[CAF Note: But are they buying real gold or paper gold?]
By Andrew Frye
Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co., the third-largest U.S. life insurer by 2008 sales, has bought gold for the first time the company’s 152-year history to hedge against further asset declines.
“Gold just seems to make sense. It’s a store of value,” Chief Executive Officer Edward Zore said in an interview following his comments at a conference hosted by Standard & Poor’s in Brooklyn. “In the Depression, gold did very, very well.”
You might try the Perth Mint, in Western Australia. Their east coast rep is Asset Strategies International. They have a 401k arrangement with Sterling Trust.
Which gold or precious metal funds actually buy and store the physical asset? I want to put my 401K funds in such a fund or ETF…how else can 401K money be protected from hyperinflation?
Sounds like institutional money is heading into gold. Or at least sticking a toe into the waters…
Reports I am getting is that it is real physical gold. I have not found a confirmation from Northwest, however.
So, we’re waiting with baited breath……is it ‘live’ or is it Memorex?
At least someone has sense. With interest rates and inflation on the horizon, SOLID gold maybe the only vehicle of value left with any value.
I think that this is a smart move on their part as inflation seems likely at some point in the near to intermediate future. I suspect that they will be buying paper gold. But is that paper actually tied to the actual asset somewhere? And has that same asset been ‘promised’ out to other parties as has happened so often in the past?