"This first chart is a daily line chart for GLD which shows it has completed 5 reversal points so far and is working on the all-important 6th reversal point back up to the top rail."
David, you seem very familiar with GLD. I've spent quite a bit of time doing my due diligence into GLD but have been unable to obtain any details pertaining to the state of its insurance. Would you happen to know any specifics on this subject? The following passage reflects my experience so far: "Note that even on the subject of GLD's insurance, they are not at all straightforward about it. Their representatives will not confirm nor deny the existence of GLD's insurance. I recommend anyone curious about this to confirm via calling GLD's publicly listed number for general inquiries at 866 320 4053 and ask about this clause from the GLD prospectus: "The Custodian maintains insurance with regard to its business on such terms and conditions as it considers appropriate which does not cover the full amount of gold held in custody." Exactly how much of the fund is insured? They will not give you a straight answer and might even throw in some bizarre excuse which I've experienced. Why hide this information from investors? The people behind GLD certainly do not seem like the most honest types."
Thank you for this very insightful piece Bob. XOM has been a favorite of mine for quite some time and the current conditions for XOM are even better than before. With the Iran deal falling apart, oil received a major catalyst that boosted it far north. Oil demand has been steadily increasing as well. There is a substantial amount of upside to XOM and other oil players at this current point in time.
"The knee-jerk reaction is to simply snap up shares of an exchange-traded fund (ETF) such as the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD), but the ETF comes with an annual expense ratio of 0.4% that is eating into your returns."
Not only that but this fund claims to be fully backed by physical gold bullion yet it refuses to give retail investors the right to redeem for any of these ‘claimed’ gold bullion. This fact alone would mean GLD shares are nothing more than paper at the end of the day. Furthermore, GLD’s prospectus is chalk full of weasel clauses and legal loopholes that allows the fund to get away without the full physical gold backing. One good example of this is the clause that states GLD has no right to audit subcustodial gold holdings.
I also remember there was a well documented visit by CNBC's Bob Pisani to GLD's gold vault. This visit was organized by GLD's management to prove the existence of GLD's gold but the gold bar held up by Mr. Pisani had the serial number ZJ6752 which did not appear on the most recent bar list at that time. It was later discovered that this "GLD" bar was actually owned by ETF Securities.
"...nearly tripling the parallel 351.1t build in that GLD gold ETF’s physical gold-bullion holdings over that same bull-market span!"
Adam, I always see you making these ridiculous claims on GLD but I've yet to see you provide any actual evidence to support them. How reliable are GLD's holding reports? GLD does not give retail investors the right to redeem for any of its mystery physical gold holdings. This fact alone ensures the GLD shares to be nothing more than paper at the end of the day. GLD also has a glaring audit loophole in their prospectus that states they have no right to audit subcustodial gold holdings. To this day, I have not heard of a single good reason for the existence of this backdoor to the fund. Some other red flags I've stumbled upon, verified and welcome everyone else to verify for themselves:
"Did anyone try calling the GLD hotline at 866▪320▪4053 in search of numerical details on GLD's insurance? The prospectus vaguely states "The Custodian maintains insurance with regard to its business on such terms and conditions as it considers appropriate which does not cover the full amount of gold held in custody." When I asked about how much of the gold was insured, the representative proceeded to act as if he didn't know and said they were just the "marketing agent" for GLD. What kind of marketing agent would not know such basic information about a product they are marketing? It seems like they are deliberately hiding information from investors."
"I remember there was a highly publicized visit by CNBC's Bob Pisani to GLD's gold vault. This visit was organized by GLD's management to prove the existence of GLD's gold but the gold bar held up by Mr. Pisani had the serial number ZJ6752 which did not appear on the most recent bar list at that time. It was later discovered that this "GLD" bar was actually owned by ETF Securities."
Again, this is one of the more informative piece I've read this week. GLD so famously claim that they are 100% backed but obstinately refuse to give investors access to any of the 'claimed' gold. Why? There are many profitable gold selling businesses in the world. GLD could even charge exorbitant fees for delivery of said gold but they don't for some strange reason. They are essentially saying 'no' to free money.
