Investing in gold: is it profitable, pros and cons, course, reviews

Gold, due to its high value, has always symbolized wealth. The economy of the modern world is not stable, and the exchange rate in it often changes very much - because of this, people are afraid that at one moment they may be seriously devalued, and this will lead to the loss of savings accumulated with such difficulty. To invest more reliably and not worry anymore, you can transfer part of your savings into gold. After all, gold is the opposite of currency - it prospers when the currency is bad and falls when it is good, which means that by investing half in currency and half in gold, you will reliably insure yourself against financial losses: one way to do this is to invest money in gold in Sberbank.

Investments in gold with the help of Sberbank

Since 2008, the price of gold has doubled, which emphasizes the reliability of this investment method.
Article navigation

• How to invest money in gold at Sberbank
• Commemorative and investment coins
• Ingots
• Unallocated metal accounts (OMS)
• What type of deposit is better to choose?
• Is it profitable to invest in gold at Sberbank?
• Operations with gold in Sberbank
• How to buy
• How to sell
• Conclusion

A significant portion of Russians open deposits with Sberbank. Depositing gold in the country's main financial institution provides a high degree of confidence in the safety of funds.

Find out how to make money on a metal deposit at the Savings Bank of Russia from this article. Also, read about comparative characteristics of other types of investing.

Two options for registering a metal deposit

After making a metal deposit, you will have two further outcomes:

1. you can purchase a gold bar and store it in a bank;
2. you can open an impersonal metal account, which is considered virtual. The advantage of the latter is that there is no need to pay value added tax, which is eighteen percent. Simply put, if you deposit a certain amount in the bank, then over time it will grow by the percentage that was stipulated in the agreement, and the impersonal account, remaining in the same size, will increase its value by increasing the value of the metal on the world market.

How to invest money in gold at Sberbank

Metal deposits have some features that require detailed explanations. The general banking rule applies: the more stable the account currency, the more modest the accrued annual interest. An increased rate is always a payment for risk.

The gold and foreign exchange deposit, which is preferred by the conservatively-minded part of the clientele, is characterized to a greater extent by the desire to preserve savings in the long term than to receive short-term income. For this reason, the world has developed the practice of establishing the lowest dividends on metal deposits. In some cases they are not paid at all.

Today, Sberbank does not provide interest-bearing gold deposits for individuals. In other words, the rate is zero, and profitability is provided only by the difference between the purchase and sale prices. It can be both positive and negative. If gold goes up in price, there will be income, but if it goes down, the client will suffer a loss.

Statistics from recent decades give reason to believe that precious metals are gradually becoming more expensive, but this process is happening very unevenly. Prices peaked in 2011, when in the wake of the global financial crisis a massive need for reliability arose. Then came a period of decline, and to this day the prices of gold, silver, platinum and palladium have not reached their previous levels.

There is currently an increase in precious metals prices, and analysts are confident that this will continue.

Sberbank offers three ways to invest in gold.

1. Purchase of measuring bars. Metal blocks packed in a blister are supplied with a passport certificate. The minimum denomination is one gram, the maximum has a kilogram weight. It should be borne in mind that the weight unit will cost less, the heavier the ingot.
2. Purchase of collectible (commemorative) and investment coins. They differ in design. Commemorative coins are minted in honor of certain events, historical figures, architectural monuments, works of art and even rare animals. An investment coin has a nominal value, and its market price increases over time, due to its uniqueness and the increase in the exchange rate of precious metals.
3. Opening an impersonal metal account. Similar to a deposit, but has features that will be revealed in the article a little later. Briefly about compulsory health insurance: the deposit currency is grams of gold, not monetary units. You can get an idea of ​​the state of the account by multiplying the specific gravity by the current market value.

Each of the listed methods of making money on precious metals has its own advantages and disadvantages. Let's look at them.

Commemorative and investment coins

The undoubted advantage of gold coins is the absence of VAT in the price. The value added tax for them has been abolished in order to enhance the investment attractiveness of these products.

The selection of these investment items is huge and quotes are available daily.

The difference between investment and collection coins is manifested in the aesthetic features and uniqueness of the specimens, determined mainly by the mintage of the issue: it happens that it is calculated in a few units. Age also matters.

Despite the abundance of foreign numismatic items, experts recommend giving preference to domestic coins (for example, “St. George the Victorious” and “Chervonets”).

