted standards;
• All transactions for the sale or purchase of bullion must be carried out in the presence of the client,
• When weighing gold bars, the accuracy should not be lower than 0.01 grams;
• The scales must be located so that the client buying or selling bullion can see the information and confirm that the weighing is correct;
• All purchase and sale transactions are documented using cash documents. These documents must contain information about the number of bars, weight, name, cost, date of conclusion and total amount of the transaction.

If you plan to sell gold, we advise you to find out all the conditions for its redemption immediately upon purchase. The fact is that not every bank that sells bullion buys it back. And if he does, it’s only through certain bank branches. For example, Sberbank buys gold in the capital and several other large cities.

If you are selling gold that you bought from another bank, you may be required to have the bullion examined. But usually bars with a certificate from another bank are valued lower than “native” ones by recognizing the condition of the bar and the certificate as not excellent, but satisfactory. This happens if the bank that sold them left its “identification marks” on the bars and certificates: a mark, a stamp.

The VAT you paid upon purchase (once you have the bullion in your hands) will not be reimbursed to you.
Therefore, it is better to choose a bank where you can both buy and sell bullion.

There is also one more significant nuance: if you sell a bullion that you bought less than 3 years ago, then you are required to pay a personal income tax (NDFL) of 13% on the profit received.

Today, this service is ready to be provided to you, first of all, by Sberbank, as well as by FC Otkrytie Bank, and the regional bank Chelyabinvestbank is ready to buy bullion. Information on this issue can be found on the website of a specific bank.

For comparison, we present redemption prices for gold bars for two banks.
Purchase prices for measured gold bars in Sberbank as of 17:50 (Moscow time) on April 16, 2018.

Metal / Denomination, g	Purchase price of measured ingots, rub. /ingot
	Satisfactory quality	Excellent quality
1	2 505,00	2 525,00
5	12 525,00	12 565,00
10	25 050,00	25 120,00
20	50 100,00	50 200,00
50	125 250,00	125 370,00
100	250 500,00	250 650,00
250	626 250,00	626 450,00
500	1 252 500,00	1 252 870,00
1000	2 505 000,00	2 505 600,00

Purchase prices for measured gold bars at Otkritie Financial Corporation Bank as of 10:40 (Moscow time) 04/17/2018.

Metal / Denomination, g	Purchase price of measured ingots, rub./ingot
1	2 571,00
5	12 856,00
10	25 712,00
20	51 425,00
50	128 562,00
100	257 124,00
250	642 810,00
500	1 285 620,00
1000	2 571 240,00

How else can you sell gold bars? You can hand them over to jewelers at a jewelry workshop, pledge them to a pawnshop and not redeem them, or you can sell gold bars to another individual. But here risks and additional problems can arise everywhere: costs of examination, fraudulent actions on the other side, etc. You can not sell gold bars, but give them to loved ones or pass them on by inheritance. Ultimately, it's up to you to decide.

Conclusions

Gold bars are a profitable investment, but only for a long-term period of time, at least 3 years. Buying bullion saves savings primarily from inflation. The cost of gold generally increases over the years, but the purchase of bullion brings significant income to the investor when investing in significant volumes of gold or when investing in bullion for a long period of time.

Investments in gold bullion do not face any currency or government risks.

The physical storage of bullion should be entrusted to the bank where the bullion was purchased so that the gold retains its technical characteristics and does not lose its value. Buying and selling gold bars should only be done through one bank.

In order to save on paying value added tax, transfer gold bars to the bank vault immediately after purchase, but at the same time you must be prepared for additional costs for guarding and paying for the safe deposit box in the bank vault.

All actions of people provided for in Art. 197 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which regulates the circulation of precious metals, stones and pearls.

Why does the state need this?

Any country pays main attention to two types of security: state and economic. Now, however, they have been joined by information and environmental ones, but the palm still belongs to a set of measures to protect the integrity and performance of these two systems.

The national economy ensures state security, creating the basis for the financial support of all state institutions. The budget of any country consists primarily of taxes, payments to the treasury, customs duties, and profits of state enterprises.