"Furthermore, the Trustee may have no right to visit the premises of any subcustodian for the purposes of examining the Trust’s gold bars or any records maintained by the subcustodian, and no subcustodian will be obligated to cooperate in any review the Trustee may wish to conduct of the facilities, procedures, records or creditworthiness of such subcustodian"
This frequently referenced GLD subcustodian audit loophole makes me question this fund even more. What guarantees do we have that all of GLD's gold is actually in an allocated account? Have they leased the gold from someone else? i.e. HSBC. Are they leasing it to someone else? How many claims are there on the gold aka hypothecation? GLD's structure seems to be deliberately vague and intentionally flawed. GLD's custodian, HSBC, with their long history of fraud certainly do not inspire confidence either.
For anyone interested in GLD but have not heard about CNBC's Bob Pisani's visit to GLD's gold vault, I recommend checking it out. His visit is documented in a segment called Gold Rush: The Mother Lode. This entire segment was organized by GLD's management to prove that their gold actually exists but the gold bar held up by Mr. Pisani displayed a serial of ZJ6752. This serial did not show up on the latest bar list during that time. Cheviot Asset Management’s Ned Naylor-Leyland discovered that this "GLD" bar actually belonged to ETF Securities.
"The Custodian maintains insurance with regard to its business on such terms and conditions as it considers appropriate which does not cover the full amount of gold held in custody."
As for GLD's questionable insurance mentioned in this article, the GLD representatives are very shady about it if you ask them to clarify GLD's insurance. I recommend all interested parties call up the GLD inquiries line at 866▪320▪4053 and see for themselves. When I asked about how much of the gold was insured, the representative proceeded to act as if he didn't know and said they were just the "marketing agent" for GLD. What kind of marketing agent would not know such basic information about a product they are marketing? It seems like they are deliberately hiding information from investors.
Speaking of GLD in particular, why is there a clause in the GLD prospectus that states GLD has no right to audit subcustodial gold holdings? Why would the organizations behind GLD forfeit this right and create this massive audit loophole? I haven't heard of a single good reason for the existence of this loophole so far. In addition to the audit loophole, GLD claims to be fully backed by physical gold bullion but yet it refuses to give retail investors the right to redeem for any of these ‘claimed’ gold bullion. I've read about and verified a number of other red flags as well:
"I remember CNBC's Bob Pisani visiting GLD's vault in a well documented segment. GLD's administration arranged this visit to disprove everyone claiming that GLD's gold did not exist. However, Mr. Pisani held up a gold bar with the following serial number - ZJ6752. This serial number did not appear on the most recent bar list during that time period. Cheviot Asset Management’s Ned Naylor-Leyland later found out that this "GLD" bar actually belonged to ETF Securities."
"Did anyone try calling the GLD hotline at 866▪320▪4053 in search of numerical details on GLD's insurance? The prospectus vaguely states "The Custodian maintains insurance with regard to its business on such terms and conditions as it considers appropriate which does not cover the full amount of gold held in custody." When I asked about how much of the gold was insured, the representative proceeded to act as if he didn't know and said they were just the "marketing agent" for GLD. What kind of marketing agent would not know such basic information about a product they are marketing? It seems like they are deliberately hiding information from investors."
"The price of gold broke the $1300 level on election fears with products tracking this bullion like GLD adding 1.3% over the past couple of sessions."
Speaking of this particular fund, why is there a clause in the GLD prospectus that states GLD has no right to audit subcustodial gold holdings? Why would the organizations behind GLD forfeit this right and create this massive audit loophole? I haven't heard of a single good reason for the existence of this loophole so far. In addition to the audit loophole, GLD claims to be fully backed by physical gold bullion but yet it refuses to give retail investors the right to redeem for any of these ‘claimed’ gold bullion. I've read about and verified a number of other red flags as well:
"I remember CNBC's Bob Pisani visiting GLD's vault in a well documented segment. GLD's administration arranged this visit to disprove everyone claiming that GLD's gold did not exist. However, Mr. Pisani held up a gold bar with the following serial number - ZJ6752. This serial number did not appear on the most recent bar list during that time period. Cheviot Asset Management’s Ned Naylor-Leyland later found out that this "GLD" bar actually belonged to ETF Securities."
