If any investing asset has had a banner year, it’s gold. After starting 2024 at $2,063.73 per ounce, the precious metal’s price experienced a steady ascent, peaking at a record $2,736.35 per ounce by late October. This impressive rally made gold one of the year’s hottest commodities for both new and seasoned investors. While the price of gold has dipped slightly in the time since — today’s price is $2,677.35 per ounce — the strong upward price trajectory over the past year underscores gold’s enduring appeal.

For those intrigued by gold’s potential, there are numerous ways to gain exposure to the asset, from gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and gold mining stocks to futures contracts. However, one of the most popular and beginner-friendly options is physical gold. Owning tangible gold allows investors to hold a piece of wealth in their hands, free from counterparty risks or market intermediaries. It’s an accessible way to invest in a timeless asset, making it especially attractive to those seeking long-term stability.

That said, buying physical gold often comes with a steep price tag, as the premiums, production costs and storage considerations can quickly add up. But by choosing the right forms of gold, it’s possible to build a portfolio of this precious metal while staying within your financial means.

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What are the cheapest ways to invest in physical gold?

If you want to find an affordable way to invest in physical gold, you may want to consider the following options:

Small gold bars

Small gold bars, starting at 1 gram, offer another approachable entry point into physical gold ownership — and are ideal for beginners looking to invest without a significant upfront cost. Produced by reputable refiners and accompanied by assay cards for authenticity verification, these bars combine portability with lower premiums compared to coins of equivalent weight. Their standardized form makes them easy to store and transport, while their widely recognized format ensures good liquidity.

When purchasing small gold bars, just be sure that you’re buying from a reputable dealer, preferably one with third-party certification. If affordability is the main focus, you may also want to avoid bars with excessive branding or unique designs, as these can increase the premium without adding intrinsic value.

Find out how to add gold to your investment portfolio now.

Fractional gold coins

For those who prefer government-issued gold but are concerned about the high price of full-ounce coins, fractional gold coins can be an excellent choice. Fractional coins are available in 1/10-ounce, ¼-ounce and ½-ounce denominations, and while they have slightly higher premiums than full-ounce coins, they remain a cost-effective way to enter the market without saving for months or years. 

These coins are also highly liquid, meaning they can be easily sold or traded if needed. If you plan to purchase fractional coins, though, just make sure to focus on well-known designs and mints to ensure you’re getting fair market value.

Generic gold coins

Generic gold coins refer to coins minted by private companies rather than government mints. These coins often have lower premiums compared to government-issued coins because they don’t carry the same collector value. Examples include privately minted replicas of historical coins or generic bullion coins featuring simple designs.

While generic coins may lack the prestige of a government-issued coin, they offer excellent value for the weight of gold they contain. That said, it’s important to do your homework to avoid counterfeit products. You should also check the coin’s purity, which is usually marked as 99.9% or 24-karat gold.

Investment-grade gold jewelry 

Gold jewelry is not just for adornment — it can also serve as a form of investment, especially if purchased wisely. With this route, be sure to opt for simple designs with high gold content, such as 18-karat or 22-karat pieces, to minimize additional costs associated with intricate craftsmanship. 

Countries like India and the Middle East have robust markets for investment-grade gold jewelry, often sold near the spot price. If you’re traveling to such regions, consider taking advantage of the lower premiums offered there.

Bulk gold

For those ready to invest a larger sum, buying gold in bulk can significantly reduce the overall costs. Dealers often offer discounts on larger purchases, whether you’re buying multiple small coins or a single large bar. This approach allows you to spread premiums across a higher quantity of gold, reducing your cost per gram.

When purchasing in bulk, be sure to work with dealers who provide guarantees for purity and weight. You may also want to look for dealers offering buy-back programs in case you decide to liquidate your holdings in the future.

The bottom line

Investing in physical gold tends to come with a high price tag, but it doesn’t have to strain your finances. There are many affordable options, like gold bars, fractional coins or generic coins, that may be worth considering. With these gold assets, you can start small and gradually build your wealth in a stable and tangible form, allowing you to take advantage of gold’s enduring value without overspending.

A white woman in Florida will be sentenced Monday for fatally shooting her neighbor, a Black mother of four, in a case that sparked outrage and yet another national reckoning over gun violence and racism.

A jury convicted Susan Lorincz, 60, of manslaughter in August for killing Ajike Owens outside of her home in Ocala on June 2, 2023. Owens, who went by the name A.J., was 35 when she died. Ocala is a small city located about 80 miles northwest of Orlando.

Lorincz faced a maximum sentence of 30 years imprisonment on the charges originally brought against her after the shooting — one count of manslaughter with a firearm and one count of assault — Bill Gladson, the state attorney for Florida’s fifth judicial district, announced later in June that year. In Florida, the lead prosecutor in each district is called a state attorney.

The authorities and prosecutors involved came under scrutiny in the wake of Owens’ death, in part because of the choice to charge Lorincz with manslaughter instead of second-degree murder, as well as the fact Lorincz was not immediately taken into custody when the crime occurred. 

Florida’s “stand your ground” law, a controversial doctrine adopted in multiple U.S. states that allows individuals to use force in self-defense scenarios, played a role in those decisions. The law has come up in similar cases in Missouri and elsewhere in recent years, after first entering mainstream public consciousness in connection with the deadly shooting of Trayvon Martin, a Black teenager, near Miami in 2012.

