Hello, dear readers! Opportunities for saving money and investment instruments are of interest not only to business representatives, but also to ordinary citizens. Investing in gold at Sberbank - is it profitable and is it possible to get additional profit above the initial deposit? How to profitably invest in gold, how to properly place it in a deposit account? We suggest you figure it out.
Gold is not just an indicator of wealth and stability, it is a popular means of investing money. The popularity of the precious metal is due to the fact that its reserves on the planet are limited, which means there are no prerequisites for a decrease in market value. On the contrary, shortages cause prices to rise. Some banks pay a stable interest rate for deposits in gold, but there is another advantage - passive income.
What is investing in gold?
An unallocated metal account is a special bank account that displays the amount of valuable metal nominally owned by the holder. The profitability of such a deposit is directly dependent on fluctuations in the prices of the asset to which it is tied.
Advantages and disadvantages of gold accounts
The depositor can manage his account with Sberbank either personally or transfer it to a third party. Benefits of gold accounts:
- You can open it in a few minutes, in some cases online, without leaving your home. There is no fee for opening an account.
- There are no costs for maintaining a deposit or storing precious metals.
- There is no VAT for the acquisition of an asset.
- There are commissions when buying and selling, but they are small.
- A minimum entry threshold has been established; it is enough to purchase 0.1 g of precious metal; there is also no maximum threshold.
- High deposit liquidity: the account can be closed at any time and money withdrawn.
Expert opinion
Lyudmila Pestereva
Our most experienced gold investor
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The purchased asset will not lose value due to damage or deterioration, since it is not issued in person and has no relation to physical gold. The metal on the account is “virtual”.
At the same time, compulsory health insurance has disadvantages:
- the law on insurance of deposits of individuals in Russia does not apply to these accounts;
- there is a risk of the bank's license being revoked.
To open compulsory medical insurance, you need to choose banks with high reliability.
Features of compulsory medical insurance
When thinking about whether it is worth investing in gold at Sberbank and whether it is profitable, you can start with an impersonal metal account, which gives maximum advantages and compensates for the disadvantages of the usual option of owning gold in bars and coins.
Advantages
Compulsory medical insurance has significantly more advantages compared to traditional options for investing in precious metals.
The main advantages of compulsory medical insurance:
- Free service – including opening an account, buying/selling metal without commissions.
- Convenient management – sales/purchases on the account are made from home at any time of the day.
- Possibility to open a deposit online through a mobile application or Internet banking.
- Gold cannot be damaged or stolen in any way.
- Prices for compulsory medical insurance change in real time and correlate with the exchange rate of precious metals.
- Deposits are considered perpetual and do not require regular renewal.
- The deposit can be opened in the name of the child and these investments will be protected by the law.
- Protection against inflation - if you look at changes in prices for precious metals, you can see the lack of correlation with global crises and a rapid recovery if they did have an impact.
Flaws
A gold deposit in Sberbank also has its drawbacks, which should be studied before opening an account and expecting surprises.
Important disadvantages of compulsory medical insurance:
- No interest accrual on deposits.
- High spreads.
- Liquidity is limited by the bank itself - gold can only be sold to Sberbank, and not to any buyer.
- Lack of insurance in the DIA and, hypothetically, if the bank’s license is revoked, all funds will be burned.
- The condition of additional payment for the delivery of gold in physical form.
When selling metal with compulsory medical insurance, the client pays income tax on profits in the amount of 13%, with self-filing of a declaration, since Sberbank does not act as a tax agent, so it is clear that the client’s profit is not calculated.
How to make money on metal deposits
When thinking about how to make money by investing in a metal impersonal account, it is worth remembering that there is no interest, and profit is created by the difference in the cost of buying/selling gold. The exchange rate is regulated by the bank itself, focusing on world prices. The bank sells at a much higher price than it buys - the spread can be 3-10%.
The only method of making money on such a deposit is to increase the value of the asset (gold). And the growth must be significant in order to overtake the spread and generate profit. For example, if the purchase/sale difference is 7%, then the client’s profit will be accrued only after the price increases by 7% and goes further.
In the short term, the price of gold can rise and fall, but in a few years, decades, it will most likely rise. Metal deposits go well with dollar deposits - when gold rises, the dollar falls (this relationship also works in the opposite direction). Therefore, both assets can neutralize each other’s risks.