"Did anyone try calling the GLD hotline at 866▪320▪4053 in search of numerical details on GLD's insurance? The prospectus vaguely states "The Custodian maintains insurance with regard to its business on such terms and conditions as it considers appropriate which does not cover the full amount of gold held in custody." When I asked about how much of the gold was insured, the representative proceeded to act as if he didn't know and said they were just the "marketing agent" for GLD. What kind of marketing agent would not know such basic information about a product they are marketing? It seems like they are deliberately hiding information from investors."
"The SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) ETF gained for six consecutive days amid growing uncertainty about the outcome of the election."
I've been trying to do my due diligence into the SPDR Gold Trust (GLD). Anyone know why there is a clause in the GLD prospectus that states GLD has no right to audit subcustodial gold holdings? Why would the organizations behind GLD forfeit this right and create such a glaring audit loophole? I have not heard a single good reason for the existence of this loophole thus far. It also doesn't help that GLD claims to be fully backed by physical gold bullion but yet it refuses to give retail investors the right to redeem for any of these ‘claimed’ gold bullion. There are a number of other red flags as well from what I'm reading:
"Did anyone try calling the GLD hotline at 866▪320▪4053 in search of numerical details on GLD's insurance? The prospectus vaguely states "The Custodian maintains insurance with regard to its business on such terms and conditions as it considers appropriate which does not cover the full amount of gold held in custody." When I asked about how much of the gold was insured, the representative proceeded to act as if he didn't know and said they were just the "marketing agent" for GLD. What kind of marketing agent would not know such basic information about a product they are marketing? It seems like they are deliberately hiding information from investors."
"I remember there was a well documented visit by CNBC's Bob Pisani to GLD's gold vault. This visit was organized by GLD's management to prove the existence of GLD's gold but the gold bar held up by Mr. Pisani had the serial number ZJ6752 which did not appear on the most recent bar list at that time. It was later discovered that this "GLD" bar was actually owned by ETF Securities."
"When gold lost its $1,300 handle this week, it sent the SPDR Gold Shares Trust (NYSE Arca: GLD) toward the $119 level targeted in our September 19 column."
Speaking of this fund in particular, why is there a clause in the GLD prospectus that states GLD has no right to audit subcustodial gold holdings? Why would the organizations behind GLD forfeit this right and create this massive audit loophole? I haven't heard of a single good reason for the existence of this loophole so far. In addition to the audit loophole, GLD claims to be fully backed by physical gold bullion but yet it refuses to give retail investors the right to redeem for any of these ‘claimed’ gold bullion. I've read about and verified a number of other red flags as well:
"I remember CNBC's Bob Pisani visiting GLD's vault in a well documented segment. GLD's administration arranged this visit to disprove everyone claiming that GLD's gold did not exist. However, Mr. Pisani held up a gold bar with the following serial number - ZJ6752. This serial number did not appear on the most recent bar list during that time period. Cheviot Asset Management’s Ned Naylor-Leyland later found out that this "GLD" bar actually belonged to ETF Securities."
"Did anyone try calling the GLD hotline at (866) 320 4053 in search of numerical details on GLD's insurance? The prospectus vaguely states "The Custodian maintains insurance with regard to its business on such terms and conditions as it considers appropriate which does not cover the full amount of gold held in custody." When I asked about how much of the gold was insured, the representative proceeded to act as if he didn't know and said they were just the "marketing agent" for GLD. What kind of marketing agent would not know such basic information about a product they are marketing? It seems like they are deliberately hiding information from investors."
Latest Comments
GLD Update… All Aboard ?
"This first chart is a daily line chart for GLD which shows it has completed 5 reversal points so far and is working on the all-important 6th reversal point back up to the top rail."
