Overview
- Spot gold traded around $4,708 per ounce, up about 42% from a year ago, according to USA TODAY market data.
- Recent moves have been extreme, with prices sliding from about $5,400 to $4,100 in a few weeks and touching roughly $4,400 in March.
- Investors with under $100 can use low-priced gold ETFs, fractional bars or coins, mining stocks, or digital gold platforms to get exposure.
- Some experts warn of a possible 10% to 20% pullback or a dip toward $4,000, yet they favor buy-the-dip plans such as starting with roughly 30% of a target allocation and adding on weakness.
- Prices reflect forces like central bank buying, inflation expectations, and the U.S. dollar, while buyers must weigh dealer premiums, storage needs, and the need to vet digital providers for clear custody and redemption rules.