GOLD, SILVER, PLATINUM: A PRIMER FOR RETIREES
The media is reporting that investors are showing heightened interest in Gold, Silver and Platinum as alternatives to savings deposits, annuities and stocks. Here is a primer. Gold, silver, and platinum are classified as precious metals because they are naturally occurring elements defined by three primary criteria: rarity, high economic value, and chemical resistance (for various industrial ushes). GOLD (XAUUSD) -Current Price: $5,108.25 USD (as of Feb 20, 2026) -Reserves: Relatively scarce; estimated 50,000 metric tons of economically viable reserves remaining globally - Mining: Primarily mined directly from gold ore deposits through open-pit and underground mining; also recovered from placer deposits - Top Producer: China (approximately 11% of global production), followed by Australia and Russia) - Investment Role: Premier safe-haven asset, inflation hedge, currency debasement protection, central bank reserve asset, portfolio diversification - Industrial Usage: Electroni...