FTC Consumer Alert

Federal Trade Commission Bureau of Consumer Protection Division of Consumer & Business Education

Investing in Gold? What’s the Rush?

You see the ads on TV and online, and you hear them on the radio: they tout gold as a solid 

investment. It’s true that people sometimes use gold to diversify their investment portfolio: it 

can help hedge against inflation and economic uncertainty. But how much gold to buy, in what 

form, at what price, and from whom, are important questions to answer before you make that 

investment.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, says if you 

are interested in buying gold, do some digging before investing. Some gold promoters don’t 

deliver what they promise, and may push people into an investment that isn’t right for them.

All Gold is Not Created Equal

You can buy gold in a variety of forms: 

Gold Stocks and Funds – Buying stock in a gold mining firm or buying into a mutual fund that 

invests in gold bullion is a common way to invest in gold. Most brokerage firms buy and sell 

these financial instruments. Gold stocks and mutual funds may offer more liquidity than actual 

gold, and there’s no need for an investor to store or protect gold investments purchased in this 

form. That said, any gold stock or mutual fund investment may carry inherent risk and may 

drop in value regardless of the price of gold. 

Gold stocks and funds should only be purchased from licensed commodity brokers. You 

can check the registration status and disciplinary history of any futures firm or broker by 

contacting the National Futures Association (NFA – www.nfa.futures.org).

Bullion and Bullion Coins – Bullion is a bulk quantity of precious metal, usually gold, 

platinum, or silver, assessed by weight and typically cast as ingots or bars. Dealers and some 

banks and brokerages sell bullion. Bullion coins are struck from precious metal – usually 

gold, platinum, or silver – and kept as an investment. They are not used in daily commerce. 

The value of bullion coins is determined mostly by their precious metals content rather than 

by rarity and condition. Prices may change throughout the day, depending on the prices for 

precious metals in the world markets. Coin dealers and some banks, brokerage firms, and 

precious metal dealers buy and sell bullion coins. The U.S. Mint has produced gold and silver 

bullion coins for investment purposes since 1986 and began producing platinum bullion coins 

in 1997. The U.S. Mint guarantees the precious metal weight, content, and purity of the coins 

they produce. 
Collectible Coins – These coins have some historic or aesthetic value to coin collectors. Most 

collectible coins have a market value that exceeds their face value or their metal content. This 

collectible value is often called numismatic value. The coin dealers who sell collectible coins 

often have valuable coins graded by professional services, but grading can be subjective.

Facts About Buying Gold

Regardless of the form of gold you may invest in, consider these universal truths:

•	 The price of gold fluctuates over time. There is no guarantee that gold will increase – 

or even maintain – its value. 

•	 The prices coin dealers, banks, brokerage firms, and precious metals dealers charge 

for gold products, like bullion and coins, are almost always higher than the value of the 

gold the products contain. So it’s wise to compare prices before making a purchase.

•	 Some sellers say that the government may confiscate gold. Others say that “reportable” 

transactions lead to confiscation. Yet other sellers claim that modern bullion coins 

produced by the U.S. Mint are subject to confiscation while historic or collectible coins 

aren’t. These claims sometimes lead people to buy historic coins at prices that exceed 

their value. No current federal law or Treasury Department regulation supports any of 

these claims.

Investigate Before You Invest

Whether you are buying gold stocks and funds, bullion and bullion coins, or collectible coins, 

the FTC says do your homework first: 

•	 If you are buying bullion coins or collectible coins, ask for the coin’s melt value – the 

basic intrinsic bullion value of a coin if it were melted and sold. The melt value for 

virtually all bullion coins and collectible coins is widely available. 

•	 Consult with a reputable dealer or financial advisor you trust who has specialized 

knowledge. 

•	 Get an independent appraisal of the specific gold product you’re considering. The 

seller’s appraisal might be inflated. 

•	 Consider additional costs. You may need to buy insurance, a safe deposit box, or rent 

offsite storage to safeguard bullion. These costs will cut into the investment potential of 

bullion. 

•	 Some sellers deliver bullion or bars to a secured facility rather than to a consumer. 

When you buy metals without taking delivery, take extra precautions to ensure that the 

metal exists, is of the quality described, and is properly insured.

•	 Walk away from sales pitches that minimize risk or sales representatives who claim that 

risk disclosures are mere formalities. Reputable sales reps are upfront about the risk of 

particular investments. Always get a receipt for your transaction.

•	 Refuse to “act now.” Any sales pitch that urges you to buy immediately is a signal to 

walk away and hold on to your money. 
1-877-FTC-HELP FOR THE CONSUMER

FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION ftc.gov

May 2011

•	 Check out the seller by entering the company’s name in a search engine online. Read 

about other people’s experiences with the company. Try to communicate offline 

if possible to clarify any details. In addition, contact your state Attorney General 

(www.naag.org) and local consumer protection agency (www.consumeraction.gov). 

This kind of research is prudent, although it isn’t fool-proof: it may be too soon for 

someone to realize they’ve been defrauded or to have lodged a complaint with the 

authorities. 

A Word About Endorsements

Promoters often use celebrities and high-profile personalities to tout their products. When 

someone says, “Invest in or buy gold with company ABC,” think about what they’re getting 

out of the deal. The fact is, many endorsers are paid by the company behind the product.

For More Information

Read these publications from the FTC at ftc.gov for more information and guidance about 

investing in particular gold products:

•	 Investing in Bullion and Bullion Coins

•	 Investing in Collectible Coins

Check these websites for additional information: 

•	 Commodity Futures Trading Commission – www.cftc.gov

•	 U.S. Mint – www.usmint.gov

•	 U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission – www.sec.gov and www.investor.gov

•	 American Numismatic Association – www.money.org

•	 National Futures Association – www.nfa.futures.org

•	 World Gold Council – www.gold.org

The FTC works to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the 

marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To 

file a complaint or get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 

1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. 

Watch a new video, How to File a Complaint, at ftc.gov/video to learn more. The FTC 

enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database 

and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the 

U.S. and abroad.