David, you seem very familiar with GLD. I've spent quite a bit of time doing my due diligence into GLD but have been unable to obtain any details pertaining to the state of its insurance. Would you happen to know any specifics on this subject? The following passage reflects my experience so far: "Note that even on the subject of GLD's insurance, they are not at all straightforward about it. Their representatives will not confirm nor deny the existence of GLD's insurance. I recommend anyone curious about this to confirm via calling GLD's publicly listed number for general inquiries at 866 320 4053 and ask about this clause from the GLD prospectus: "The Custodian maintains insurance with regard to its business on such terms and conditions as it considers appropriate which does not cover the full amount of gold held in custody." Exactly how much of the fund is insured? They will not give you a straight answer and might even throw in some bizarre excuse which I've experienced. Why hide this information from investors? The people behind GLD certainly do not seem like the most honest types."
The 10 Best Dividend Aristocrat Stocks Today
Thank you for this very insightful piece Bob. XOM has been a favorite of mine for quite some time and the current conditions for XOM are even better than before. With the Iran deal falling apart, oil received a major catalyst that boosted it far north. Oil demand has been steadily increasing as well. There is a substantial amount of upside to XOM and other oil players at this current point in time.
Gold Is Your Insurance Policy Against Market Turmoil
"The knee-jerk reaction is to simply snap up shares of an exchange-traded fund (ETF) such as the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD), but the ETF comes with an annual expense ratio of 0.4% that is eating into your returns."
Not only that but this fund claims to be fully backed by physical gold bullion yet it refuses to give retail investors the right to redeem for any of these ‘claimed’ gold bullion. This fact alone would mean GLD shares are nothing more than paper at the end of the day. Furthermore, GLD’s prospectus is chalk full of weasel clauses and legal loopholes that allows the fund to get away without the full physical gold backing. One good example of this is the clause that states GLD has no right to audit subcustodial gold holdings.
I also remember there was a well documented visit by CNBC's Bob Pisani to GLD's gold vault. This visit was organized by GLD's management to prove the existence of GLD's gold but the gold bar held up by Mr. Pisani had the serial number ZJ6752 which did not appear on the most recent bar list at that time. It was later discovered that this "GLD" bar was actually owned by ETF Securities.
Gold-Futures Selling Exhausting
"...nearly tripling the parallel 351.1t build in that GLD gold ETF’s physical gold-bullion holdings over that same bull-market span!"
Adam, I always see you making these ridiculous claims on GLD but I've yet to see you provide any actual evidence to support them. How reliable are GLD's holding reports? GLD does not give retail investors the right to redeem for any of its mystery physical gold holdings. This fact alone ensures the GLD shares to be nothing more than paper at the end of the day. GLD also has a glaring audit loophole in their prospectus that states they have no right to audit subcustodial gold holdings. To this day, I have not heard of a single good reason for the existence of this backdoor to the fund. Some other red flags I've stumbled upon, verified and welcome everyone else to verify for themselves:
"Did anyone try calling the GLD hotline at 866▪320▪4053 in search of numerical details on GLD's insurance? The prospectus vaguely states "The Custodian maintains insurance with regard to its business on such terms and conditions as it considers appropriate which does not cover the full amount of gold held in custody." When I asked about how much of the gold was insured, the representative proceeded to act as if he didn't know and said they were just the "marketing agent" for GLD. What kind of marketing agent would not know such basic information about a product they are marketing? It seems like they are deliberately hiding information from investors."
"I remember there was a highly publicized visit by CNBC's Bob Pisani to GLD's gold vault. This visit was organized by GLD's management to prove the existence of GLD's gold but the gold bar held up by Mr. Pisani had the serial number ZJ6752 which did not appear on the most recent bar list at that time. It was later discovered that this "GLD" bar was actually owned by ETF Securities."
Gold-Backed ETFs: What Lies Beneath
Again, this is one of the more informative piece I've read this week. GLD so famously claim that they are 100% backed but obstinately refuse to give investors access to any of the 'claimed' gold. Why? There are many profitable gold selling businesses in the world. GLD could even charge exorbitant fees for delivery of said gold but they don't for some strange reason. They are essentially saying 'no' to free money.
