I just noticed an interesting observation that many gold investors probably don't want to hear: The majority of us actually don't own real gold bars. Sounds strange, but think about it – how many people do you know who actually have physical gold stored safely?

Most gold investors instead rely on paper gold. That means they hold certificates, ETFs, or other financial instruments that track the gold price but don't hold the actual precious metal themselves. Practical? Yes. Safe? That’s the real question.

And that’s exactly the problem that concerns me. If 98 percent of investors don’t own physical gold but only rely on paper gold, then the question becomes: Who actually controls the real gold behind it? What happens if there are supply shortages or the custodians fail to meet their obligations?

This isn’t about conspiracy theories, but about fundamental questions of financial stability. Paper gold offers liquidity and convenience, but it’s only as safe as the issuer behind it. Everyone should understand that before putting their assets into these instruments.

Some say it’s no different with other assets – and yes, that’s true. But with gold, it’s something special because it’s considered the ultimate store of value. If most investors don’t know whether their gold even exists, then the concept loses a bit of its shine, doesn’t it?