An important feature that significantly determines the value is the condition of the surface and the quality of the coinage (“proof” and “uncirculated”). During the period of ownership, you should treat the purchased item with extreme care and, if possible, avoid even touching it. Despite the chemical passivity of gold, it still oxidizes, forming a patina. Due to this circumstance, the buyer is deprived of the pleasure of holding the value in his hands (unless the touch of a special case is counted as such).

Only extremely rare specimens allow minor defects without compromising marketability.

Sberbank annually sells more than a million gold coins, which indicates that there are people willing to invest in them. The advantages of such metal investments are obvious, but they also have serious disadvantages:

• Wide spread. This means that the bank makes purchases and accepts them at significantly different, sometimes almost double, prices (of course, in its favor). In addition, there is an official five percent margin of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation.
• Storage problem. It is not recommended to keep such expensive items at home, much less carry them with you, and renting a safe deposit box is not cheap.

Summarizing the information presented, we can conclude that it is advisable to invest in numismatic valuables as an object of long-term hoarding in anticipation of their future increase in price. Currently, coin quotes are not showing growth.

Ingots

You can invest in precious metals in one more physical form. A private person has the right to purchase an almost pure chemical element Au of the 999th purity at Sberbank or other financial institutions that have a special license.

Unlike a coin, a precious metal bar does not have any collectible value. This is a typical metal hoarding item purchased in the hope that the price will rise.

Sberbank offers several standard sizes of bars and plates with different weights, from one gram and heavier. Bullions are available to “gold investors”. Anyone can become one. Metal sales and purchase quotes are published regularly.

Upon acquisition, the investor pays VAT. Since the investment is long-term, it makes sense to carry out a counter operation only after several years.

A citizen intending to purchase gold bars from Sberbank must be familiar with the current rules:

1. You must present a passport or other identification document.
2. The presence of the buyer is mandatory during the transaction.
3. The ingot is weighed with an accuracy of at least 0.01 g and undergoes external inspection.
4. The product is accompanied by a certificate that duplicates all the data indicated on the surface.
5. When transferring the bullion, an act is drawn up and a cash receipt is attached to it.

In all other respects, the procedure for purchasing coins and bars is similar.

The current cost of bullion bars “for today” and for the last week is published on the official websites of banks. The metal holder is recommended to monitor price changes in order to objectively assess the effectiveness of the investment using the charts.

Unallocated metal accounts (OMS)

Compulsory medical insurance is an alternative to transactions with physical precious metals. At Sberbank you can open a gold deposit and become the owner not of an ingot or coin, but of a certain number of grams.

This method of investing has an undoubted advantage: it eliminates the problem of storage. At any time, the client can receive funds belonging to him in cash or metal at the established rate. In addition, the purchase transaction is not subject to VAT.

The disadvantages are common to all metal accounts:

1. Firstly, there is no deposit insurance. The risk is associated with the possible bankruptcy of a financial institution, but in relation to Sberbank of the Russian Federation it is minimal.
2. Secondly, no annual interest is accrued on a gold deposit, which makes it less profitable compared to other types of deposits. However, this minus can be compensated by the benefits of a sharp increase in quotes.

Specific conditions of metal contribution

Sberbank of Russia has identified certain weight criteria for the metal: gold is accepted from one gram to one kilogram, and silver from fifty grams. You can also make a metal contribution to platinum and palladium.

For those clients who are concerned about the safety of their investments, the bank gives the opportunity to rent a safe deposit box. Another advantage of keeping a deposit in a safe deposit box is that if something happens to it there, the bank will pay the penalty.

What type of deposit is better to choose?

All three listed methods of investing in gold can be conditionally considered financially equivalent according to the following criteria:

• the investor cannot count on current dividends;
• all hope for profit is connected with the future rise in price of the precious metal;
• The acquisition of gold, physical or “paper”, takes a long time.

The options demonstrate approximately the same profitability, but when choosing between bullion, coins and compulsory medical insurance, their specifics should be taken into account.

If an investor is a numismatist, then he can, with a certain probability, predict an increase in the value of some coins, taking into account not only the weight characteristics, but also the collection value.

Storing bullion at home is only possible if you are confident that your home is reliably protected from the risks of theft.

