With the markets recently having been shaken up in a downright frightening way, many investors are looking for better ways to grow their money than stocks, bonds and mutual funds offer. Gold investing has come to the forefront as one of the best options for such investors.

Ironically, unlike the complex and cutting-edge types of investment so touted by Wall Street, gold is one of the oldest types of investments available. Gold has outlasted innumerable investment schemes that have come and gone alongside it and, through it all, it has remained a sensible and intelligent way to keep one’s money in a position to grow over time.

Investing is always a learning experience. Owning gold, however, is about as straightforward as it gets. When one owns gold, they usually have a quantity of coins or bullion in their possession. If the investor wants to cash in part of their holdings, there are numerous businesses that buy and sell metals, both in person and online. It is hard to find an investment strategy that is this simple.

The value of gold, because it is based on practical applications and a stable supply, is also much easier to understand than, for example, heavily-leveraged bundled mortgage debt owned by an array of different banks. Gold, for many investors, is exactly the type of no-nonsense, straightforward and easily-understood investment needed to make the markets an attractive place again. The fact that one has control over their investment is also a big benefit.