The strangest gold market in a decade
Why 2026 is different — the price fall, the duty hike and the closed bond scheme, in plain terms.
The 2026 market in six numbers
The figures that define this season, each with its source and what it means for your money.
Gold vs silver
One is a monetary metal, the other is half industrial — and why that changes how much of each to own.
The seven ways to buy gold
Jewellery, coins and bars, ETFs, funds, digital gold, SGBs and EGRs, and the short-term deposit that is all that remains of the GMS.
Match the route to your purpose
The decision table: what you are buying it for decides which route is right.
Hallmarking and your 2x right
Carats, fineness, the HUID, the exemptions, and the compensation rule that protects you.
How to read a gold bill
The six line items, a worked example, and the four questions to ask before you pay.
Making charges, wastage and resale
Where the money quietly disappears — and exactly how to cut it.
Buying jewellery safely
A counter script and a 12-point checklist you can keep on your phone.
Old-gold exchange
The arithmetic of exchanging old gold, and the capital-gains tax trap almost nobody explains.
Digital gold and the SEBI warning
The regulator's caution, the hidden costs, and when digital gold is fine.
Gold ETFs and funds
How to buy, what they cost, and how much gold belongs in a portfolio.
Silver — the volatile twin
Why silver moves so hard, how to buy it, and why it is not 'cheaper gold'.
Tax on gold and silver for FY 2026-27
GST at purchase, capital gains at sale, PAN, cash limits, gifts and inheritance.
The 2026 rule changes
The duty hike to 15%, the SGB tax change, and the market's shift to investment demand.
Scams and traps
Ten red flags that cover almost every gold fraud doing the rounds.
Selling gold and silver
Where to sell, the deductions to expect, and how to get the best price.
The Dhanteras 2026 decision framework
Four steps, a countdown calendar, and the honest bottom line for 6 November.
Three worked budgets
Rs. 50,000, Rs. 2 lakh, Rs. 10 lakh and Rs. 1 lakh — what each family should actually do.
Checklist and quick card
The 30-minute buyer's checklist, the five numbers to write down, and six costly mistakes.
FAQs, glossary and twelve myths
Your questions answered, every term in plain English, and the beliefs that cost buyers the most.