It would seem that the main thing is that a certain share of the profits from the exchange of goods constantly flows into the treasury. And it doesn’t matter what exactly is being sold and bought: gold in natural bullion or gold jewelry. If purchase and sale procedures are carried out legally, then the state will only get richer from this.

But the point is that the term “precious” carries a value judgment. There is an official list of metals and natural stones that fall into the category of precious and semi-precious. Pearls, of course, are not stones or metals, but they are natural formations equated to precious stones and metals. This means that an object that has produced a mollusk in its shell is under government control.

This attention is not due to the natural value of gold, silver, tin, diamonds, emeralds, etc., but to their market valuation. It is common in society to pay significant amounts of money for a piece of yellow metal or green stone. In the global and national economy, such a willingness to constantly pay a lot of money for certain items qualifies as a sign of a means of payment.

In fact, precious metals and stones have the status of international currency. At different times in Russia, furs and wood also had this status. Now economic security is also assessed in oil and gas reserves.

Thus, those natural materials (minerals, elements of wildlife, etc.) that can be used in the world economy as a universal interstate means of payment form the basis of the country’s security. For this reason, their circulation is controlled by the state.

It is this idea that is stated in Art. 191 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Uncontrolled circulation of precious minerals in Russia and abroad after their export can undermine the stability of the international market. This threatens unregulated price hikes, which directly affects exchange rates and the value of money.

What applies to precious metals and stones

The Criminal Code contains an exhaustive list of metals and stones prohibited from free circulation. These include:

• gold;
• silver;
• diamonds;
• sapphires;
• emeralds;
• alexandrites;
• rubies;
• amber;
• pearl.

In what form cannot all of the above be stored? Illegal trafficking and storage include:

• any nuggets of these metals and stones;
• any volumes of chemically pure metal, industrially purified from impurities;
• raw materials from these materials intended for industrial processing;
• any semi-finished products containing precious metals or stones;
• artificial alloys containing precious metal;
• coins that do not have official circulation at a given time in a given territory;
• any gemstones in their natural, untreated state.

What actions are illegal

If there are criminal penalties for illegal possession of silver and gold, does that mean that all owners of gemstone and metal jewelry are criminals?

Perhaps the rules of the law sometimes look strange, but they still need to be followed.

So what is illegal trafficking in precious metals, stones and pearls? And how to store gold without incurring criminal liability for it?

In order for stones to be legally stored, they must be in one of the following states:

• be unsuitable for jewelry processing;
• undergo primary processing, that is, cutting;
• to be raised by a human.

Therefore, in order for stones and metal to be legally kept in the home, they must be part of jewelry.

For example, if law enforcement agencies find fused pieces of precious metal in a jeweler’s workshop, the owner will face criminal liability. This is to be expected even if he has just made a blank for the production of the ring. But when the blank has managed to acquire some semblance of a ring with an ornament, there will be no complaints against the jeweler.

Illegal gold mining is the production of precious metal in any condition without the appropriate permit. If a person somewhere in the wilds of the taiga was caught with equipment for gold mining, this is not yet a crime. A violation of the law can only be recorded if the mined gold is discovered, which clearly belongs to this person.

The punishment for storing gold depends on the amount of precious metal, which corresponds to a certain amount of damage:

• in case of major damage (more than 1.5 million rubles), punishment is provided in the form of forced labor or imprisonment for up to 5 years, as well as a fine of up to 500 thousand rubles;
• in case of participation of several persons in a crime, punishment is provided in the form of forced labor for up to 5 years or a prison term of up to 7 years.

In any case, compensation for damage is awarded in accordance with the amount of precious metal mined and stored.

Gold as a currency

Currently, gold is in circulation in the country in the form of bars or gold coins. You can legally buy them from a bank, where they will issue you with the appropriate purchase documents. From now on, you can store gold in bullion at home or in a bank. Both will be completely legal. However, placing gold in a safe deposit box is more profitable. Why is this so?

About 10 years ago in Russia, banks were allowed to sell gold bars as ordinary currency. This turned out to be a good way to invest. For these purposes, special refineries produce ingots weighing from 1 to 12,000 grams.