The conditions for placing a gold deposit in Sberbank PJSC may change in favor of the client if quotes on world markets show steady growth. In this case, there is a chance that dividends will be paid, albeit small. True, the gold account will have to be reissued.

As for the entry threshold, it will be the highest for coins. The minimum weight of an ingot is only one gram, and even a person of modest means can purchase such an amount.

The smallest step of a gold transaction at Sberbank is only 0.1 grams. The minimum deposit for opening a compulsory medical insurance is one gram. It is difficult to imagine a coin with such weight.

It should be borne in mind that investing in precious metals is advisable only when investing a significant amount, measured in tens, hundreds of thousands and millions of rubles.

Which categories of citizens benefit from such investments the most?

It is hardly possible to get a quick profit by investing in gold. Therefore, such investments are beneficial for wealthy citizens who are willing to wait for the metal’s exchange rate to rise. After several years, you will be able to see the result of such a transaction in the increase of your money once invested in gold.

There are also “on-demand” accounts, the terms of which do not include a specific storage period for the metal. That is, if at some point you are satisfied with a certain rate of the precious metal, you will be able to receive your money without difficulty.

However, if you open, for example, a pension deposit, you could get a higher percentage of profit. But its disadvantage is that it will not be protected from denomination in the same way that an investment in gold is protected.

Is it profitable to invest in gold at Sberbank?

So far, investments in precious metals cannot be considered very profitable. Discussions about whether it is worth buying gold need to be supported by the dynamics of its price, and it currently shows low stability. There is reason to believe that this instability will continue in the near term. The following facts give the benefit of the doubt:

• The consequences of the global financial crisis have not yet been overcome. This means that the needs of industry, including jewelry, will increase, if at all, not very quickly.
• The reputation of the “yellow devil” as a means of saving and accumulation has been significantly damaged due to the rapid drop in quotations that occurred after 2011. People who invested their savings in the precious metal and were forced for various reasons to sell their assets suffered losses. Their example (as many people think) is a science for others.
• Sberbank's zero interest rate on gold deposits does not in any way stimulate the opening of compulsory medical insurance.

However, citizens, after weighing all the pros and cons, persistently buy coins and bars. Compulsory medical insurance is also in demand. This leads to the conclusion that they consider such transactions profitable. There are reasons:

1. Despite a significant drop in quotes, they have already begun their rise.
2. Gold reserves on the planet are limited.
3. Sooner or later, the stagnation of the world market will be replaced by a revival.
4. If we do not take into account the previous decline, over ten years the price of the most popular precious metal has still increased tenfold.

Ultimately, investing in gold will be profitable. As the French saying goes: “the patient gets everything.” There's just no need to rush.

Nuances you need to know when opening a gold deposit

You must understand that any bank cares not only about favorable conditions for its clients, but also about its own benefits that it will receive from concluding a transaction.

1. The first important point is the exchange rate difference. The fact is that a metal deposit is bought at one price and sold at another, profitable to the bank. This is also affected by the time factor. It will take at least six months for gold to pay for itself.
2. The second point is the interest rate, which differs markedly from the ruble rate. Often, the metallized deposit does not exceed three percent per annum, while the ruble deposit can reach ten percent.
3. The third point is liquidity. Since anything can happen in life, the bank has provided the possibility of quickly withdrawing money. In general, if your plans change, you can always withdraw your money, with a slight loss in profit percentage.

It is worth noting that the value of gold is equal throughout the world, unlike banknotes, which are subject to depreciation. Therefore, the benefits of such an investment are obvious.

Operations with gold in Sberbank

The country's largest financial institution creates the most convenient conditions for its clients to purchase gold in all its forms: coins, bars and compulsory medical insurance. It is simple to carry out transactions with precious metals: if only there was money.

How to buy

To open a deposit, you need to come to a Sberbank branch with your passport and inform the manager of your desire. The client will be provided with a standard contract for review. You need to read it carefully so that there are no surprises later. Here are the nuances you should pay special attention to:

1. Gold is purchased at an inflated price.
2. The account holder must be at least 14 years old, but the person will have the right to dispose of the asset on the day he or she comes of age.
3. It is possible to register a metal deposit for another person (son, daughter, grandson, etc.)
4. It is allowed to have several gold accounts opened for one person.
5. The rules provide for the possibility of transferring compulsory medical insurance to another person.

