$VWRL (-0.88%) + $IGLN (-1.63%) = 💸

Hey, dear Getquiner readers!

As you know, I’m personally not a big fan of gold. As expected, the comments section got pretty heated after my last post: Opinions are very divided on this—one side sees physical gold as the ultimate safeguard in times of crisis, while the other shares my skepticism and prefers to stay away.

To back up my perspective with a few historical facts, today we’ll take a look at three of the most notorious scandals in the history of gold. They illustrate quite well why, in my opinion, the market is far less transparent than many believe:

1. The "Fake Gold" in the Vault: The Wuhan Kingold Scandal (2020) 🇨🇳🧱

One of the biggest frauds in recent financial history: The Chinese company Wuhan Kingold Jewelry took out loans worth billions and deposited seemingly flawless gold bars with banks as collateral.

• The wake-up call: When a creditor wanted to liquidate the collateral and melt down the gold, the truth came to light: The bars were essentially made of gold-plated copper!
• In total, there were 83 tons of counterfeit gold —which at the time amounted to a good 4% of China’s total gold reserves. When even large institutions fail to verify the goods, it simply shows how high the risk can be with physical assets behind the scenes.

2. The Promises on Paper: The Republic New York Scandal (1999) 🏦🕵️‍♂️

This involved a large investment scheme centered around the company Princeton Economics International and Republic New York Bank. Japanese investors were assured that their money would be backed one-to-one by physical gold and kept safe.

• The reality: The gold did not exist in that quantity at all. The funds were used for other purposes, and the account balances on paper were simply fabricated. In the end, the losses amounted to over $1 billion.
• The lesson: This confirms the problem we discussed in the last post: You’re often just buying a third party’s promise that the gold is somewhere. You usually don’t realize if it’s really there until it’s too late.

3. The Price Game: Libor & Fixing Manipulations 📊📉

Gold is often portrayed as a completely independent, honest safe haven. But the price has long since ceased to be determined solely by physical supply and demand. For years, the gold price was set daily by a small group of major banks during the so-called “London Gold Fixing.”

• The problem: Traders used digital chat rooms to coordinate their actions shortly before the price was set. Through targeted fake orders (“spoofing”), the price was artificially manipulated to make their own trading positions profitable. Several banks had to pay billions in fines for this.
• The reality of modern markets: Let’s not kid ourselves—today, almost every major asset, whether gold, stocks, or even Bitcoin, is massively influenced in the short term by derivatives, leveraged products, and Wall Street. The difference, however, is this: With gold, pure paper trading determines the price of an asset whose physical inventory in the background is virtually impossible for the average investor to independently verify.

My conclusion: Even gold does not protect against market risks ⚡️

Whether it’s counterfeit bars, a lack of transparency in custody, or the manipulation of derivatives: to me, gold is not an untouchable system outside the financial sector. It is heavily dependent on the big banks.

While with digital assets you can mathematically verify every transaction and scarcity in real time on a public blockchain and store them yourself, with gold you ultimately always remain dependent on trust in third parties (auditors, dealers, banks). And for me, that trust is precisely the crux of the matter.

Now I’d love to hear your thoughts: Do such historical incidents change your view of the precious metal, or does physical gold remain your number one hedge despite everything? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments and leave a follow! 👇😉

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#gold
#goldpreis
#edelmetalle

PLEASE DO NOT ALWAYS DELETE THE TEXT🥲 In short: all that glitters is not gold $IGLN (-1.63%)
$GOLD

Hey dear Getquiners, honest question: Do you think gold is crisis-proof?

In this post, I explain why I think gold is one of the worst assets of all and why the "scarcity" on the market is often a lie - because all that glitters is not gold 😉

1. the asset in a deep sleep 😴

Anyone who bought gold at the high in 1980 had to 26 years to get back to zero in nominal terms. Adjusted for inflation, this was a financial disaster. Is an asset really "stable in value" if it takes half a working lifetime to make up for mere losses? After the 2011 high, it also took approx. 9 years (until 2020) until the price broke out sustainably.

2. the gold that wasn't actually there. 👻

Gold is sold as a "limited resource". It has to be painstakingly mined, is physically limited and cannot be conjured up. But what if it is possible on paper?

The Morgan Stanley scandal: In 2007, it came to light that Morgan Stanley had not physically bought or stored gold for many clients at all. The bank only held "paper positions", but still collected the fees for the (non-existent) vault storage. The clients were not holding hard assets, just hot air.

The Bre-X scandal (1997): The company Bre-X Minerals claimed to have discovered the largest gold deposit in the world. Geologists "salted" the drill samples with gold dust (even from their own jewelry!) to keep up appearances. The shares shot up to a value of over 6 billion dollars before everything collapsed.

This begs the question: is the price of gold really linked to physical scarcity, or is it often just a hype chart created by expert opinions and blind bank confidence?