Gold rate today
You can monitor changes in the value of gold in Sberbank’s impersonal metal accounts on the official website online. There are charts for different periods that can be printed.
In the process of analyzing and studying charts, you can find out many useful features: for example, the highest spread for gold is usually recorded at night and on weekends, the best quotes are during business hours on weekdays.
What other types of gold investments are available in SB?
In addition to compulsory health insurance, Sberbank offers other opportunities for investors: to buy measured bars or gold investment coins.
Ingots
Buying gold bullion is a popular long-term instrument. After the transaction, the bullion can be picked up and stored in a safe place, or you can enter into a storage agreement with the bank, paying a set commission for this. At the same time, information about the type of metal, sample, manufacturer and serial numbers is recorded.
The advantage of such an investment is that it is real gold, which can be obtained in your hands even if the financial institution goes bankrupt. Bar sizes start from 1 gram.
When thinking about how to buy gold bars, you need to evaluate the disadvantages:
- During the transaction you must pay VAT of 18%.
- Storage and transportation costs are required.
- It is important to keep proof of purchase and treat the product with the utmost care.
- Low liquidity.
You can only sell metal at the price of an ingot to Sberbank; another bank most likely will not accept it.
Coins
Buying coins is a way to invest money for a long time. Such investments provide the opportunity to make profits in the distant future. Coins not only increase in value as the price of gold rises, but also increase in value over time. After several decades, the coins can be sold at auction and make a large profit.
There is no VAT on coins. The disadvantages of the deposit are the same as for bullion.
Gold as an interest-bearing investment for individuals
When considering the possibility of investing in precious metals, you need to take into account that not all methods involve an increase in income due to interest accrual by the bank. Some of the options allow you to make a profit when conducting purchase/sale transactions. In any case, it is important to take into account quotes - changes in the exchange rate of the precious metal. This will determine how profitable it will be to sell or purchase Au. Regardless of whether the valuable metal earns interest, it is still considered for investment. Causes:
- price stability – ensures long-term preservation of capital;
- divisibility: coins, bars and smaller parts of the whole retain their original properties and therefore do not lose value;
- corrosion resistance;
- conditional inertia.
Sberbank gold bars
Thanks to the properties of the material, it becomes possible to store it for a long period: the precious metal does not rust and does not lose its attractiveness.
Which method is better and why
Experts advise opening such a deposit to people who understand the peculiarities of the precious metals market; for beginners, it is better to choose the classic type - compulsory medical insurance.
Expert opinion
Lyudmila Pestereva
Our most experienced gold investor
Ask a Question
In the case of bullion and coins, the investor receives real gold, and the compulsory medical insurance receives virtual gold. To make a profit, it is better to choose long-term deposits for 3–5 years. According to statistics, the longer the investment period, the greater the chances of making a profit.
Quotes, profitability forecasting
Most citizens prefer to open compulsory medical insurance in gold or silver at Sberbank. These metals are the most in demand and stable in their growth. Moreover, according to the latest trends, silver wins significantly. For example, if you use the compulsory medical insurance calculator offered by Sber itself, then at the moment gold implies a yield of 4.4% per annum, and if you open compulsory medical insurance at Sberbank in Serebrya, the yield is indicated at 12.19%. But this is for now: what will happen in 3-5 years can only be predicted.
When considering metal accounts at Sberbank, pay attention to quotes and a graph of price jumps; they will help you decide on the optimal form of investment. Services offered by the bank for this:
- price quotes for precious metals since 2002. For convenience, they are reflected in the graph; you can track the trend of rising and falling prices;
- For those who are interested in the impersonal metal account of Sberbank, it will be useful to look at the current exchange rate. For example, at the time of writing, positive dynamics are observed for those who opened compulsory medical insurance in gold and silver at Sberbank. But clients with palladium and platinum are at a loss, the rate is falling;
- profitability calculator. Before opening an impersonal metal deposit at Sberbank, be sure to use this service. But keep in mind that the exchange rate is constantly subject to fluctuations, so calculations are preliminary and are made for a period of no more than a year.
Another important point. Unallocated metal accounts in Sberbank are not deposits, therefore the investor is subject to the obligation to pay personal income tax on the profit received. He performs the procedure himself after closing the account and actually receiving income. But if an unallocated metal account has been in effect at Sberbank of Russia for more than 3 years, the obligation to pay PFDL is removed.
