Education, scam alerts, and market analysis for precious metals buyers. We summarize and synthesize — we never advocate or opine.
“Self-storage” and “checkbook LLC” gold IRA pitches sound like a clever way to keep your retirement metals at home. The IRS calls it a prohibited transaction — and the penalty can wipe out the entire account.
Counterfeit American Eagles, Maple Leafs, and Krugerrands are circulating in larger numbers than most buyers realize. Here are seven simple tests you can run before you ever pay for a coin.
Gold and silver are taxed as collectibles — with a top federal rate of 28%, separate 1099-B reporting rules, and a maze of state sales tax exemptions. Here’s exactly how it works.
The spot price is what gold trades for on the futures exchange. What you pay at the counter is something else entirely. Here’s why — and how to minimize the gap.
High-pressure phone sales, misleading fee structures, and celebrity endorsements for garbage products. The gold IRA industry has more than its share of predators. Here’s what to watch for before you sign anything.
The ratio tells you how many ounces of silver it takes to buy one ounce of gold. Ratio traders use it to time swaps between the two metals — compounding total ounces without adding new dollars.
That “We Buy Gold” sign in the strip mall? They’re paying 30–50% of melt value. Here’s how to know what your gold is actually worth before you walk in the door.
Not all one-ounce gold coins cost the same. The difference is the premium — and understanding why certain coins carry higher premiums can save you hundreds of dollars per ounce.
A step-by-step framework for understanding premiums, picking the right dealer, and making sure you pay a fair price for gold and silver.
Gold is trading at $3,200 but the coin costs $3,360. Here’s where the difference comes from and what’s a reasonable premium.
Should you buy gold and silver online or from a local coin shop? The answer is simpler than you think — here’s what actually determines whether you get a fair deal.
Silver premiums run higher than gold as a percentage and shift dramatically depending on what form you buy. Here’s the math most buyers don’t see.
Pre-1965 U.S. coins contain 90% silver and are priced differently from bullion. Here’s how constitutional silver works and when it’s the smartest buy.
Pre-1965 U.S. coins contain 90% silver. They’re called “junk” but they’re anything but. Here’s how to value them and where to find them.
Every major conflict since 1900 has moved the gold price. Here’s what actually happened — from the gold standard era through two world wars, the Cold War, and the modern age of sanctions and central bank buying.
Central banks bought over 1,000 tonnes of gold in 2022, 2023, and 2024 — triple the decade prior’s average. Here’s who’s buying, why, and what it means for the price of gold.
Physical metals have no automatic custodian. Home storage, bank safe deposit boxes, and private vaults each have real tradeoffs in cost, insurance, and access. Here’s what each option actually looks like.
Silver’s surge past $100/oz isn’t speculative — it’s structural. Solar panels, AI data centers, and EVs are consuming silver faster than mines can produce it. Here’s what’s driving the sixth consecutive year of deficit.
Gold doubled. Bitcoin dropped 47% from its high. Both were supposed to be safe havens. The 2026 divergence is the data point worth examining — here’s what the crisis performance data actually shows.
Gold is near $5,100 an ounce — so what’s a fair premium, what crosses into overpriced, and where do the worst rip-offs hide? Dollar-by-dollar ranges for standard bullion products, plus the “padded spot price” trick that makes unfair premiums look reasonable.
Legitimate gold IRAs are a real retirement option. The sales tactics around them are, disproportionately, how retirees get scammed. A federal enforcement-backed guide to the red flags — including the $50M Red Rock Secured SEC case, the McNulty home-storage ruling, and what actually constitutes IRS-approved precious metals.
Cash-for-gold storefronts typically pay 40–60% of melt value. Local coin dealers pay 75–90%. Online bullion dealer buybacks pay 85–95%. A practical guide to calculating melt value, avoiding the sales tactics that expand the spread, and choosing the right channel.