After purchasing gold bars, the bank issues the client documents indicating the transaction amount, the weight of the bars and the purity of the metal. After this, a person can take the gold home; having documents on its acquisition allows this to be done.

If the client decides to use the services of the bank, then he is given the right to rent a safe deposit box or place gold in unallocated metal accounts.

With such storage, a person not only receives guarantees of safety, but is also exempt from paying VAT on further transactions with this gold. Moreover, when opening a compulsory medical insurance, its owner is often also accrued additional income ranging from 3 to 5% per annum.

If you store bullion at home, it is subject to tax. In addition, storing them at home can negatively affect the quality of the metal. The more gold in the bar, the softer it is. It leaves scratches and even fingerprints. This can significantly affect the price of gold.

Thus, the legal side of storing gold and other precious metals and stones is not a simple matter. Not only do you risk losing it in a robbery, but you may become a criminal without knowing it. It is very simple to protect yourself from troubles: you only need to store jewelry at home. Loose or native gold, if it suddenly falls into your hands, must be handed over to law enforcement agencies. And gold purchased from banks in the form of bullion should be stored in the same credit institutions. Then the money will be safe and there will be no conflicts with the law.

Many investors, when deciding on the form of financial investments, choose gold bars. And this is no coincidence, because gold is the most reliable and stable means of investment both in the modern world and many years earlier.

If you are thinking about this issue, the next article is for you. The material below focuses primarily on buying gold bullion, but this is not the only form of gold investing. In the article " How to invest money in gold» You will learn other ways to invest in this precious metal.

So, first of all, you need to choose a bank where to buy gold. To date, over 200 Russian banks (Tables 1 and 2 list some of them) have received a license from the Central Bank to sell gold bullion, so the choice of where is best is yours.

To make this task easier, here are several important aspects of the question “How to buy gold bullion.” Not all banks accept bullion from other commercial organizations, therefore, when choosing a specific one, ask whether you can sell its bullion in other banks in the future or go with this bank to the end, right up to the moment of sale.

An important condition for the successful sale of an ingot in the future is the presence of a certificate of conformity issued by the manufacturer. There are pitfalls here too. Today there are a number of reputable manufacturers of ingots:

• Credit Suisse
• Standard Bank,
• Umicore,
• Commerzbank,
• ArgorHeraeus

and a few more, pay attention to this.

Table 1. Banks selling gold bars under the license of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation

Table 2. Banks buying gold bars from the public

Analyzing the data in the tables, it is clear that the sale price significantly exceeds the purchase price, therefore, in order to make a profit from gold assets, it is necessary to wait for an increase in the cost of a gram of gold for more than one year.

In addition, an important condition is the preservation of the appearance of the ingot and the certificate of conformity, otherwise the bank has the right to purchase gold at a price significantly lower than stated. You can get more detailed information about investing in gold in the article “ How to start investing in gold».

Storage of gold bars

When purchasing gold, the logical question arises: “Where can you store it: at home or in a bank?” Of course, the safest way is to rent a safe deposit box, but you will have to pay for this service. In addition, no bank will give you a 100% guarantee of the safety of your savings, but the safety will be much higher than at your home. If you still decide to leave the bullion at home, protect it: install an alarm, safe or video surveillance.

Tax laws and expected income

Buying gold bullion is taxed at 18% of the investment value, so when calculating your future profits, reduce it by this percentage in advance. When selling an bullion, the tax is not refunded, therefore, if the price of gold bullion rises by 18%, you will only return the money spent on paying the tax, but you will not see the net profit.

This reason is one of many in favor of long-term investment in bullion. Due to its high degree of reliability and safety of investments, gold cannot boast of a high percentage of annual price growth, this is another reason for long-term investment.

The world's leading precious metals market analysts advise investing in gold for a period of at least 10 years in order to get tangible profits and results. For example, over the past 10 years, gold has increased in price by 500%, and in 2010 alone by 30%. In any case, you should not consider the main purpose of investing in gold to be generating income; investing in gold assets is rather a way to preserve them and save them from inflation and other economic crises.

