Gold has been India's favorite investment for centuries. Today you have multiple ways to invest — which is best?
Gold Investment Options
Physical Gold: Jewelry, coins, bars. Making charges (8-25%), storage risk, purity concerns. Gold ETF: Trades on exchange, 0.5-1% expense ratio, demat required. SGB: RBI-issued, 2.5% annual interest + gold price. Digital Gold: Buy online (SafeGold, MMTC), small amounts possible.
SGB: The Clear Winner
SGB offers gold price appreciation + 2.5% annual interest + tax-free maturity (8 years). No expense ratio, no storage cost. See our [Gold ETF vs SGB comparison](/compare/gold-etf-vs-sgb) for detailed analysis.
How Much Gold in Your Portfolio?
5-15% allocation is recommended. Gold hedges against inflation and currency depreciation. Don't over-allocate — gold doesn't generate productive income like equity or real estate.
Tax Treatment
Physical/ETF: 20% LTCG with indexation after 3 years. SGB (maturity): Completely tax-free. SGB (early exit): Indexation benefit on capital gains. Digital Gold: Same as physical.
Action Plan
Buy SGBs during RBI issuance windows. For quick trades, use Gold ETFs. Avoid physical gold for investment (keep only what you'll wear). Track gold price trends with our calculators.