"Furthermore, the Trustee may have no right to visit the premises of any subcustodian for the purposes of examining the Trust’s gold bars or any records maintained by the subcustodian, and no subcustodian will be obligated to cooperate in any review the Trustee may wish to conduct of the facilities, procedures, records or creditworthiness of such subcustodian"
This frequently referenced GLD subcustodian audit loophole makes me question this fund even more. What guarantees do we have that all of GLD's gold is actually in an allocated account? Have they leased the gold from someone else? i.e. HSBC. Are they leasing it to someone else? How many claims are there on the gold aka hypothecation? GLD's structure seems to be deliberately vague and intentionally flawed. GLD's custodian, HSBC, with their long history of fraud certainly do not inspire confidence either.
For anyone interested in GLD but have not heard about CNBC's Bob Pisani's visit to GLD's gold vault, I recommend checking it out. His visit is documented in a segment called Gold Rush: The Mother Lode. This entire segment was organized by GLD's management to prove that their gold actually exists but the gold bar held up by Mr. Pisani displayed a serial of ZJ6752. This serial did not show up on the latest bar list during that time. Cheviot Asset Management’s Ned Naylor-Leyland discovered that this "GLD" bar actually belonged to ETF Securities.
"The Custodian maintains insurance with regard to its business on such terms and conditions as it considers appropriate which does not cover the full amount of gold held in custody."
As for GLD's questionable insurance mentioned in this article, the GLD representatives are very shady about it if you ask them to clarify GLD's insurance. I recommend all interested parties call up the GLD inquiries line at 866▪320▪4053 and see for themselves. When I asked about how much of the gold was insured, the representative proceeded to act as if he didn't know and said they were just the "marketing agent" for GLD. What kind of marketing agent would not know such basic information about a product they are marketing? It seems like they are deliberately hiding information from investors.
Gold Bulls Punked On Fears Of Fundamentally Stronger US Dollar
"The rally in Gold (GLD)..."
Speaking of GLD in particular, why is there a clause in the GLD prospectus that states GLD has no right to audit subcustodial gold holdings? Why would the organizations behind GLD forfeit this right and create this massive audit loophole? I haven't heard of a single good reason for the existence of this loophole so far. In addition to the audit loophole, GLD claims to be fully backed by physical gold bullion but yet it refuses to give retail investors the right to redeem for any of these ‘claimed’ gold bullion. I've read about and verified a number of other red flags as well:
"I remember CNBC's Bob Pisani visiting GLD's vault in a well documented segment. GLD's administration arranged this visit to disprove everyone claiming that GLD's gold did not exist. However, Mr. Pisani held up a gold bar with the following serial number - ZJ6752. This serial number did not appear on the most recent bar list during that time period. Cheviot Asset Management’s Ned Naylor-Leyland later found out that this "GLD" bar actually belonged to ETF Securities."
"Did anyone try calling the GLD hotline at 866▪320▪4053 in search of numerical details on GLD's insurance? The prospectus vaguely states "The Custodian maintains insurance with regard to its business on such terms and conditions as it considers appropriate which does not cover the full amount of gold held in custody." When I asked about how much of the gold was insured, the representative proceeded to act as if he didn't know and said they were just the "marketing agent" for GLD. What kind of marketing agent would not know such basic information about a product they are marketing? It seems like they are deliberately hiding information from investors."
4 ETFs To Hedge Your Portfolio Before Presidential Election
"The price of gold broke the $1300 level on election fears with products tracking this bullion like GLD adding 1.3% over the past couple of sessions."
Speaking of this particular fund, why is there a clause in the GLD prospectus that states GLD has no right to audit subcustodial gold holdings? Why would the organizations behind GLD forfeit this right and create this massive audit loophole? I haven't heard of a single good reason for the existence of this loophole so far. In addition to the audit loophole, GLD claims to be fully backed by physical gold bullion but yet it refuses to give retail investors the right to redeem for any of these ‘claimed’ gold bullion. I've read about and verified a number of other red flags as well:
"I remember CNBC's Bob Pisani visiting GLD's vault in a well documented segment. GLD's administration arranged this visit to disprove everyone claiming that GLD's gold did not exist. However, Mr. Pisani held up a gold bar with the following serial number - ZJ6752. This serial number did not appear on the most recent bar list during that time period. Cheviot Asset Management’s Ned Naylor-Leyland later found out that this "GLD" bar actually belonged to ETF Securities."