Dolgova Yulia Vladimirovna

Global crises make us think about investing in something permanent and practically unchangeable. A person wants to be confident in the safety of his funds at the moment and for the future. What options exist for making such an investment and how good they are, let's judge together.

Introduction

A person with a lot of money will always care about its safety and value. Therefore, very often he invests money in any projects, developments, or promotions. With such investments, he still remains uncertain about the future. The project may fail, or something may simply go wrong, so we can safely say that such investments are unreliable. And here a logical question arises: “What to do, what to invest money in, so as not to remain in the red after years?” The answer is simple: investing in gold and other precious metals will help.

Precious metals: which one to invest in?

There are many different investment options available these days. But no one knows whether they will be reliable for years or even decades. One thing humanity knows for sure: precious metals and stones will always remain in price. For example, gold or silver. These metals have constant and unchanging physical properties - this is what distinguishes them from money. Metals cannot completely depreciate, and currency can become mere paper in a matter of seconds.

And as we already guessed, investments in gold and silver are the most popular and accessible in our time. History shows that these two metals have always been in value. Investing in gold has a lot of advantages:

• The money invested can always be returned.
• Gold cannot lose its value.
• Gold cannot deteriorate (for example, burn or get wet).

Thus, by choosing to invest in, you can be confident in the future and not be afraid of crises at all. Investing in gold will not leave you in the red. However, it is worth understanding that such an investment is long-term. And if an investor wants to make money, he needs to play on the difference between the purchase price and the sale price of his gold.

Gold as the main currency of the past

The past shows that gold has been quite popular. This is proven by all sorts of “gold rushes” in the Wild West. Works have even been published on this subject. Nathan Lewis wrote the book Gold: Money Once and Future. It talks about the instability of a currency like the dollar and the ever-solid and unwavering value of gold, and the impact of crises and decades on these two currencies.

It is impossible not to agree with the author’s main idea, since gold is now much more reliable than currency. After all, it is the yellow precious metal that has always been valued, is valued and will continue to be valued - only the equivalent value will change.

The past can also boast of gold coins, which were in use in most rich countries for quite a long time. However, over time, people realized that it was unwise to use such an expensive metal to value cheap things, and began to replace gold with cheaper options.

Where can you buy gold?

Today, in almost every good bank you can buy gold or, more correctly, invest money in gold. Sberbank of Russia, for example, can easily sell you this precious metal in several forms:

• Gold bars. They come in different weights: from the smallest to huge kilogram bars.
• Gold coins. Most often, such coins are also collectible. Therefore, collectors pay special attention to them. However, if you are rich, you can give a nice gift to your friend on his birthday by buying him a gold coin as a gift.
• And the third type of investment in precious metal is buying gold jewelry. If you buy gold for your beloved wife, it will not only be a luxurious gift, but also a good investment in case of a collapse of the world economy.

Sberbank sells gold to almost everyone. Of course, the buyer must be of a certain age. In addition, to purchase it you still need desire and money. Thus, it becomes obvious that investing in gold is available to everyone who has the opportunity.

Trends in the popularity of gold and silver for a given year

This year, 2014, “gold investors” were able to make good money on the difference between buying and selling gold. This is primarily due to the fact that in past years gold was slightly cheaper based on the price per gram. This year there is an increase in gold prices by approximately 7 percent from the value of 2013. Looking at this percentage, we can congratulate investors who have relatively large gold reserves - they have become a little richer than in the past.

It is worth noting that fractions of a percent of the cost are constantly increasing, and so far there are no prerequisites for stopping this growth, much less reducing this percentage. But here’s some advice for those who have not yet started investing in gold: it’s better to hold on to your money. This is due to the high cost of metal at the moment. By investing money now, you can simply lose a certain part of your funds due to a fall in the price of gold in the future.

Storing gold investments

Many people have a question: “Where to store gold?” At its core, it is very correct and problematic. In modern world conditions, with the increase in the crime component of society, most human habitats are unreliable for storing large amounts of valuables. Therefore, investors look for more protected places and keep their gold there. One of them is a bank with special storage facilities.

