British Petroleum’s disastrous oil platform explosion at the end of April has led to an uncontrollable leakage of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico with plenty of environmental and economical consequences. Fortunately, crude oil has been at a surplus for the past several months, but historically the summer time has always trended for increased oil and gasoline prices. Before the disaster gas prices were looking so bad, but now we can predict that the gas price will pick up. This translates to Gold rising in value also, as gold moves in accordance with increases and decreases in oil.

The European Bank is facing its toughest challenge yet since its formation, a complete bankruptcy of one of its Country’s Assets, Greece. What this means for the Euro on Forex Markets is equally devastating. The once untouchably strong currency has deflated strongly causing gold’s value to jump across the world in the Asian, European, and NY Stock Markets as a safer asset regardless of economic state.

Now coming down to it, what to do with gold today? Well if you are looking for cash for gold opportunities or selling silver or platinum coins and bullion. Right now is probably the best time ever and that is because these prices are the highest the world has ever seen. Even if gold continues to rise, the smart decision is to sell now rather than bearing all the risk of gold sinking.

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http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article6826.html

At the time of the “great depression” gold was a major contributor in reviving the markets. As of the “great depression” till now, the gold factor has been almost completely eliminated. Most of the other nations around the world use the gold standard, we have in terms of printing money, went away from the gold standard. This is why the value of the dollar has taken a significant drop.
With that said, what sector is left? Commodities. Oil, food, gas, metals, etc. This is where the bankers and stock market seem to be looking too. So what happens when this massive influx in commodity investment occurs? It is fair to assume that the prices of these commodities will soar, supply/demand. It need not be said how much we rely on commodities for every day life.
The bailout of the falling giants comes from taxpayers, this basically provides these giants a “do-over” funded by taxpayers. Going back to the “great depression” when the giant’s in terms of companies fell, they were bought up for pennies on the dollar. This has occured recently. The european countries established the Euro some time ago as their means of money to ease the pain. What will the U.S. do to ease the pain?

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=SKsiZdOD5u4

Speculation asside, political bias aside, just thinking about this with your brain, do you think we can avoid a depression which will be much worst than the “great depression”, if so, how? If not, what do you believe will occur. Please keep presidential candidates out the response, because it is clear that they are only one person, and to change the current situations, billions are needed, which only the banks can provide. Tax cuts, tax breaks, will not be enough to stimulate a comback. Thank you for your time and thought out response.

http://money.cnn.com/2000/04/14/news/imf_euro/

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The fact is that gold is the ultimate safe haven for investors. When people lose faith in paper money and conventional investments such as stocks and bonds, it’s to gold they flock. If you factor in gold’s limited supply and the demand from industry and jewellery makers to buy gold bullion, you’ll understand why pundits say the only way for gold is up. So how can you take advantage of the amazing gold market?

The fact is you have a wide range of choices when it comes to taking advantage of gold. Here’s a look at your options. We can separate them into type main types – the first is where you own your wealth on paper and the second is where you actually take possession of the yellow metal.

One popular way to take advantage of the demand for gold is to buy stocks in mining companies. Obviously if they’re mining more gold, their earnings are up and so are your dividends as well as the price of the stock. The problem is knowing which companies to invest in.

Another option is through the use of exchange traded funds (ETF). These represent physical gold bullion held in trust in bank vaults. These can only be traded during stock market hours and there’s a storage charge for the gold.

Then there’s digital gold currency or e-gold which is becoming increasingly popular. The problem is that there are no specific financial regulations for this product. And as the dealers are not banks, they don’t have to comply with banking regulations.

Next, you can invest in gold bullion via Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs). These are a new type of personal pension plan that hold investments until you retire and allow you to manage their own fund by investing in asset classes of their choice. One benefit is that you can claim up to 40% income tax back depending on your income tax band. You’re allowed to hold investment grade gold in a SIPP in the form of a bar, or of a wafer, of a weight accepted by the bullion markets. It must be stored with a secure third party and you can’t take possession.

Finally there are gold options and gold futures. To deal in these, you have to handle a complex, fast-moving market. You need to be a hands-on investor and it’s not for those who can’t handle risk and uncertainty. Better leave this one to the professionals.

Now we’ll look at personally-owned gold investments. Essentially you have the choice of jewellery, coins and gold bars.

