Recently, many people have been asking where to buy gold at the best price, so I organized my own investment notes and shared the pros and cons of five gold investment channels.

To be honest, gold has indeed become popular as a safe-haven asset in recent years. Starting from 2024, gold prices have hit new highs, with the net purchase of gold by global central banks reaching 1,045 tons, directly pushing the gold price above $2,700. By 2025, it’s even more exaggerated, with an annual increase of 64.72%, and the highest soaring to $5,600. However, it’s important to note that many factors influence gold prices, and short-term trends are really hard to predict.

My own strategy is this: if you want to hold gold long-term for preservation, the key is to find good entry points and not wait until prices go up to start buying. For long-term holding, consider physical gold, gold savings accounts, or gold ETFs. But if you want to make quick money and are willing to take risks, short-term swing trading is more suitable, where gold futures and contracts for difference (CFDs) come into play.

Where to buy gold really depends on your investment purpose. Let me start with physical gold. If you’re aiming for inflation hedging and preservation, buying gold bars directly from banks is safer, such as Maybank, Public Bank, HSBC, RHB Bank in Malaysia. In the U.S., there are JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, etc. In Hong Kong, HSBC and Hang Seng Bank are options. But remember, physical gold has poor liquidity, costs money to store, and transaction fees are high (1%–5%), making it less suitable for frequent trading.

If you don’t want to hold physical gold, a gold savings account is a good compromise. Banks store the gold for you; you only need a savings account. Many banks in Malaysia offer this service, with fees around 1%, but be aware of currency exchange costs. In the U.S., such services are less common, but HSBC in Hong Kong provides them.

Looking for a lower investment threshold? Gold ETFs are worth considering. Malaysia’s 0828EA, and the U.S. ETFs GLD and IAU are good options. These funds are highly liquid and easy to buy and sell, but they can only go long, not short, and management fees should be included (0.25%–1% per year). In Malaysia, you can buy local ETFs through brokers; if you have an overseas account, you can also buy U.S. gold ETFs. The Hong Kong market offers options like Hang Seng Gold ETF.

If you have some trading experience and want more flexibility, gold futures and CFDs are more attractive. Futures allow two-way trading with high leverage, suitable for short-term operations, but they have expiration dates, require rollover, and trading costs are not low. CFDs are more flexible, with no expiration date limits, low investment thresholds (starting from 0.01 lots), and many leverage options. Malaysia doesn’t have many CFD exchanges locally, but you can trade through overseas regulated brokers. The U.S. has stricter CFD regulations, while Hong Kong’s market is more accepting, with platforms like IG Markets, Plus500, Saxo Capital Markets, etc.

Regarding where to buy gold at the best price, my advice is to choose based on your risk tolerance and trading style. Conservative investors should opt for physical gold or ETFs, while aggressive investors can try futures or CFDs. For beginners, practice with demo accounts first, get familiar with market feel before investing real money. Most importantly, manage your risks well, especially when using leverage trading, and be cautious.