For example, Sberbank stores gold in special premises that are protected with the latest technology. Neither thieves nor swindlers can get there, and only the owner will be able to look at his wealth. In addition to banks, in Europe there are special private money vaults that keep any material assets safe and secret from everyone.

If you think that all these options are unreliable, you can organize your own storage by purchasing and installing a modern safe in your home, which is very difficult to break into, much less take away. Investments in gold require special storage conditions for it.

Buying gold bars as an investment

Gold bars are probably the most boring way to invest in gold. They cannot be looked at like coins, they cannot be worn like jewelry, but they can be stored in very large quantities, and this is the biggest advantage of this type of investment. The weight of gold bars can reach 1 kilogram.

Sberbank sells gold in bars of various sizes, starting from 2 grams. Thus, anyone can come and invest their money in metal currency. Having purchased this metal in this form, you can immediately open a gold account in which your grams or kilograms will be stored. When purchasing, it is very important to choose a reliable bank for this business. For example, some state-owned or the most traded one in the country. Having done this, you can safely invest money when the gold rate falls.

Buying gold as an investment

It has long been known to everyone that gold coins are also an investment item. Those who are bored with storing gold bars can buy it in coins. This, in our opinion, is more interesting, and there is always some variety.

Buying gold coins is very simple. First you need to find a bank that sells them. Information about this should be known to any employee at the bank. Having learned that such products are being sold, we approach a competent employee and express a desire to buy. If you are lucky, the bank will be able to offer several varieties of coins and set a price for them. And then you yourself will choose one or another option and buy it. Investments in gold through the purchase of coins are very developed in the countries of America, Europe, and more recently they have begun to develop in our country.

If you plan to sell gold coins in the future, it is best to take them to private collections or pawn shops. It is possible that the price for buying gold in these places will be slightly higher than at the bank where you bought it. And this is worth thinking about. After all, the main purpose of investment is to save money, not spend it.

Investing in Gold: Jewelry

Investing in gold, or more precisely, in gold jewelry, is the most difficult option for making a profit. However, this type of investment is the most enjoyable for you. Now we will explain why. Bullions and coins are, of course, good, but products made from these precious metals show your material status. A person who has beautiful, weighty gold jewelry is always perceived as rich. In addition, it is much more pleasant to give your wife a gift in the form of gold jewelry and thereby, perhaps, secure a future for your family.

This investment option is the least profitable, since, in addition to weight, money is also taken for the work done - for the manufacture and sale of the product. On the other hand, it will become the most pleasant for you. However, as always, the choice is yours. As they say, how many people, so many opinions.

Conclusion

Having considered the concept of investing in investments and how to properly make a profit from it, we can say that this type of investment is reliable and promising. By choosing gold, you will protect yourself by almost 95 percent from any global crisis, because it will always remain in price. History proves this to us - yes, a centuries-old history in which this metal has always had enormous value.

Gold has long been considered the most liquid asset in the banking industry. Recently, the precious metal, along with deposits and bonds, has become a reliable instrument for investment. Let's consider how it is profitable to invest money in gold at Sberbank, and what advantages and risks await novice investors.

Gold is one of the most successful objects for investing your savings.

There are two ways to open a gold deposit at Sberbank - buy gold bars or open an impersonal metal account.

The first method differs from the other in that the acquisition of precious metal is accompanied by a paid procedure for examination and further storage. Upon completion of the contract, the bullion is handed over to the owner with payment of tax. The opening of compulsory medical insurance occurs without the issuance of real gold, and the monthly income is calculated based on the difference in quotations for the precious metal with subsequent conversion into money. If in a regular deposit the profit is determined by accruing interest, then under compulsory medical insurance no interest is accrued, and the income from the deposit depends only on the rise in metal prices on the international market. This deposit is suitable for those clients who are accustomed to dealing with real money and making profits in the usual “paper” equivalent. Another advantage of an impersonal metal account is the absence of VAT and storage costs.

Before you invest money in gold at Sberbank at interest, buying real metal rather than virtual, you should consider options for storing it. It is best to do this in one institution: taxes and expenses will be lower. Experienced investors advise purchasing bars of 50 g and 100 g: they are more profitable than specimens of smaller volume. The greater the weight of the purchased bullion, the lower the price of metal per 1 g. To avoid taxation, you can transfer the metal to a metal safekeeping account.