Incoming transactions on the account are allowed, in fact there are no restrictions.
The main thing is that the replenished amount exceeds the equivalent of 1 gram in silver and 0.1 gram in another metal. About the author
Irina Rusanova - higher education at the International East European University in the direction of "Banking". Graduated with honors from the Russian Economic Institute named after G.V. Plekhanov with a major in Finance and Credit. Ten years of experience in leading Russian banks: Alfa-Bank, Renaissance Credit, Home Credit Bank, Delta Credit, ATB, Svyaznoy (closed). He is an analyst and expert of the Brobank service on banking and financial stability. [email protected]
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Profitability of gold deposits
Unlike cash deposits, financial institutions do not charge interest on compulsory medical insurance and real gold deposits. Therefore, profitability is driven only by rising gold prices. In general, such growth may be more profitable than standard Sberbank deposits.
What is the maximum income you can expect?
Short-term deposits will be more likely to be unprofitable, but by placing a deposit for a period of more than 3 years, you can earn money. There have been spikes in the recent past where gold deposits have yielded returns of up to 80%. Between 2004 and 2021, the real annual rate of return on investments in this metal was 8.5%. This means that the asset not only outperformed inflation, but also brought profit.
Ways to get maximum profit:
- Purchase of assets.
- Trading on the stock exchange.
- Purchasing shares of gold mining companies.
Watch a video with experts about whether you should invest in gold.
What kind of profitability can you expect?
Over the past 3 years, the fund has demonstrated a high return of 53.61%. However, this comes with a high level of risk. If gold falls in price, you will also suffer losses. Risks also increase due to lack of diversification. All funds invested in the fund go into gold. Therefore, investing in this mutual fund should ideally be accompanied by investing in other assets. Potential profit can be calculated using an online calculator.
Pros and cons of investing in gold at Sberbank
The advantage of such deposits is that they help save the investor’s money from the negative effects of inflation. Other advantages:
- Clear procedure.
- You can open a deposit for any amount; there are no restrictions on the maximum investment.
- Possibility of registering an account for a third party.
- The difference between the purchase and sale price with compulsory medical insurance is much less noticeable than for bars and coins.
- There are no additional costs for storage and transportation.
- The deposit is opened on demand.
The negative aspects include:
- No interest on the deposit, as in a regular deposit.
- The bank does not pay a commission for using gold.
- Deposits are not insured and there is a risk of losing your money.
Mutual Fund “Gold” - what is it?
The meaning of a mutual fund is that its manager takes money from shareholders and invests it in the assets specified in the contract. In our case it is gold. If the value of the share increases, then the fund participants make a profit. The fund in question is an index fund, i.e. the manager places funds of shareholders in the PowerShares DB Gold Fund ETF, which follows the dynamics of gold.
The mutual fund was formed back in 2011. The dynamics of the share price and its quotes are clearly visible on the chart and depend on the price of gold on the market. To do this, it is necessary to monitor the dynamics of NAV (net asset value). This indicator allows you to see the amount of money that investors have entrusted to the management company. The higher this indicator, the higher the reputation the fund has, and the longer it has been on the market.
For a novice investor with a minimum amount of starting capital, this is perhaps the only opportunity to invest in gold. After all, purchasing bullion or investing in impersonal metal accounts requires more impressive starting capital, as well as knowledge in the field of finance.
Account opening methods
Opening an account in gold is not much different from a regular deposit. It is necessary to provide the bank with the established package of documents, conclude an agreement and deposit gold or cash into the account. When depositing gold bars into an account, each bar must have manufacturer's documentation and be in good condition.
At a bank branch
To open a deposit, you must contact a branch employee and receive a form. Having filled out the block with passport data, you need to indicate the quantity and type of metal, and select the deposit option.
Then you need to give the employee:
- statement;
- passport;
- sufficient amount of cash.
After signing the agreement, the client receives all documents for account ownership.
Online
To open compulsory medical insurance online, you need:
1. Go to the Sberbank Online website.
2. Go to the “Metal Accounts” menu.
3. Activate the “gold” tab.
4. Fill out the online application.
5. Confirm the purchase by transferring money.
In your personal account, you can track the dynamics of the value of the purchased metal.
Via the app
Everything is as simple as possible here, follow the screenshots:
Gold rate
It is worth noting that the bank independently sets the rate of purchase and sale of metal. At the same time, it correlates it with prices for raw materials, which are published by international commodity exchanges.
