Business-purpose lending · nationwide by mail
Before You Sell It, Run It Both Ways
Most metal gets sold to solve a short-term cash problem, not because the owner stopped wanting it. That is a permanent answer to a temporary question — and it is worth twenty minutes to check whether it is the right one.
No credit check and no obligation. If borrowing is the wrong answer for your situation, you will be told that first.
The whole argument, in one line
Selling is permanent and can be taxable.
A loan is neither.
65%
Advance against value
$15k
Minimum loan
Same
Bars returned
Live market
Business-purpose loans only. Not available in Nevada, Vermont, North Dakota and South Dakota.
65%
Advance against market value
$15k
Minimum loan — about $23,000 in metal
Days
From verified collateral to funded
Same
Metal returned on repayment. Not equivalent — the same bars
Start here
The one question
Would you buy this metal back at today's price?
If the answer is no, you have wanted out of the position and a cash need has given you the occasion. Sell it, take the money, and ignore the rest of this site. If the answer is yes, you do not want to sell — you want cash, and there is a cheaper way to get it than permanently disposing of something you would buy back.
Scenarios
Why you were about to sell
Nine real situations. Each one ends with two lists — when borrowing fits, and when selling is the better answer.
Covering a Slow Quarter
borrow against gold instead of selling business
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Liquidating Dealer Inventory
coin dealer inventory financing instead of selling
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Selling at a Market Low
avoid selling gold at a low price
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After a Bank Said No
business loan declined alternative collateral
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Funding a Purchase
sell gold to fund business purchase
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Paying a Business Tax Bill
sell gold to pay business taxes
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The price is not the cost
What selling actually costs
What a buyer pays you is one number. What the sale costs you is that number minus four others — and the last card here is what borrowing costs, because a one-sided page is worthless.
The Spread
gold buy sell spread cost
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The Tax Event
capital gains tax selling gold
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Losing the Position
sell gold lose position
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Replacement Cost
buy back gold after selling cost
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Selling on Someone Else's Schedule
forced to sell gold bad timing
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What Borrowing Costs
metals loan risks cost
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The argument
Why borrowing is different in kind
Selling is permanent. A loan is not.
This is the entire argument and it survives every objection. Once the metal is sold it is gone, and buying back the same position later means paying the market plus a dealer premium at whatever price the market happens to be. A loan you repay ends with the metal back in your hands.
A sale is a taxable event. Borrowing is not.
Selling appreciated metal can trigger a capital gains liability in the year you sell. Borrowing against an asset is not a disposal and does not by itself create one. We are not your tax adviser and you should ask yours — but it belongs in the arithmetic, and most people leave it out.
You keep the position
If you sell because you need cash this quarter and the metal runs afterwards, you paid for the cash twice. Borrowing keeps you exposed to the market you presumably believed in when you bought.
We will tell you when to sell instead
Below the minimum, no business purpose, or a need that will not be repaid from business income — in all three cases a loan is the wrong instrument and we say so. There is a page on this site whose entire job is talking people out of borrowing.
Estimate
Put numbers on it
Enter what you hold. Up to 65% of market value, against live prices.
Instant estimate
What could you borrow?
Enter the ounces you hold. We advance up to 65% of market value.
| Metal | Spot / oz | Your oz | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | $4,600.00 | $0.00 | |
| Silver | $69.00 | $0.00 | |
| Platinum | $1,840.00 | $0.00 | |
| Palladium | $1,329.00 | $0.00 |
Estimate only. Final advance rate and terms are confirmed after your collateral is inspected and verified. Spot prices are indicative and move continuously. Minimum loan is $15,000 (about $23,077 in collateral value at our65% rate).
These are business-purpose loans and are not offered for personal, family or household use. Not available in Nevada, Vermont, North Dakota and South Dakota. If metal prices fall materially we may contact you about adding collateral or paying down the balance to keep the loan-to-value in range.
Compare
Or handle it another way
Selling wins more of these rows than a lender's website usually admits.
Selling Outright vs. Borrowing
The straight comparison, with selling given a fair hearing. It wins on more rows than a lender usually admits.
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Pawning It vs. Borrowing Against It
Both lend against metal. The similarity ends at the advance rate and the interest, and pawn genuinely wins on speed and access.
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Selling Now, Buying Back Later
The plan almost everyone has, and the one almost nobody costs out properly.
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Selling Half vs. Borrowing on All of It
The sensible-feeling middle option. Worth comparing properly, because the numbers land closer together than people expect.
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Who we cannot help
Read this before you go further
This is business-purpose lending only
We cannot fund a personal need — not a personal tax bill, not credit card debt, not a family emergency, however pressing. That is a licensing matter rather than a preference, and telling you now is more useful than telling you after you have shipped metal to us. If your need is personal, there is a page here setting out what to do instead.
Not available in Nevada, Vermont, North Dakota and South Dakota.
No obligation
Tell us what you hold
What metal, roughly how much, and what the money is for. No credit check, and nothing happens until you have seen terms in writing.
If borrowing is the wrong instrument for your situation — below the minimum, a personal need, a deadline too short, or a position you no longer want — that is what you will be told on the first call.
FAQ
Common questions
- What is the one question I should ask myself?
- Would you buy this metal back at today's price? If no, sell it — nothing on this site applies to you. If yes, you do not want to sell; you want cash, and those are different problems.
- Can I borrow for a personal reason?
- No. This is business-purpose lending only, which is a licensing matter rather than a preference. There is a page on this site explaining what to do instead.
- How much can I borrow?
- Up to 65% of market value, minimum $15,000 — roughly $23,000 of metal. Below that, selling is the answer.
- Do you check credit?
- No. The loan is secured by the metal, so the metal is what gets inspected.
- Do I get the same metal back?
- Yes — the same bars and coins, not an equivalent quantity. It is worth asking any lender in this space that question.
- What is the catch?
- A monthly interest obligation, a margin call if prices fall materially, a 65% ceiling, and losing the collateral if you default. All four are real and all four have a page.
- Where do you lend?
- Nationwide by mail, except Nevada, Vermont, North Dakota and South Dakota.
- How fast does it fund?
- Days once collateral is verified, not hours. If you need money in 48 hours, sell it instead and we will tell you so.
Next step
Run it both ways before you decide.
No credit check and no obligation. Tell us what you hold and what the money is for, and if selling is the better answer for your situation you will be told that first.
Business purpose only. Not available in Nevada, Vermont, North Dakota and South Dakota.