The solution to the physical gold shortage

I've written before about the physical gold shortage. The bottom line is people want to buy more gold coins than governments want to mint. You could buy the GLD ETF, but gold kooks don't like having their transactions electronically traceable, and they don't like trusting some bank to hold their gold.

Enter the private market:



PAMP S.A. is a Swiss company that makes gold bars. You still pay a relatively hefty premium ($37.50 over spot in my recent purchase), but less than you'll pay if you're lucky enough to find Krugerrands, American Eagles, or Canadian Maple Leafs these days.