Recently, the topic of silver has been extremely popular, especially the rally at the beginning of 2026, which has made many people start to seriously think: What is silver, and why invest in silver?

First, a crucial clarification: many people ask, "Is there a silver savings account in Taiwan?" The answer is no. Banks have not launched such products, so don’t be fooled by online rumors. But that doesn’t mean you can’t invest in silver; in fact, there are several ways to participate, depending on your needs and risk tolerance.

Why are more people paying attention to silver now? Simply put, silver is not just a hedge tool; it’s also an industrial metal. Solar panels, electric vehicles, semiconductors, 5G, AI data centers—all these industries require silver, and their demand grows over 20% annually. Compared to gold’s purely safe-haven attribute, silver has this growth momentum added. Plus, silver’s price base is low, its volatility is large, and sometimes its gains can be 1.5 to 2 times that of gold, which is quite attractive for those looking to seize opportunities.

So, how can you actually operate? There are roughly five methods:

The first is physical silver, such as silver bars or coins. The buy-sell spread is relatively high, about 5%-20%, and you also need to consider storage costs and risks. But the advantage is that you don’t have to worry about financial institutions—it's truly in your hands. Suitable for those who want to hold long-term and hedge against inflation.

The second is silver ETFs. You can buy and sell them through a brokerage account, with good liquidity, transparent costs, and an annual fee of about 0.5%. The downside is you cannot exchange for physical silver, but for those who want to participate in silver price fluctuations medium to long term, this is the most convenient way.

The third is futures and options. Highly leveraged, extremely capital-efficient, but also very risky. They require frequent position adjustments and are suitable for experienced professional traders.

The fourth is CFDs, which I’ve seen many people discuss recently. No expiration date, leverage can be adjusted freely, and trading is almost 24 hours on weekdays. The key point is that the minimum units can be very small, suitable for those with limited capital but wanting to practice swing trading. The main cost is the bid-ask spread, with no additional commissions.

The fifth is silver mining stocks. Indirect participation in silver price increases, with volatility often 2-3 times that of silver itself, but you need to research individual stocks, not just track silver prices directly.

How to choose? It depends on what you want. If you are a working professional with no time to watch the market during the day but want to participate in silver’s volatility, CFDs are quite friendly because the most active trading hours are from 8 PM to 2 AM (overlap of European and American markets), just after work. You can use smaller margin to participate in larger moves, but be sure to set stop-losses—leverage is a double-edged sword.

If you prefer long-term holding and don’t want to watch the market frequently, physical silver or ETFs are more suitable. Physical silver requires tolerating 20%-30% pullbacks, while ETFs require attention to exchange rates and annual fees.

If you are already very familiar with the futures market and require transparency and a regulated system, futures may better meet your needs.

As for entry timing, you can observe the gold-silver ratio. Historically, it fluctuates between 50 and 80. When the gold-silver ratio exceeds 100, it indicates silver is relatively undervalued, making it a better entry opportunity. Also, pay attention to gold trends and the US dollar index, because silver and gold usually move in the same direction.

Finally, a reminder: silver’s annual volatility is close to 20%, much higher than gold. Regardless of the method you choose, first consider how much loss you can tolerate, then decide on your investment proportion and leverage. Making money isn’t about having more money, but about knowing how to make your money work effectively.