Jewellery makes for wonderful keeps sakes and souvenirs but the cost of craftsmanship and design makes it a poor investment vehicle. In addition, pure gold is too soft for most jewellery so some alloy is used. This means when you come to sell your gold jewellery, it will have to be assayed which adds to transaction costs.

Another popular way to invest in gold is through coins like Krugerrands, the American gold eagle or the Canadian coins. While these make fine keepsakes and have a definite value, they’re not efficient investment vehicles owing partly to the costs of workmanship.

Finally, you can buy gold bullion bars. Here you’re acquiring investment grade gold at the spot price. This is the most cost effective way to invest in gold. In the UK, you can order online for next day postal delivery. And when it comes to sell, the market is extremely liquid. What’s more, buying investment grade gold bullion for investment is stamp duty free and tax free (VAT exempt) in the UK and EU due to the EU Gold Directive of 2000.

Buying gold bullion was long a difficult business and it was hard to get clear information. The internet has changed all that, brought transparency to the proceedings, and reduced transaction costs and hidden fees.

Buying gold and silver bullion online for UK home delivery is now a straightforward procedure. Just visit the website of a reputable online bullion dealer, peruse the offerings and place your order. Your bullion will arrive in a day or two by insured Royal Mail.

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When times are tough, gold soars.

And frankly, the economy has been tough. $4 gasoline, the housing crisis, rampant inflation, plummeting stocks…

But all the while, gold prices vaulted a cool 43.25% in the past year.

Missing out on gold is already costing investors a pretty penny. What’s more, most experts are forecasting gold to rise at least another 56% by the end of this year.

So how does one begin profiting from gold? It’s simple. You don’t have to wade through a plethora of flashy web sites offering bullion or risk it all on a junior mining company.

Instead, this free report covers the ideas any investor can use to start profiting from gold right way. It also includes research on the five best ways to profit, from the most lucrative to the least risky.

No doubt, gold is on a record setting run that few will want to miss…

Most Lucrative Play: Triple-Digit Production Gains

Many gold investors are innately averse to risk, which is why some don’t consider buying stocks in mining companies as “buying gold,” per se.

But unlike many other publicly traded companies, mining shares can rise sharply when the value of what they’re extracting is spiking.

In this case, gold miners today are getting 182% more for the yellow metal compared to spot prices five years ago.

And – barring the increased costs of oil – mining the gold costs relatively the same, further widening a mining company’s profitability.

South Africa’s Gold Fields Ltd. (GFI) is the world’s fourth-biggest gold producer – with about 90 million ounces in reserves from its operations in Africa, South America and Australia.

It recently reported that its fourth-quarter production will beat its previous forecast by up to 120%.

Overall, the company has a solid balance sheet and ample reserves. But if anything scares investors away, it’s Gold Fields’ location. South Africa mines are frequently a political tool between the country’s labor unions and state-owned utility provider Eskom Holdings Ltd., which controls 95% of the country’s power.

Eskom recently jacked electricity prices up 27.5%, and unions decided to hit the government where it hurts – by striking – thus gutting the government of taxes from its vast gold profits.

That is just one example of why this stock is a risky gold play. Gold could reach another record but Gold Fields may not see a penny of it if miners are striking.

Gold Play #2: All About “Cash Flow and Earnings”

When gold prices are high, investors should pay extra attention to mining companies with increasing production levels because they translate into a bigger bottom line.

For its second quarter this year, Yamana Gold Inc. (AUY) produced almost 10% more gold than it did in the previous quarter.

What’s more, its gold production is expected to double to 2.2 million ounces per year by 2012, primarily from its Brazil and Argentina mines.

That’s because Yamana Gold went on a spending spree in the past two years, buying up junior mines around the world to lock in reserves.

“Now it is about production, cash flow and earnings,” CEO Peter Marrone told Reuters in May.

It’s also about dividends. The company recently kicked up its investor payout by 300%, a strong vote of confidence to its production and stock performance.

Unlike Gold Fields, Toronto-based Yamana Gold has operations in relatively stable parts of the world – making it less risky on the geopolitical front.

But despite its name, Yamana Gold isn’t purely a gold miner. It also produces copper, silver and zinc. How well the company continues to mine those metals – as well as their fluctuating prices – will also affect Yamana’s stock value regardless of gold prices.