3. the volatility lie: 10% crash in 28 minutes? ⏱️📉

It is often said that gold is so great because it is less volatile. But is that true? Let's jump to January 30, 2026: On this day, gold lost almost 28 minutes almost 7 % of its value in just 28 minutes. Over the entire day, it was around 14 %. Don't even get me started on silver (30% fluctuation... cough).

Another example is the April 12, 2013At that time, sell orders for over 400 tons of gold were placed on the Comex in New York within a very short space of time (approx. 15% of annual global production). Gold plunged in two days by 15,5 % in two days. The absurdity: Not a gram of physical gold was moved. They were pure "paper promises". Someone pressed the sell button without ever having owned the metal.

My conclusion: For me, gold is neither stable nor crisis-proof. It is highly volatile and - most importantly - not protected by financial constructs. not infinitely limited. It can be "printed" on paper as much as you like. That's why it no longer has any real value for me.

What do you think? Would you still buy or hold gold after these facts? Let me know your opinion in the comments and leave a follow for more posts like this. Next, I'll write a post on the biggest gold scandals and show you what I think are the better alternatives! 🚀

Feel free to leave feedback, criticism is also welcome, because that's the only way to learn! 😉

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#gold

Dear Community,

Yesterday a user said that Bitcoin had replaced gold as a crisis currency.

(No, it is not @Klein-Anleger meant 🙄)

Justification: Currently rising $BTC (-1.2%) while $4GLD (-1.63%) falling.

I have a different (outdated?) opinion on this and would like to explain below why I cannot agree with this statement.

I look forward to your opinions. Because maybe I'm the one living under the moon. 🤷🏼‍♂️

_________________________

🥇 1. why gold is historically the number one crisis currency

Gold has established itself over decades (actually millennia) as the ultimate store of value.

The reasons:

• 🌍 Independent of states & currencies
• 🏦 No counterparty risk (no issuer, no payment default)
• 📉 Inflation protection
• ⚖️ Limited supply

👉 In real crises (2008 financial crisis, Corona 2020, geopolitical tensions), capital traditionally flows into gold

💡 Important:

Gold is not a "trade", but an anchor of confidence in the global financial system.

_________________________

📉 2. why gold is still falling at the moment

The current decline has nothing to do with a loss of confidence, but is primarily macro-driven:

1️⃣ High interest rates (Fed policy)

• Gold does not yield interest
• Rising yields make bonds more attractive

👉 Capital moves out of gold in the short term

2️⃣ Strong US dollar

• Gold is traded in USD
• Stronger dollar = gold more expensive for other countries
• Demand falls

3️⃣ Profit taking after rally

• Gold had a strong high before
• Short-term correction is normal

_________________________

🪙 3. why Bitcoin is currently rising

Bitcoin is currently benefiting from other factors:

• 📈 Speculation of monetary policy easing
• 💡 Narrative as "digital gold"
• 🏦 Institutional demand (ETFs etc.)
• 🌐 Short-term use as a "liquidity parking lot"

👉 Important:

Bitcoin is currently more of a risk asset with momentum, not a classic safe haven.

_________________________

⚖️ 4. The crucial difference: gold vs. bitcoin

Gold ($IGLN (-1.63%) ):

• defensive
• stable
• proven in real crises

Bitcoin ($BTC (-1.2%) ):

• volatile
• heavily dependent on liquidity
• often parallel to tech stocks

💡 Observation:

In real stress phases (e.g. liquidity crises), Bitcoin often falls first, while gold remains stable or rises.

_________________________

🧠 5 Why the current decline is not a warning signal

The most important point:

👉 Gold reacts more strongly to interest rates than to crises in the short term

Meaning:

• rising interest rates = short-term pressure
• Real systemic crisis = long-term rise

➡️ The current decline is therefore more of a macro effect, not a structural break.

_________________________

📊 6. what would have to happen for gold to rise again

Gold should benefit significantly again if:

• 📉 Interest rates fall
• 💵 the US dollar weakens
• 🌍 geopolitical risks continue to escalate
• 📉 Confidence in the financial system declines

👉 Then capital typically returns to traditional safe havens

_________________________

🧠 Conclusion

The current market seems contradictory:

• Gold is falling
• Bitcoin rises

👉 But this is not a paradigm shift.

Gold remains:

• the most stable store of value
• the classic crisis currency

Bitcoin is up to date:

• a liquidity-driven momentum asset

📌 In short:

👉 Gold is not losing importance -

👉 it is only overshadowed by macro factors in the short term.

$GLDA (-1.67%)
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$GOLD

After a strong rally, gold is currently undergoing a correction. The price has fallen below the psychologically important USD 5,000 per ounce mark - and there are clear reasons for this.

