Investors have found that gold investment online is becoming the preferred way to bring commodity assets into their portfolios. The principal reason for the expansion in popularity of precious metal investing via the internet is two-fold: smaller investment increments and ease of management. Advances in methods of gold investment online have dramatically increased access for investors of all means globally. Here are 3 ways to invest in gold via the internet today.

Physical Gold Direct Purchase

The first, most obvious, and most direct method of purchasing gold on the web today is via the US mint and or its authorized direct dealers. Each state has a listing on the US Mint website detailing the contact information about where US mint authorized dealers are located. Many of these dealers offer direct purchase of their stock of coins and other items via the web. Prices and taxation obviously would be subject to local variation based on the statutes of the state and local sales tax codes. This is a good method of gold investment online for those seeking the highest collector grade / uncirculated coins and precious metal goods.

Auction Purchase of Physical Gold

Not all investors seek the highest quality new uncirculated precious metal coins however, and many investors find what they're looking for by visiting auction sites to buy physical coin or bullion. The principal advantage of using auction sites is the opportunity to seek out specific assets (particularly older, harder to find pieces) without having to traverse the entire continent squinting through display cases. Auction sites bring together most of the major coin and precious metal dealers in one place making price and quality comparison much easier for the web investor.

Gold ETF Investment - a Popular Indirect Strategy

Although the advantages of owning physical gold include the tangible possession of the metal, some people prefer the exposure to the asset without the cumbersome illiquidity of owning coin and bullion directly. This is particularly true for potential large buyers seeking gold investment online for hedging purposes. For these people an indirect strategy using one of the several gold ETF investment (exchange traded fund) companies makes the most sense. These offer the advantage of offering gold investment online with the instant liquidity of other investments such as stocks, bonds, or mutual funds. This prevents the potential heartache of loss from the illiquidity of physical coin or bullion investment when used as an inflation hedge. Oddly enough going the ETF route also has some potential tax advantages over similar mutual funds and also saves the cost and hassle of insuring, securing, and storing bulk precious metal investments.