Gold Play #3: Multiplying Profits with “Free Oil”

Imagine how much money you’d save if you had your own gas station. Just fill up. Go anywhere. Forget worrying about dishing out $100 a tank.

Now multiply the size of your oil consumption by 3,600 barrels.

Then multiply that by 365 for each day of the year.

That’s how much “free oil” Toronto-based Barrick Gold Corp. (ABX) is going to have now that its $410 million takeover offer was accepted by Cadence Energy, an oil and gas producer.

And that oil sorely needed.

You see, gold prices have no doubt added billions to the bottom lines of mining companies. But 25% of the cost to mine that gold goes to oil.

Factor in gold’s projected 58% climb, and this company will have a huge profitability advantage over its mining peers and the average S&P stock.

Like Yamana, Barrick has also been on a spending spree. Over the past year, it has gobbled up stakes in a half dozen mines, multiplying its reserves and production capacities in light of record gold prices.

All totaled, Barrick owns 27 mines in five continents and produces over 8 million ounces of gold a year, making it the world’s largest gold miner.

We consider this a medium-risk investment because – despite its solid operations, profitability and efficiency – it’s vulnerable like any tradable stock. But since it’s the world largest gold producer, its stock will move closest in line with gold compared to other gold miners.

And as an added bonus, it just kicked up its biannual dividend by 33%.

Gold Play #4: Tracking Gold Dollar for Dollar

Some investors want to buy gold but feel uneasy about storing it overseas, by another person… and for a commission nonetheless.

But on the same token, not many want to make their homes a burglary target by stashing gold reserves in their basements.

Enter SPDR Gold Trust (GLD), an exchange-traded fund (ETF) that trades like a stock but whose value is directly tracked the price of gold bullion.

Only 1.82 percentage points separate the gains made by gold price and Gold Trust in the past year.

Gold Trust has a $17 billion-plus market cap, giving it ample liquidity.

And with the ongoing skid in the U.S. dollar, investors have been fleeing the greenback and investing in gold. As it gains investors, the Gold Trust has continued to add to its gold holdings.

At the same time, central banks have been selling their gold reserves. That’s important to mention because it elevates Gold Trust’s status on the list of global gold holders. Right now, it has eighth largest gold holding in the world – meaning that it has more gold than 97% of all the countries in the world.

Simply put, it’s the simplest way to buy gold without buying physical bullion or coins.

Gold Play #5: The Safest Gold Play Out There

Investors often shy away from bullion account providers because of their steep premiums and minimums. And reasonably so…

In addition to charging a 3% commission, Perth Mint also has a $250,000 minimum investment requirement – not exactly a figure many first-time gold investors have in between their couch cushions.

Kitco charges a 6% premium for 1 oz. Gold Eagle coins. Shipping and handling costs are also added, but varies on the size of the order.

Monex is perhaps the worst. On top of the 3% to 5% difference between what it buys and sells, there are commission rates ranging from 0.5% to 2.0%. Then there are shipping costs of $15 per transaction plus $1 per ounce. Then there are handling charges of $75 per unit ordered.

After all that, it’s hard to get excited about collecting profits. That’s why we recommend an EverBank Select Metals Account. First off, EverBank’s minimum deposit is 98% lower than its competitors, and its commission costs are up to 86% lower than other metals brokers and bullion banks.

Second, it offers two types of gold accounts:

• Unallocated: Your purchased gold is pooled with that of other investors, eliminating storage and maintenance costs. The minimum deposit amount for unallocated accounts is a scant $5,000.

• Allocated: You directly own the gold you purchase, held in your own private account. The minimum deposit for allocated accounts is $7,500. Both types of accounts can be set up 24/7 online. But if you prefer a phone, call 866-326-6241, and be sure to give them the code 12608 when setting up an account.

We should point out that the publisher of Money Morning has a marketing relationship with EverBank, but that’s because its products are best in show.

[Editor's note: Inflation, the falling dollar, rising food and gas... they aren't isolated events. They're the dominoes that fell before the economy's $6 trillion Super Crash. The new book from CNBC analyst and millionaire investor Peter Schiff, "Crash Proof," is a 257-page turner on how to survive and profit during economic collapse. click here

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