“In making the filing decision on this case, my office carefully examined the viability of both second degree murder and manslaughter with a firearm, both first degree felonies,” Gladson’s office said in a statement once Lorincz’s charges were revealed. A second-degree murder charge required “evidence of hatred, spite, ill will or evil intent toward the victim at the time of the killing,” which the Marion County sheriff’s criminal investigation did not sufficiently find, according to the state attorney.

“As deplorable as the defendant’s actions were in this case, there is insufficient evidence to prove this specific and required element of second degree murder,” that statement continued. It noted charges for second-degree murder and manslaughter with a firearm are both first-degree felonies.

Lorincz shot Owens during an ongoing dispute between them over children in the neighborhood, including Owens’ children, apparently playing in the area around Lorincz’s residence, according to trial testimony and the arrest affidavit for Owens.

Authorities said Owens approached the door of Lorincz’s home the day of the shooting to confront her, after learning the older woman had engaged in an argument with the children outside, shouted, and threw a roller skate at one of them. 

Owens’ 10-year-old son accompanied her to Lorincz’s residence, where she knocked on Lorincz’s door and demanded she come outside. Lorincz proceeded to fire a .380-caliber handgun through the door, striking Owens in the upper chest. Owens was unresponsive by the time authorities arrived at the scene and later pronounced dead at a hospital. 

The door to Lorincz’s home was locked when she fired the shot and Owens was unarmed.

Owens’ mother, Pamela Dias, told “CBS Mornings” the week after her death that her grandson witnessed the shooting and felt guilty he could not save his mother. He was the 10-year-old child hit by the roller skate.

“I still can’t believe this happened,” Dias said. “When does a person get shot for knocking on a door?” 

Attorneys for Lorincz claimed throughout her trial that the woman fired her gun in self-defense, the same stance she took in interviews with law enforcement after Owens’ death. Lorincz told authorities she feared for her life when Owens approached her home, and just “fired the gun” because she felt she was in “mortal danger,” according to the arrest affidavit. 

She also said a prior altercation with Owens was the reason she purchased the handgun, which Lorincz said she had used only a handful of times at a shooting range, the previous year. Witnesses told law enforcement investigating the shooting that Lorincz was known to harass children in the neighborhood and call them, including Owens’ children, horrendous racist slurs. Lorincz admitted to some of those allegations in conversations with detectives but denied she intentionally threw a roller skate at a child before the shooting.

Following a weeklong trial, a jury, which consisted solely of white jurors, according to the Associated Press, found Lorincz guilty of manslaughter with a firearm on Aug. 16.

“This case is undoubtedly a tragic reminder of the devastating consequences of gun violence. The defendant’s choices have left four young children without their mother, a loss that will be felt for the rest of their lives,” said Gladson, whose assistant attorneys prosecuted the case, in a statement. “While today’s verdict can’t bring AJ back, we hope it brings some measure of justice and peace to her family and friends.” 

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who famously represented the families of Trayvon Martin, George Floyd, and others in high-profile litigation over racial violence, also represented Owens’ family in this case. Crump called Lorincz’s conviction “a critical step in securing justice” for Owens and her family in a separate statement after the verdict came down.

“We are profoundly grateful that the jury has delivered a guilty verdict in this heartbreaking case. AJ Owens was a devoted mother whose life was tragically cut short, leaving her children, including a young son who witnessed this horrific act, to carry the burden of her loss,” his statement said. “While nothing can erase the pain they’ve endured, today’s decision sends a clear message that senseless violence will be met with accountability. We will continue to stand by AJ’s family as they heal and fight for a future where no family has to experience such devastating loss.”

Amazon workers in more than 20 countries including the U.S. plan to strike and hold protests between Black Friday, November 29, and Cyber Monday, which falls on December 2, according to the activists organizing the labor action.

The protests, organized by UNI Global Union, a Switzerland-based labor group, and grassroots political organization Progressive International, will take place in cities in the U.S., Brazil, Germany, Japan and the U.K., the groups said in a statement. Thousands of workers in Germany will strike in cities including Koblenz and Leipzig. 

The groups are targeting one of the biggest shopping weekends of the year, when consumers typically open their wallets to buy holiday gifts, aiming to raise awareness of what they describe as Amazon’s “anti-worker and anti-democratic practices.” 

In recent years, workers at some Amazon warehouses in the U.S. have pushed to unionize although with mixed results. In 2022, an Amazon facility in New York City’s Staten Island became the first — and so far the only — company warehouse to vote to form a union. Other efforts to organize have failed, including at Amazon facilities in Alabama in 2021 and New York in 2022.

“Amazon’s relentless pursuit of profit comes at a cost to workers, the environment and democracy,” said Christy Hoffman, general secretary of UNI Global Union, in a statement.

Referring to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, she added, “Bezos’s company has spent untold millions to stop workers from organizing, but the strikes and protests happening around the world show that workers’ desire for justice — for union representation — can’t be stopped.”

Amazon defended its treatment of workers. 

“These groups represent a variety of interests, and while we’re always listening and looking at ways to improve, we remain proud of the competitive pay, comprehensive benefits, and engaging, safe work experience we provide our teams,” Amazon spokesperson Eileen Hards said in a statement. 

It’s the fifth year that the groups have organized protests and strikes targeting Amazon on Black Friday. Previous years have featured Amazon workers marching outside Bezos’ penthouse in the New York City’s Flatiron district.