Investing in gold: how it works in 2026

Why do people invest in gold?

Gold has been seen as a store of value for centuries. Supply is limited, and demand comes from investors, central banks and the jewellery industry. In uncertain times many investors turn to gold, because it depends less directly on any single company or country.

Central banks have bought unusually large amounts of gold in recent years: according to the World Gold Council, more than 1,000 tonnes a year in 2022, 2023 and 2024. That says nothing certain about the future, but it shows gold has a firm place in the global financial system.

What are the ways to invest in gold?

Broadly there are four routes. They differ mainly in what you actually own and how you make or lose money.

• Physical gold: coins or bars you store yourself or have stored. You pay a premium when buying and sometimes storage fees.
• Gold ETF: an exchange-traded fund that tracks the gold price. Easy to buy through your bank or broker, with low annual costs.
• Gold mining shares: you invest in companies that mine gold. They move with gold, but also with their own business results.
• Trading the gold price: through a broker you buy or sell XAU/USD. You can do this yourself, or through an automated strategy such as Gold24.

What is the difference between owning gold and trading gold?

If you own gold, you only profit when the gold price rises. If you trade the gold price, you can also profit when it falls, by selling first and buying back later. Equally, you can lose money when the price rises.

With trading, your result is not determined by the direction of gold but by the quality of the trades, the costs and the risk management. That makes it a different kind of investing from a bar in a vault.

How does investing in gold with Gold24 work?

With Gold24 you open an account in your own name with the broker PU Prime. You link that account to the Gold24 gold strategy through a PAMM connection. The strategy trades gold automatically based on fixed rules. You follow every trade live and can deposit or withdraw at any time.

Gold24 cannot withdraw your money. There is no sign-up fee; you pay a 25% performance fee on new profits, with a high-water mark. Broker trading costs may also apply. The strategy closes all positions if the account falls 30%, but in fast markets the loss can be larger.

How much money do you need to start?

You can buy physical gold by the gram, and an ETF often from a single unit. With Gold24 the minimum deposit is €1,000. Start with an amount you can genuinely afford to lose, and only add more once you understand how it works and feel comfortable with it.

Frequently asked questions