It's even easier to buy coins and bars. To do this, you need to take your passport (identity card) with you and have a sufficient amount in your account or in cash. A citizen has the opportunity, at his discretion, to leave the purchased physical metal in the bank for safekeeping or take it with him. Yes, it is better to choose a coin in advance and find out if it is available.

The precious metal product is accompanied by a sales receipt and a certificate. It is strongly recommended that you save these documents. Firstly, you will need them when selling a bar or coin. Secondly, numbers and other characteristics are duplicated in the accompanying papers, which simplifies their identification in case of theft. It is better to store certificates at home separately from physical gold.

How to sell

One literary character said that before climbing somewhere, it is useful to think through escape routes. How you can sell gold to Sberbank is written on the official website of the financial institution. The holder of the precious metal must:

• make sure there is no damage that could affect the weight of the product;
• attach the manufacturer's certificate;
• take your passport with you.

You can find out at what price the bank buys gold (in this case, bullion) in advance by making inquiries using this link.

With coins the situation is both more complicated and simpler. They are accepted by the financial institution at the cost indicated in the catalog, which theoretically takes into account the numismatic value of the specimen. At the same time, Russian legislation does not regulate the turnover between collectors in any way, and they can sometimes pay more. Unlike trade in bullion, these transactions are not prosecuted under the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, but are associated with other risks. For example, the buyer may turn out to be a fraudster.

It is safer to hand over a gold coin on the terms under which Sberbank accepts them, attaching a check and a certificate.

You can withdraw funds from the gold compulsory medical insurance partially or completely close the account. With the money received, the client has the right to purchase a metal product or take the amount in rubles at any time.

Choosing a bank is the basics

Sberbank

According to statistics, 50% of all investors keep their savings in SB. This is due, of course, to its reliability. The very name “Sberbank” is familiar and inspires confidence, especially among the older generation. You can find out more about the conditions for opening a deposit in the article “how to open a gold deposit in Sberbank.”

Deposits in Sberbank are the best deposits in Moscow banks, based on the reliability of the bank, but Sberbank offers far from the highest interest rates. For example, the maximum interest rates are set for the “At the Height” and “Maximum” deposits – 8.7%.

However, to receive such interest, the term deposit “On Heights” must be made for two years. In case of early withdrawal, interest is calculated based on the demand deposit - 1.5% per annum.

As for the “Maximum” deposit, the amounts of the initial contribution are such that not everyone can handle them. Although, it is advisable to make just such a contribution, for example, when selling real estate, when you need to “hold” the money for some time.

So, the Russian Security Council offers interest on deposits from 1.5% to 8.7% per annum. On some accounts, interest is capitalized, that is, it is added to the principal amount of the deposit and, in turn, interest is accrued on them.

Gold (OMS) deposits of SB St. Petersburg and Moscow, as well as other branches of Sberbank, do not accrue interest. Sberbank does not provide time deposits for unallocated metal accounts. Withdrawals from compulsory health insurance are possible both in cash and in physical metal.

Sberbank, like other banks in Moscow, offers deposits in foreign currency. For example, a multicurrency deposit not only offers good interest on deposits, but also the ability to convert currency into rubles or another currency with a more favorable rate.

The opportunity to play on exchange rates can bring additional income to the investor. SB offers the following interest rates on multicurrency deposits:

• Rubles – up to 6% per annum,
• US dollars – up to 3.44% per annum,
• Euro – up to 3.8%.

VTB 24

VTB 24 whose deposits are quite diverse - ultimately they come down to time deposits and demand deposits. You can open an account at bank branches or remotely.

Interest rates on VTB 24 deposits are very good, and this bank provides various tools for additional earnings on deposits.

• Deposit “Freedom of choice” – 8.8% per annum,
• “Index” deposit – 6.55% per annum,
• “Growing Income” deposit – 7.5% per annum,
• “Comfortable” deposit – 6.8% per annum.

Anonymized metal accounts with VTB 24 can be opened on almost the same conditions as with Sberbank. However, VTB does not work with physical metal: it is impossible to deposit physical gold into your account or withdraw funds from your account in the form of gold bars.

Alfa Bank

This is another of the five largest and most rated banks in Russia. They trust him, as evidenced by statistics: deposits in Alfa-Bank are made more often than deposits in many other banks in Moscow.

