Top investment return recommendations for 2021 : A company’s ability to sustain healthy dividend payouts is greatly enhanced if it has consistently low debt levels and strong cash flows, and the historical trend of the company’s performance shows steadily improving debt and cash flow figures. Since any company goes through growth and expansion cycles when it takes on more debt and has a lower cash on hand balance, it’s imperative to analyze their long-term figures rather than a shorter financial picture timeframe. In order to ascertain the investment merits of gold, let’s check its performance against that of the S&P 500 for the past 10 years. Gold has underperformed compared to the S&P 500 in the 10-year period ending Jan. 26, 2018, with the S&P GSCI index generating 3.27% compared to the The S&P 500, which has returned 10.36% over the same period.

Gold is a precious metal and we all know that. As we have mentioned earlier, gold holds a special place in any Indian household and is considered a wealth of the family, for example, the gold jewels are passed on from one generation to the other as a legacy and a symbol of family wealth. Have you ever tried to invest in real estate or tried to make any financial investment? If yes, then you must know that buying gold is much easier than real estate or anything else. It is safe for the people who are trying to start doing investments as very less risk is involved with the gold purchase.

“As gold keeps breaking new records…the fundamental factors behind the trend remain clear: increased worries about the solidness of U.S. public finances; the lack of any serious government plan to resolve long standing issues related to the future of the social security system; eroding credibility of the U.S. motto about a strong dollar; the general weakness in the fundamentals of the global economy” [all of which make the] purchasing of gold…a store of value that thrives when uncertainty, insecurity, and fear rule the global economy. Furthermore, when we recall the never ending speculations about the U.S. dollar’s demise, it is only natural that the metal will find attention regardless of the price tag, until a bubble develops [but] we are apparently very far from that turning point.

The idea that gold preserves wealth is even more important in an economic environment where investors are faced with a declining U.S. dollar and rising inflation. Historically, gold has served as a hedge against both of these scenarios. With rising inflation, gold typically appreciates. When investors realize that their money is losing value, they will start positioning their investments in a hard asset that has traditionally maintained its value. The 1970s present a prime example of rising gold prices in the midst of rising inflation. The reason gold benefits from a declining U.S. dollar is because gold is priced in U.S. dollars globally. There are two reasons for this relationship. First, investors who are looking at buying gold (i.e., central banks) must sell their U.S. dollars to make this transaction. This ultimately drives the U.S. dollar lower as global investors seek to diversify out of the dollar. The second reason has to do with the fact that a weakening dollar makes gold cheaper for investors who hold other currencies. This results in greater demand from investors who hold currencies that have appreciated relative to the U.S. dollar. See additional info at return for investment.

Although the U.S. dollar is one of the world’s most important reserve currencies, when the value of the dollar falls against other currencies as it did between 1998 and 2008, this often prompts people to flock to the security of gold, which raises gold prices . The price of gold nearly tripled between 1998 and 2008, reaching the $1,000-an-ounce milestone in early 2008 and nearly doubling between 2008 and 2012, hitting around the $1800-$1900 mark. The decline in the U.S. dollar occurred for a number of reasons, including the country’s large budget and trade deficits and a large increase in the money supply.

Many new investors shy away from gold, as it doesn’t generate consistent cash flow in the way real estate or stocks might. What many people don’t know is that gold is actually highly liquid; meaning, it can be bought and sold relatively quickly due to the high demand. When it comes to other alternative investments, like collectibles or rare art, this benefit can make gold a highly attractive opportunity. Gold bullion refers to any form of pure gold, with the most common example being gold bars. Gold bars must be certified for weight and purity, and will typically have a serial number attached for security reasons. Gold bars can vary in size, and it doesn’t take much to be considered valuable. There are a few drawbacks to purchasing gold bullion, as you will typically want a secure location and insurance to secure the investment. Additionally, gold bullion can be a difficult asset to buy and sell as you have to identify buyers ready to purchase in whatever sized bar you have the asset in. That being said, many investors find this method to be a highly rewarding way to purchase gold.