Lesson 4 of 104:003 Sources
Gold as an investment: physical, ETF or CFD?

Video coming soon
Educational content, not investment advice. Nour explains how markets work. She never tells you what to buy or sell.
'Owning gold' can mean very different things.
- The World Gold Council lists four portfolio roles: diversifier, long-term return source, liquid asset with no credit risk, and portfolio enhancer — none guaranteed.
- Physical bars and coins: you own the metal, but pay a premium over spot and arrange storage and insurance.
- Gold-backed ETFs: exchange-traded shares backed by physical gold, with an annual fee.
- CFDs: you do not own the asset; leverage means losses can exceed margin. ASIC found at least 68% of retail CFD traders lost money in 2023–24.
Quick check
Three questions. Pick an answer to see why.
1.When you trade a gold CFD, what do you own?
2.Which cost is specific to buying physical gold bars and coins?
3.For a long-term, unleveraged gold allocation, which options fit best?
Sources
Every fact in this lesson is backed by the sources below.
- 1.World Gold Council – Bars and coins (how to invest in gold)Four roles of gold; bar sizes 1g–400oz; purity; premium over spot; storage/insurance; gold ETFs trade like shares; futures standardised on exchanges
- 2.World Gold Council – Gold-backed ETFs holdings and flowsMore than 100 physically backed gold ETFs worldwide
- 3.ASIC Moneysmart – Contracts for difference (CFDs)CFD is a derivative, you don't own the asset, leverage, losses can exceed margin, at least 68% of retail lost money in 2023-24
Educational content, not investment advice. Risk warning: trading forex, CFDs, gold and crypto carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for everyone. You can lose more than you put in. Souq Daily is an education platform. Nothing here is investment advice, a recommendation or an offer, and past performance does not predict future results.