If you want to view the current gold rate for today, you can do this on the official website, in your Sberbank Online Personal Account or in its mobile application. In the first case, you need the “Precious metals quotes - compulsory medical insurance for remote channels” tab, which is located at the link sberbank.ru/ru/quotes/metalbeznal
When viewing data through online services, you need to pay attention to the column on the right in your Personal Account. In the lower corner there will be quotes for precious metals, as well as major foreign currencies.
When using a mobile application, the search will be a little more complicated:
- Login to the program
- Scroll down the page, find the “Metals” tab,
- Next, look at the prices,
- Select the "Buy or Sell" option.
How can you make money on compulsory medical insurance? Just like in all other types of investments in gold, you need to wait until the quotes go up, and when you create the maximum difference between your purchase and the current price, you need to close the account and make a profit in the form of the difference in purchase and sale.
If you want to find out where it’s better to invest your money to make money this year, then follow this link. If you are interested in deposits, then you can check out the best offers from banks here.
| Up to 3 million rubles. From 9.9% Up to 5 years | Up to 5 million rubles. From 9.9% Up to 5 years | Up to 5 million rubles. From 9.9% Up to 5 years | Up to 5 million rubles. From 11.9% Up to 5 years |
10/31/2019 Information about the authors | Category: Metals, coins | Sberbank
Conditions for opening a deposit
A metal account is opened after concluding an agreement between the bank and the client.
Required documents
To open a gold deposit in SB, an individual must present the following documents:
- citizen's passport;
- individual taxpayer number;
- standard application for opening a deposit;
- documents for precious metals or money for its purchase.
After this, an agreement is concluded in which all the nuances are described. Foreign citizens will additionally need to provide a migration card.
Requirements for depositors
A capable citizen of the Russian Federation who has reached the age of 18 years (14 with the permission of a legal representative) can gain access to compulsory medical insurance. You can top up a minor’s account at any time without the owner’s consent, and you can withdraw money only with the permission of the account holder.
Requirements for depositors
To be able to invest in gold, you need to find out who has access to this opportunity. To make a purchase, the client goes to the branch that deals with precious metals and presents his passport there.
Who can become a depositor:
- Any individual over 18 years of age, as confirmed by a passport.
- Parents, as well as legal representatives of children under 14 years of age (confirmed by passport, birth certificate).
- Teenagers 14-18 years old, subject to written permission from an official representative.
Management of a metal account can be carried out by the client personally or by another person under a notarized power of attorney. If the account is opened/registered in the name of a minor, then another person can manage it only with a power of attorney and notarized consent of the representative. All expense transactions on accounts registered for a child under 14 years of age require permission from the guardianship authorities.
Rules for closing compulsory medical insurance in gold
To close the compulsory medical insurance, you must personally appear at the branch with a complete package of documents for the deposit. You will have to write a statement according to which the operator will perform a check and issue the money.
To sell metal online, you need:
- Open “Your Accounts” in the Sberbank Online application.
- Select the assets you want to sell.
- Specify the card for depositing money.
The easiest way to close a deposit is to sell all the gold to the bank and stop using the account.
Important: if the asset has been your property for more than 3 years, you will not have to pay personal income tax.
Important Tips
First of all, from the many banks and branches, it is worth choosing only those that have equipment and instruments for measuring the weight and monitoring the authenticity of bullion, while they use storage methods that do not compromise the integrity of the material and will be authorized to carry out transactions in the future for crediting or withdrawing bullion from a gold deposit.
Remember that only measured or standard bars made of platinum, gold, palladium, and silver are accepted for storage. They must have a certificate and passport from the manufacturer.
It is important, before opening a gold deposit, to consider further conditions for storing precious metals. To reduce the cost of maintaining them and paying taxes, it is better to carry out all transactions in one bank.
All bars, when deposited into the Sberbank gold deposit, have individual characteristics, such as weight, fineness, and serial number. All this information is recorded in a document certifying the quality of the bullion and an act of acceptance and transfer of precious metals for deposit. The act is drawn up in several copies, one is given to the client. After the end of the deposit period, Sberbank will return the bullion to the owner who deposited it.
Ingot and manufacturer's certificate.
The gold deposit must comply with the requirements of international quality standards and the documents accompanying the bullion. All precious metals registered as a gold deposit are subject to visual control, as well as using various technical means.
