Related Links

Featured Links





Recommended Products



 

 
Featured Articles

Make Money on the Internet
Yes you can make money on the internet and can do it without risk using the PLUG-INPROFITS programme that guarantees you will be making money within the first two weeks of commencing the programme.A lot of us want to make money on the internet don't we, ...

Save Money By Cutting Recurring Expenses
One of the greatest things about running an online business is the extremely low operating costs it has compared to a brick and mortar business. However, there are still many tools online marketers need. In essence, web hosting, auto responders, list ...

The Convenience Of Making Money On The Internet
According to a study conducted by the National Post, consumers and buyers tend to stay away from crowded shopping malls when they go out and look nice things to buy. How do they go about buying the things they need and want without going to the shopping ...


Google
The History Of Gold As Money
 
Gold is one of the most dynamic elements of the modern economy and some might find it funny that the oldest form of valuing physical commodities is still thriving today. The first gold coins were produced in 700 BC and since then the precious metal has been used as the primary exchange element. The fact that gold was scarce and highly valued made it the perfect means of exchange, regardless of what the exchanged items were. The history of gold turning into money spans over a period of 2600 years and the turning point in gold's history is the year 1971.
How Did Gold Become Paper?
Throughout history, gold and silver coins went through a process of debauching. Such coins began to be created out of gold and other metals, thus making the values of the actual coinage fluctuate in time. The process of turning physical gold into money began when goldsmiths, who used to store gold for other society members for a fee, started to issue receipts for their storage. The receipts idea spread quickly as it was more convenient than carrying the actual metal with them, so people began to get accustomed to the idea of paper money. Goldsmiths gradually turned into bankers and the currency evolutionary process continued developing.
Why Did The Gold Window Close?
The 15th of August 1971 is the day when the "Gold window" was closed by the American president Richard Nixon. From that moment on, paper money could no longer be converted to gold, a fact that took the precious metal out of currency exchanges. In order to understand why the situation with gold in the economy reached this point, let's travel back in time to the moment when bankers saw the opportunity of replacing metal with paper money. Since they had the power of issuing the receipts for gold, bankers thought of producing more receipts than the amount of gold they held. But, as you would expect, this practice also became popular and bankers soon started lending these receipts to the early governments and to the monarchs of the epoch.



New Acts And Regulations Concerning The Use Of Gold
England was the country where bankers created the first central bank. The main purpose of such a bank was to lend money to monarchs, but it also served as protection for those bankers who issued more money than they could redeem in gold. However, it became obvious that this practice had a negative impact on the country's economy. This lead to the apparition of the "Peel's Bank Act", which stated that banks are not allowed to issue more paper money than the gold they actually had in reserves. Thus, the importance of gold as a decisive factor in the global economy remained high all throughout modern financial history. What Do You Know About Modern Gold?
An interesting evolution of gold prices began in 1934, when gold was priced at $ 20. In the period until 1971, the gold price remained around $35. However, with the changes that occurred in the global economy, gold prices reached $300 and they remained above or very near this threshold. Various factors in the geopolitical world had their influences on the evolution of modern gold prices.
Can Gold be Controlled?
Do you ever think about gold when you are going to work or while shopping? Even though our modern society perceives gold more as a fashion item, nations still rely on the power of the precious metal in order to keep their economies balanced. We might not see gold in stores, while paying our taxes, or while taking credits from a bank, but it is an element profoundly involved in all these actions. It is fair to say that, throughout human history, we were often the ones being controlled by this precious metal, and not vice versa, as most people believe.
About the Author
Dean Brown is the Author of "A Guide To Investing in Gold", an e-book decidated to helping people understand that gold is an essential part of any investment portfolio. To get more details and enroll in Dean's free mini-course on Gold Investing, go to http://www.goldinvestingbook.com

News



USA TODAY

Money Watch: How do I make my 401(k) last after retiring?
USA TODAY
Money Watch, a personal finance column that runs every Saturday, features a financial planner from the National Association of Personal Financial Advisorsanswering reader questions about saving, protecting and growing your money. To submit a question, ...

and more »

Christian Science Monitor

MONEY WEEK AHEAD: Crowded Bond Havens To Find Little Reprieve
Wall Street Journal
By Cynthia Lin Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--With few places to hide from the growing storm in Greece, investors will keep sending their money to safe-haven US Treasurys and German bunds despite record low rates of return.
MONEY MARKETS-Calmer before EU summit, but Greek worries remainReuters
How to keep your money safe if the euro implodesRegister
Amid eurozone turmoil, Germany borrows money for freeChristian Science Monitor
International Business Times -This is Money -The Guardian (blog)
all 9,178 news articles »

kypost.com

Maine churches raising money to fight gay marriage
CBS News
Between 150 and 200 churches are expected to raise money for the Protect Marriage Maine political action committee, said Carroll Conley Jr., executive director of the Christian Civic League of Maine evangelical organization and a member of the PAC.
AP: Churches to raise money to fight gay marriageU.S. News & World Report

all 347 news articles »

New York Daily News

Money Pros: How to choose between an adjustable or fixed rate mortgage
New York Daily News
The Money Pros are standing by to take your questions. Q. What are the pros and cons of 30 year-fixed vs. adjustable rate (ARM) mortgages? How do I figure out which is best for me? A. Knowing what type of mortgage is right for you is all about timing.

and more »

TIME

In Facebook IPO fiasco the 'smart money' got burnt
ZDNet (blog)
By Tom Foremski | May 25, 2012, 3:34pm PDT There's a lot of anger around the botched IPO of Facebook but much of that is from the “smart money” that wasn't able to convince retail investors, the regular people who invest in stocks, to take their shares ...
Facebook IPO's Youngest Victim: 11-Year-Old Investor Wants His Money BackTIME
Morgan Stanley made money on Facebook share dropFortune (blog)
Facebook demonstrated perils of IPO investing, but sector offers money to be madeWinnipeg Free Press
Christian Science Monitor -Bloomberg -Chicago Tribune
all 5,421 news articles »