$IGLN (-1.63%)
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$4GLD (-1.63%)
$GOLD (-6.41%)
$GOLD
$DE000EWG0LD1 (-0.52%)

_________________________

📊 1. current development

• Gold price most recently at around USD 5,019
• Previous all-time high: USD 5,420
• Decline: around -3% within a short period of time

💡 Classification:

After the strong rally, this is a classic technical correction - but with fundamental triggers.

_________________________

🏦 2nd main reason: Fed & interest rates

The most important driver at the moment:

👉 Uncertainty ahead of the interest rate decision by the US Federal Reserve (Fed)

• Markets are waiting for signals on interest rate cuts
• Interest rates remain high → negative for gold
• Why is that? Gold yields no interest and becomes less attractive with high yields

➡️ The Fed meeting is seen as a decisive turning point for future developments

_________________________

💵 3. strong US dollar as a burden

Another key factor:

• The US dollar is gaining strength
• This makes gold more expensive for international buyers
• Demand falls → price comes under pressure

👉 Classic correlation:

Stronger dollar = weaker gold price

_________________________

📉 4. important brands at a glance

Currently decisive:

• 🧱 Support: approx. 4,900 USD
• 🧠 Psychological mark: USD 5,000

➡️ A sustained break below this level could trigger further selling.

_________________________

⚖️ 5. Paradoxical situation on the market

Despite:

• geopolitical tensions
• inflation
• global uncertainty

... gold is currently weakening.

💡 Background:

Macro factors such as interest rates and the dollar are overshadowing safe-haven demand in the short term.

_________________________

🧠 Conclusion

The fall below USD 5,000 shows:

👉 Gold is currently not a sure-fire success

👉 Macro (Fed + dollar) dominates the market

Short term:

• High volatility
• Focus on Fed decision

Medium term:

• Gold could benefit strongly again if interest rates are cut

_________________________

🔗 Source

ad-hoc-news.de: Goldpreis bricht unter 5.000 Dollar ein – Fed-Entscheidung am 17./18. März entscheidend für DACH-Investoren

Hello dear Getquinners,

I started investing in securities at the beginning of the year.

For many years, we parked our assets in call money accounts, which meant that we lost money for years due to high inflation with (negative) compound interest effects. I now want to change this and have therefore decided to invest some of our assets in the capital market.

We are a family with two small children (aged 1 and 4). We parents are in our mid-30s and in the middle of our working lives.

My goals/hopes are:

• long-term investment >10 years and more
• Inflation protection and (real) asset accumulation beyond overnight interest rates
• If necessary, partial transfer of assets to help the children get started when they come of age

As I don't want to gamble, it should be as "simple" as possible to handle and I am not a daredevil, I have created a "boring" ACWI-IMI portfolio.

We have invested around 60%, the rest is free liquidity, which would last for around 12-14 months without income given our current cost of living. A little conservative perhaps, but that's a start. I also don't want to get scared if the markets take a nosedive.

This is how it looks:

75% core:

• 55% MSCI World $IWDA (-0.89%)
• 10% MSCI World Small Cap $WSML (-0.72%)
• 10% MSCI Emerging Markets IMI $EIMI (-0.53%)

8.5% Precious metals

• Physical gold $IGLN (-1.63%)

15% Satellites with approx. 2% each

• $IB1T (-0.86%) Bitcoin share with high opportunity and high risk. Personally, I am not yet completely convinced of this position, I see the "intrinsic" value of a (this) digital currency as being confronted with major environmental problems and am therefore critical. On the other hand, it is supposed to be "digital gold". We will see in the future what is true and what is not...

• $SEMI (-0.9%) and $XDWT (-0.73%) I believe in the AI boom and growing markets in digitalization, and see growth opportunities there, but also risks. Naturally increases the USA share in the portfolio...

• $$DFEN (+2.99%) : Anti-cyclical position in the current increasingly global conflicts. Defense spending is rising worldwide...

• $WMIN (-1.28%) and $RARE (-0.6%) as a commodity mix in basic materials. See this as an opportunity with risk, but perhaps this also reacts anti-cyclically to weak markets

• $GERD (-1.15%) as a personal experiment, as I have read and heard a lot from Gerd Kommer. Can be seen as a core holding, perhaps as a benchmark to the core. I wanted to give it a try.

I also toyed with $WNUC (+1%) but I have to think about whether I really want to invest in nuclear technology (personally subjective thing...). I also read and follow 3XGTAA with interest, but that's too risky for me (for now), for now I'll stay in the World fairway...

Monthly savings installments go equally into the core. I plan to rebalance once a year during the Christmas vacations.

I read a lot in the community and regularly follow the posts. Time and again I also read negative statements about sector and industry bets.

I would be interested to know what you think of my portfolio and why some of you think that sector and sector bets are bad.

Thank you for your feedback and for your consistently excellent contributions to the community!