Gold bars will not only help you save and increase money, but are also an excellent gift.

Advantages of a gold deposit

Is it worth investing in gold at Sberbank, is it profitable? Let's consider the advantages of such investment:

• unlike ruble and foreign currency accounts, gold deposits are safe - they are less susceptible to inflation;
• over a long period of time, you can not only save your own funds from inflation, but also achieve a certain profit;
• the steady rise in prices on the world market guarantees a small but stable and predictable profit;
• the product has high liquidity;
• an excellent tool for diversifying an investment portfolio;
• high-quality gold bars can be used for any purpose;
• The registration procedure takes a minimum of time, opening and maintaining an account is free;
• a metal account can be opened for a child.

Risks such investments are a minimum; the most important risk is the choice of bank and its reliability: gold deposits are not subject to insurance in the event of bankruptcy of the institution, and the client will not be able to return his funds.

Conditions for opening a gold deposit

Opening procedure gold deposit has been simplified to the minimum. The investor will need to provide the following documents:

• passport,
• TIN,
• statement,
• a signed agreement, which specifies all the conditions for maintaining and maintaining the deposit, the procedure for accepting and issuing precious metals;
• an order to transfer bullion to a bank vault.

If an individual does not open compulsory medical insurance, but purchases real precious metal, then he will first have to make a payment for receiving the goods into storage and pay for an examination, which will determine the final price of the metal.

There are features of the procedure:

• You can purchase precious metal in the range from 1 g to 1000 g;
• no need to open a bank account;
• Storage in a safe deposit box is allowed.

After the end of the contract, the investor can receive his bullion by pre-paying VAT.

How is the price of 999 fine bars determined?

To calculate the real cost of 999 gold per 1 gram on a specific date, you need to know that the exchange rate for precious metals is set by Sberbank daily and depends on prices on the world precious metals market. Among the factors influencing the price of bullion are the following:

• investor demand;
• high level of quality of bullion, since Sberbank works only with reliable manufacturers;
• decrease in production volume on the international market;
• Sberbank has a gold and foreign exchange reserve.

These are the factors that the bank takes into account when calculating the cost of gold bars. You can independently calculate the price for 1 gram of gold. To do this, compare the cost of 1 troy ounce of the precious metal to the dollar exchange rate on a specific day. Add VAT to this number (13-16%).

How to store money in gold in Sberbank

Buying bullion, you need to think about their proper storage. There are several arguments against keeping them at home. This is unsafe, and in addition, the client is unlikely to be able to provide good conditions for preserving the presentation of the ingot. The slightest scratch automatically reduces the value of the product; more serious damage may cause the bank to refuse the purchase. Sometimes damage to the packaging itself can significantly affect the price, and some institutions only accept products in original packaging. Therefore, most banks are reluctant to cooperate when purchasing bullion that has not been left in their custody. This is how banks seek to protect themselves from problems in selling goods. Therefore, the desire to keep gold at home may result in the fact that if you want to sell it in a bank, the price of the bullion will be equal to the price of scrap.

How to properly store money in gold in Sberbank? If the client prefers not virtual gold in the form of compulsory medical insurance, but real gold, then it is better to open a metal safekeeping account. It can only be opened in those departments where there is special equipment for assessing and measuring metal. When deposited, all bars have their own characteristics: fineness, weight, serial number, stamp, issue date. This information is recorded in a special document and a report is drawn up during the transfer of the bullion to the warehouse. The institution does not have the right to use the bullion placed in safekeeping as credit funds, and is obliged to give the client his property upon first request. A commission is charged for such services - for depositing into a warehouse, monthly for maintaining a deposit, for issuing or transferring to another financial institution.

Today, in addition to bullion, this type of investment in gold, such as impersonal metal accounts, is gaining more and more popularity.

Conclusion

Before investing in gold at Sberbank, you should take into account several nuances and weigh all the possible advantages and risks of this investment.