Plain-English guides to buying gold and silver in the UK.
The cheapest gold is the lowest premium plus the least tax. Five practical ways a UK buyer can cut the cost: compare on premium, pick bars, buy pre-owned, go bigger, or use an ETF.
The cheapest gold is not the lowest price tag, it is the most actual gold for your money after premium, delivery and stock are counted. How to compare UK dealers like for like.
A pre-owned 1oz bar holds the same ounce of pure gold as a new one, so the metal value is identical. The difference is price, condition and certification, and resale. When each makes sense.
Bars give the most gold per pound, Britannias add a small premium but are CGT-free, and Sovereigns cost more per gram but are the most divisible. How to pick for value and tax.
Gold is sold in fixed sizes and smaller bars cost far more per gram, so the honest answer is not budget divided by spot. It is the largest whole unit your money covers after premium and delivery.
The premium is what you pay above the spot price, the dealer's cut for making and selling the gold. Lower is usually better, but a higher premium can be worth it for CGT-free or divisible coins.
Buy and sell straight back and you lose the gap between the buy price and the dealer's buy-back price, usually around 3% to 8% for common bullion. Why gold is a hold, not a quick trade.
In the UK the metal decides the VAT and the format decides the CGT. A plain-English comparison of gold bars, gold coins, silver bars and silver coins on tax, and why gold coins come out on top.
Physical bars and coins, gold ETFs and gold funds all track the gold price but differ sharply on ownership, cost, tax and convenience. A plain-English UK guide to the three.
Bars give you the most gold for your money; certain UK coins are free of Capital Gains Tax. Here's how to weigh the two and choose.
Sovereign, Britannia, Krugerrand, Maple Leaf: which coin to buy, and why some are free of Capital Gains Tax and others aren't.