State Street Global Advisors, the asset management business of State Street Corporation, released the results of its Gold ETF Impact Study: Advisor Edition, which was designed to better understand investor attitudes and behaviors around investing in gold.
According to the research, there is significant opportunity for investor education when it comes to gold investments, and advisors are playing an important role in helping clients understand its role in portfolios.
The study found that lack of knowledge is the number one reason why, among the options provided, surveyed investors do not invest in gold, with more than a third indicating they do not have gold in their portfolio because they do not know enough about the ways they can invest in gold. Furthermore, only 41% of surveyed investors agree that they understand what influences the price of gold, compared to 75% among those who actually do have gold in their portfolios.
When it comes to investing in gold ETFs, the advisors’ role as educator is critical. Nine out of 10 (91%) surveyed investors who own gold ETFs indicated they were informed by their financial advisor about the different ways to invest in gold. A similar percentage (91%) of surveyed investors indicated discussing an investment in gold with their financial advisors.
“Investors have good instincts about where – and when – to get objective advice. But it’s likely they will need even more guidance to achieve their financial goals as markets continue to react to higher interest rates, lower consumer sentiment and stubborn inflation,” said Allison Bonds, Head of Private and Independent Wealth Management at State Street Global Advisors.
Among surveyed investors with a financial advisor and holding a gold ETF in their portfolio:
- 91% have discussed investing in gold with their financial advisor compared with 36% of all surveyed investors with financial advisors;
- 89% report their financial advisor has explained the benefits of having gold in their investment portfolio compared with 35% of all surveyed investors with financial advisors;
- 83% noted that their financial advisor recommended gold for their long-term investment portfolio versus 26% of all surveyed investors with financial advisors; and
- 55% reported their financial advisor recommended gold as a short-term investment given current markets compared to 17% of all surveyed investors with financial advisors.
The survey also revealed approximately three in four gold ETF investors (73%) agree that gold ETFs have improved the performance of their investment portfolio, with three-fourths (76%) reporting that ETFs are a more cost-effective way to invest in gold.
Notably, across all surveyed investors (advised and self-directed) those who hold gold ETFs are more likely to have investable assets of $500,000 or more (82%) than those surveyed investors who do not hold gold ETFs (64%).
The top three variables surveyed gold ETF investors considered when buying a gold ETF are:
- Expense ratio (65%)
- A structure that is physically backed by gold (55%)
- Reputation of provider (48%)