Interest on deposits at Alfa Bank ranges from 4.8 to 12% per annum. The conditions for deposits are very diverse. There are also multi-currency accounts and compulsory medical insurance. Opening conditions are the same as in Sberbank of Russia. Bank of Moscow.

This bank offers depositors a maximum interest rate on deposits of 8.2% per annum.

However, such interest can only be obtained if the minimum deposit amount is at least 10,000,000 rubles for a period of 3 years. A maximum of 7.6% is charged on more affordable deposits.

The terms of deposits, as in previous banks, are very diverse and quite flexible; you can choose the type of deposit that suits you.

Home Credit Bank

The conditions under which you can make deposits in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities in this bank are very democratic: the amount of an initial contribution of 1000 rubles for a period of at least six months will allow you to receive 10% per annum, 10,000 rubles for one year - 11% per annum, and 30 000 rubles for two years – 12% per annum.

The conditions of different deposits differ markedly, both in the method of calculating interest and in the possibility of replenishing the account or early withdrawal of funds.

Tinkoff

The maximum interest on deposits offered by this bank is 11% per annum, however, only for the SmartVlad account.

Profitable deposits are provided by banks in St. Petersburg, such as Raiffeisenbank. For example, the “Insurance Premium” deposit assumes a maximum interest rate of 9.5% per annum. There is, however, a need to conclude an insurance agreement with the bank for a period of 6 years, for which, of course, you will have to pay.

Modern gold market

Today, the market for this precious metal largely depends on the influence of external factors. These are the following conditions:

• Jumps in prices for raw materials.
• Conflicts in the political arena.
• Introduction of new legislation.
• Economic crises in different countries.
• Psychology and consumer behavior.

Many economists are convinced that the rise in prices for this precious metal, which led to an increase in deposits in gold, was caused artificially. By the beginning of 2014, the total volume of gold reserves worldwide began to exceed 180 thousand tons. About 44% of them were in the jewelry industry; 20% belonged to state Central Banks, as well as international financial companies; 23% - investment savings; the remaining 13% came from electronics and dental products.

It is believed that over time, the share of investments in this precious metal will only accumulate. For example, in 2014, the United States Mint recorded a significant increase in demand for gold coins.

Deposit rates

To begin with, it is worth defining the term “deposit” itself, which is found everywhere. A deposit is funds transferred by the client to the bank for safekeeping under certain conditions. The deposit can be fixed-term or permanent. The bank is obliged to return the deposit to the depositor in accordance with the terms of the concluded agreement.

In essence, the bank borrows this money, agreeing to pay interest. A deposit is a bank deposit, the most convenient, and most importantly, understandable way to invest funds.

Main types of deposits:

• urgent without the possibility of replenishment,
• urgent replenishable,
• poste restante.

Interest on deposits depends on many components, the main of which are:

• deposit amount,
• urgency,
• refinancing rate of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation.

Over the past three years, interest rates on deposits have been decreasing, including Sberbank deposits.

List of documents

In order to open a deposit, an investor must have the following package of documents:

• Passport or identity document.
• Certificate from the tax office on tax registration.
• Application for opening a deposit, completed in accordance with the standards.
• Investment agreement.
• A written order stating that the precious metal has been accepted for storage.

Conditions for opening compulsory medical insurance

When concluding an agreement to open a compulsory medical insurance, the currency “gold” is indicated. Its size and cost are determined at a specific moment. Each bank independently determines its operating conditions, and quotes are approved twice a day.

It is thanks to this that you can choose the optimal moment to open a deposit and get much more profit. Although some banks are ready to offer individual conditions. But for this, the volume of gold purchased or sold must be at least 50 grams, depending on the bank.

Purchase

Gold coins are always purchased from banks that have a special license for these transactions. Moreover, each ingot contains its denomination, number, manufacturer’s mark, and a certificate of quality conformity. The minimum price for a gram of gold is about 500 rubles. In order to find out the exact value at the current moment, you need to clarify the current discount price for the Central Bank, and then multiply it by a coefficient (0.375, 0.585, etc.).

The price of a gold bar always corresponds to its weight, and the precious metal content in it is equal to 99.99%. However, one of the significant disadvantages of such deposits is the need to pay VAT, which in Russia is 18%, in Ukraine – 20%.