Gold is one of the best investment options available today. The major attraction of the metal is its ability to retain value even during inflation or difficult economic times. In the past, buying gold was a lot hectic. Investors had to find registered dealers and pay huge commission fees to buy gold. Things have however changed today and it's possible to buy gold without having to use an intermediary.

Finding a Gold Dealer

You need to research well to find a reputable online gold dealer. There are a number of things you should look for in a dealer. For example, the dealer should be insured, have controls in place to detect fraud and offer guaranteed for their gold. Below are some characteristics of a good online gold dealer:

i) They should have fair prices

Find out about the price of gold on the day that you will be buying. You can get this information from different financial websites. When you know the current price of gold, calculate the markup that the dealer will charge. Keep in mind that coins are charged a higher markup than bullion.

ii) Should offer flexible payment options

The price of gold is expensive. Depending on how much gold you want to buy, you may end up spending several thousands of dollars with the online dealer. Check whether the dealer offers the payment method that will be convenient for you. Most dealers allow payments through credit and debit cards. However, if you are buying a huge value of gold, you may want other options such as bank or wire transfers.

iii) Have a good reputation

Check the reputation of the dealer from this link. Use the Internet to search for reviews of the company to know what to expect from them. Scour gold investment forums to find out what other investors think of the dealer you want to buy from. You can also check different consumer review websites for complaints made against the dealer and whether they were resolved.

iv) Have sound shipping policies

To ensure you get value for your money, you should transact with a dealer that will ship your gold securely. The shipment should also be insured in case of loss or theft during transit. Finally, ask the dealer to provide you with a shipment tracking number when your order is shipped. You should also find out how long it will take for the gold to reach you.

The above are four tips that will help when buying gold or other precious metals for investment online.