Understanding and Managing Risks in Digital Gold
Understanding and Managing Risks in Digital Gold
Sep 20, 2023
5 Minutes
As digital gold becomes more popular, it’s essential to grasp the potential risks. This article helps you identify these risks and offers practical solutions for the Indian audience. In today’s digital age, our investment choices are going digital too.
Whether it’s investing in shares, stocks, mutual funds, or even assets like gold or real estate, we’re favoring digital investments over physical ones. The main reason is the unmatched convenience and flexibility digital investments offer. But do we understand the risks involved in investing in digital gold?
For example, people are now considering digital gold instead of physical gold, but they often worry about the risks. Let’s break down these risks and how to deal with them.
Risks in Digital Gold Investments:
1. No Regulators:
When we invest in stocks or mutual funds, SEBI safeguards our investments. Similarly, RBI oversees bank deposits. However, digital gold investments lack regulatory oversight. Once we invest, the service provider buys and stores the gold in a vault without any regulatory authority monitoring the process.
2. GST Applies:
When we buy gold, whether physical or digital, we must pay a 3% GST on the gold’s value. This applies to digital gold investments as well since the invested amount is used to purchase real gold.
3. Limited Investment Period:
Digital gold investments have a specific time frame. Gold cannot be stored indefinitely in these vaults. Producers can hold the gold for a limited period, after which they either deliver it to us or sell it, transferring the proceeds to our account.
4. Charges:
If we choose to have the gold delivered, we’ll incur delivery charges. Furthermore, the gold may be delivered as coins, bars, or jewelry, each with its own making charges. Additionally, after the first five years, investors may need to pay storage fees.
5. Selling Limitations:
Unlike physical gold, digital gold platforms often impose restrictions on selling. Some platforms only allow selling when their designated selling window is open, and they decide when that is.
Mitigating Risks in Digital Gold Investments:
No Regulators: Invest in digital gold through well-known and reputable sources and platforms. This reduces the risk associated with the lack of regulators.
GST Applicability: Accept that GST applies wherever gold is bought and sold, whether physical or digital. There’s no way around it.
Limited Period of Investment: Even though there’s a time limit, you can withdraw your money and reinvest it. There’s no limit to how many times you can invest in digital gold.
Charges: Digital gold is designed for investment, not for obtaining physical gold or jewelry. If you’re looking for gold or jewelry, consider selling your digital gold and withdrawing the money instead of opting for delivery.
Selling Limitations: Before investing in digital gold through any platform, carefully review their terms and conditions to ensure you maintain liquidity.
In Conclusion:
While digital gold investments come with limitations, none of them are significant enough to dismiss their benefits in terms of cost, convenience, liquidity, and security. Pluto Money is a reputable financial services provider that offers automated digital gold investment, allowing you to start with as little as Rs. 100. It’s time to embrace digital gold in your investment portfolio and bid farewell to physical gold. How do you plan to invest in gold?
As digital gold becomes more popular, it’s essential to grasp the potential risks. This article helps you identify these risks and offers practical solutions for the Indian audience. In today’s digital age, our investment choices are going digital too.
Whether it’s investing in shares, stocks, mutual funds, or even assets like gold or real estate, we’re favoring digital investments over physical ones. The main reason is the unmatched convenience and flexibility digital investments offer. But do we understand the risks involved in investing in digital gold?
For example, people are now considering digital gold instead of physical gold, but they often worry about the risks. Let’s break down these risks and how to deal with them.
Risks in Digital Gold Investments:
1. No Regulators:
When we invest in stocks or mutual funds, SEBI safeguards our investments. Similarly, RBI oversees bank deposits. However, digital gold investments lack regulatory oversight. Once we invest, the service provider buys and stores the gold in a vault without any regulatory authority monitoring the process.
2. GST Applies:
When we buy gold, whether physical or digital, we must pay a 3% GST on the gold’s value. This applies to digital gold investments as well since the invested amount is used to purchase real gold.
3. Limited Investment Period:
Digital gold investments have a specific time frame. Gold cannot be stored indefinitely in these vaults. Producers can hold the gold for a limited period, after which they either deliver it to us or sell it, transferring the proceeds to our account.
4. Charges:
If we choose to have the gold delivered, we’ll incur delivery charges. Furthermore, the gold may be delivered as coins, bars, or jewelry, each with its own making charges. Additionally, after the first five years, investors may need to pay storage fees.
5. Selling Limitations:
Unlike physical gold, digital gold platforms often impose restrictions on selling. Some platforms only allow selling when their designated selling window is open, and they decide when that is.
Mitigating Risks in Digital Gold Investments:
No Regulators: Invest in digital gold through well-known and reputable sources and platforms. This reduces the risk associated with the lack of regulators.
GST Applicability: Accept that GST applies wherever gold is bought and sold, whether physical or digital. There’s no way around it.
Limited Period of Investment: Even though there’s a time limit, you can withdraw your money and reinvest it. There’s no limit to how many times you can invest in digital gold.
Charges: Digital gold is designed for investment, not for obtaining physical gold or jewelry. If you’re looking for gold or jewelry, consider selling your digital gold and withdrawing the money instead of opting for delivery.
Selling Limitations: Before investing in digital gold through any platform, carefully review their terms and conditions to ensure you maintain liquidity.
In Conclusion:
While digital gold investments come with limitations, none of them are significant enough to dismiss their benefits in terms of cost, convenience, liquidity, and security. Pluto Money is a reputable financial services provider that offers automated digital gold investment, allowing you to start with as little as Rs. 100. It’s time to embrace digital gold in your investment portfolio and bid farewell to physical gold. How do you plan to invest in gold?
Author
Pluto Team
Share with your friends
Help you friends in learning more about personal finance by share this blog.
Help you friends in learning
more about personal finance
by share this blog.
Help you friends in learning more about personal
finance by share this blog.
Silimar Blogs
West Bengal Caste Certificate
West Bengal Caste Certificate
June 22, 2024
Star Health Insurance Customer Care
Star Health Insurance Customer Care
June 22, 2024
SBI Savings Account
SBI Savings Account
June 22, 2024
How to Check FASTag Balance
How to Check FASTag Balance
June 22, 2024
Bhoomi Online - Karnataka's Land Records & RTC
Bhoomi Online - Karnataka's Land Records & RTC
June 22, 2024
Current Petrol Price in Bangalore
Current Petrol Price in Bangalore
June 22, 2024
View More
Download App
Explore More
Managing assets totalling over 1 crore+