"Did anyone try calling the GLD hotline at 866▪320▪4053 in search of numerical details on GLD's insurance? The prospectus vaguely states "The Custodian maintains insurance with regard to its business on such terms and conditions as it considers appropriate which does not cover the full amount of gold held in custody." When I asked about how much of the gold was insured, the representative proceeded to act as if he didn't know and said they were just the "marketing agent" for GLD. What kind of marketing agent would not know such basic information about a product they are marketing? It seems like they are deliberately hiding information from investors."
Gold Emerges As A Hedge Against Falling Stock Prices
"The SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) ETF gained for six consecutive days amid growing uncertainty about the outcome of the election."
I've been trying to do my due diligence into the SPDR Gold Trust (GLD). Anyone know why there is a clause in the GLD prospectus that states GLD has no right to audit subcustodial gold holdings? Why would the organizations behind GLD forfeit this right and create such a glaring audit loophole? I have not heard a single good reason for the existence of this loophole thus far. It also doesn't help that GLD claims to be fully backed by physical gold bullion but yet it refuses to give retail investors the right to redeem for any of these ‘claimed’ gold bullion. There are a number of other red flags as well from what I'm reading:
"Did anyone try calling the GLD hotline at 866▪320▪4053 in search of numerical details on GLD's insurance? The prospectus vaguely states "The Custodian maintains insurance with regard to its business on such terms and conditions as it considers appropriate which does not cover the full amount of gold held in custody." When I asked about how much of the gold was insured, the representative proceeded to act as if he didn't know and said they were just the "marketing agent" for GLD. What kind of marketing agent would not know such basic information about a product they are marketing? It seems like they are deliberately hiding information from investors."
"I remember there was a well documented visit by CNBC's Bob Pisani to GLD's gold vault. This visit was organized by GLD's management to prove the existence of GLD's gold but the gold bar held up by Mr. Pisani had the serial number ZJ6752 which did not appear on the most recent bar list at that time. It was later discovered that this "GLD" bar was actually owned by ETF Securities."
Gold’s Break: Okay, It’s Happened
Is it not obvious?
Gold’s Break: Okay, It’s Happened
"When gold lost its $1,300 handle this week, it sent the SPDR Gold Shares Trust (NYSE Arca: GLD) toward the $119 level targeted in our September 19 column."
Speaking of this fund in particular, why is there a clause in the GLD prospectus that states GLD has no right to audit subcustodial gold holdings? Why would the organizations behind GLD forfeit this right and create this massive audit loophole? I haven't heard of a single good reason for the existence of this loophole so far. In addition to the audit loophole, GLD claims to be fully backed by physical gold bullion but yet it refuses to give retail investors the right to redeem for any of these ‘claimed’ gold bullion. I've read about and verified a number of other red flags as well:
"I remember CNBC's Bob Pisani visiting GLD's vault in a well documented segment. GLD's administration arranged this visit to disprove everyone claiming that GLD's gold did not exist. However, Mr. Pisani held up a gold bar with the following serial number - ZJ6752. This serial number did not appear on the most recent bar list during that time period. Cheviot Asset Management’s Ned Naylor-Leyland later found out that this "GLD" bar actually belonged to ETF Securities."
"Did anyone try calling the GLD hotline at (866) 320 4053 in search of numerical details on GLD's insurance? The prospectus vaguely states "The Custodian maintains insurance with regard to its business on such terms and conditions as it considers appropriate which does not cover the full amount of gold held in custody." When I asked about how much of the gold was insured, the representative proceeded to act as if he didn't know and said they were just the "marketing agent" for GLD. What kind of marketing agent would not know such basic information about a product they are marketing? It seems like they are deliberately hiding information from investors."