Sberbank does not have the right to use your precious metals accepted for safekeeping as credit funds, therefore, upon first request, the bank is obliged to issue the stored bullion.
It is also necessary to pay attention to the fact that Sberbank charges a commission fee for servicing and responsible storage of a gold deposit. It is accrued every 30 days for maintaining a deposit and safekeeping, as well as when crediting bars to a gold deposit, when issuing precious metals from a Sberbank deposit and transferring them for storage to other banks.
Reviews
Nikolay, St. Petersburg
I would like to note that before opening a deposit in gold, you need to watch price fluctuations for some time and buy when it drops a little. Then you can earn more.
Natalia, Volgograd
My deposit in Sberbank in gold has been sitting for seven years, during which time it has grown well. I’m in no hurry to pick it up, because the bank seems to be reliable.
Irina, Moscow
Thanks to compulsory medical insurance, I started saving money. Keeping them at home is dangerous, placing deposits with interest in rubles is risky, and by buying gold in small quantities, I protect myself from an unstable economic situation and save money.
Types of gold bars
According to GOST standards, standard and measured ingots are produced. The so-called “gift” is a golden hybrid of an ingot and a token. On one side there is a drawing, on the other there is a standard bullion marking.
Standard
The standard is always regulated by GOST. For gold bars - R 28058-89. In appearance, these are the famous gold “bricks” from the gold reserve.
Features of a standard ingot:
- truncated pyramidal shape with a rectangle at the base;
- 99.95 – minimum acceptable sample;
- weight 11–13.3 kg;
- GOST marking.
A “sag” of the block along the front side is allowed, a maximum of 5 mm.
Measured
Small measuring bars from 1 g are sold and bought in great demand at Sberbank. Produced in accordance with GOST R 51572-2000.
Production of gold bars weighing up to 50 g - stamping. A gold plate is used, which the machine stamps and cuts like chocolate slices.
When the mass of the ingot is more than 50 g, a mold is prepared for each one. Molten metal is poured into it, producing a cast ingot. In some cases (depending on the manufacturer’s technological process), cast ingots are produced with a weight of more than 100 grams.
Gift
An ingot for a gift is bought or ordered from the manufacturer for an anniversary, memorable event, or celebration. The shape and size are not regulated. The design is often done in color, additionally decorating the surface with precious stones.
Where can I buy bullion
Bullion can be purchased at a branch or branch of a financial institution with a certificate from the Assay Chamber of the Russian Federation.
Let me remind you: buying/selling transactions on the black market with gold plates and bars is illegal. And gold-plated tungsten coated with a polyethylene shell is not the most profitable investment.
Which Sber divisions carry out transactions with precious metal bullions: list with addresses and telephone numbers
Sberbank suggests choosing the nearest branch on the website. The IP address is taken into account here, which is inconvenient when you plan to buy gold in another region.
You can find out more information by calling 900 (number for mobile devices for all branches) or going to Sberbank branches. Here are a few:
| Branch name | Address |
| Central Russian Bank | st. B. Andronevskaya, 8, Moscow, 109544 |
| Moscow bank | st. Bolshaya Andronyevskaya, 6, Moscow, 109544 |
| Central Black Earth Bank | st. January 9, 28, Voronezh, 394018 |
| Oryol branch No. 8595 | st. Brestskaya, 8, Orel, 302028 |
| Ural Bank | st. Kuibysheva, 67, Ekaterinburg, 620026 |
| Khanty-Mansiysk branch No. 1791 | st. Dzerzhinskogo, 16, Khanty-Mansiysk, 628012 |
| Salekhard branch No. 1790 | st. Respubliki, 41, Salekhard, 629008 |
| Bashkir branch No. 8598 | st. Richard Sorge, 5, Ufa, 450059 |
| Baikal Bank | st. Nizhnyaya Naberezhnaya, 10, Irkutsk, 664011 |
| Yakut branch No. 8603 | st. Oktyabrskaya, 17, Yakutsk, 677980 |
| Kaluga branch No. 8608 | st. Kirova, 21a, Kaluga, 248001 |
| Central branch No. 1806 | Central district, st. Voikova, 2, Sochi, 354000 |
| Murmansk branch No. 8627 | Lenina Ave., 37, Murmansk, 183038 |
A complete list of branches where you can buy gold is available for download on the Sberbank website.
