Posts by Arthur Long5

Taylor Ramirez76 said:Thanks for the info! I'm honestly not sure if it's worth the effort since my tax amount was only around $200.

It simply isn't worth your while, so let us move on...

Taylor Ramirez76 said:Hi there!

I was wondering if anyone here has gone through the process of claiming back dividend withholding tax in Germany?

Here’s my situation: I had some dividends that were immediately reinvested—basically, I used the payout to buy more shares—but the tax was still deducted upfront.
Since I’m not a German citizen and don't have any other ties to Germany, am I actually eligible to claim that money back even though I didn't receive the cash in hand? I’m completely in the dark on this topic, so any advice or guidance would be hugely appreciated! 😵

The United States has a tax treaty with Germany to prevent double taxation.
I believe a 15% tax rate should apply, though you ought to verify that detail yourself.
Once confirmed, you can simply download the necessary refund forms online, submit the required documentation, and follow the instructions provided on the web.

It seems the administrative costs might run around $50 to $60, which makes it hardly worth the effort unless the amount is substantial.

A quick Google search should yield everything you need; personally, I decided it wasn't worth the headache...

You could always send it via Greyhound. You just hand the driver 20$10 along with an envelope to deliver to the person waiting on the other end.
Those were the methods used in the past, and I see that some people still feel the need to rely on them today...

Philoro.
I used to purchase tiles where they would handle shipments valued up to $22,000, and the delivery fee to the States was only $32.

So, if you are looking to move more than $22,000 worth of goods, you could simply split it into two separate shipments and pay $32 for each...

I never acted as a seller myself, nor is that something I could manage through the mail.
When it comes time to sell, you should weigh which option actually makes sense for you.
Whether it is worth driving over to Chicago, or just selling everything right here in America...

Michael Morgan5 said:If you’re just picking up a few gold coins, you might as well just buy them right here in New York City.
When you step up to a 1kg bar, though, you're looking at a savings of about $1,000 easy.
Driving down to Austria on your own with a little extra cash in hand will run you maybe $100. So, if you're playing both sides of the trade, call it $200 since you're making the trip twice.
A round-trip flight from New York City to Vienna for two people would set you back roughly $500.
The math is pretty straightforward.
If your goal is simply to walk away with more cash in your pocket after the deal is done, there's no need to overthink the philosophy behind it.

I personally paid $185 less in Austria compared to what I would have paid here in the States. I didn't even travel; I just paid $30 for direct shipping to my front door. Even factoring in that shipping cost, a $185 difference is significant...
I don't see any point in wasting time and fuel when you can get doorstep delivery for thirty bucks.
Of course, if you happen to be passing through anyway, that changes the equation...

Have you been looking at the markets in Austria?
I personally made my purchase through
https://philoro.com/shop/gold-bars

Shipping to the States runs about $30...

I fail to see the logic in utilizing PayPal when one already has Chime at their disposal.
It becomes quite overwhelming to read accounts claiming PayPal is the superior choice while characterizing Chime as unreliable and such...

I don't understand why everyone is making such a fuss here.
Honestly, what kind of safe would you even need from $333... unless, of course, you were sitting on a massive stockpile of gold bars worth millions of dollars.
If a person just holds a few small bars, even the smallest available safe will suffice.

A single 250g gold bar, valued at well over $10,000, is quite miniature in scale... actually, its dimensions are significantly smaller than a standard Hershey's chocolate bar.

If you happen to be holding a significant amount of wealth, utilizing a bank safety deposit box remains the most prudent course of action...

The Vanguard fund shows a tracking error compared to its underlying index.
Which specific Vanguard fund did you pick?
Some funds track their benchmarks more accurately than others, while some lag behind... there is always a slight margin of error, and one also has to consider the possibility of someone selling the fund below its net asset value.

A Vanguard fund characterized by high trading volume and significant liquidity should theoretically exhibit a much smaller deviation...

A gentleman who avoids reading—despite his claims of studying the gold markets—has just received some polite advice. True gentlemen don't spend their time reading; they simply act and purchase, regardless of the current price.

Even Goldman Sachs might seem overpriced at times, but if one refuses to stay informed, they will inevitably end up paying much more...

Physical gold is hardly a suitable vehicle for short-term speculation. The spread between the buy and sell prices is far too wide, not to mention the inherent risks and the ongoing costs of secure storage.

Working with a broker is a regulated activity, where assets are insured up to a certain limit. One really shouldn't go looking for trouble with obscure, offshore brokers when there are established, reputable firms available...

Personally, I hold physical bullion, though my intention is to hold it for the long term.

I wasn't addressing you; I was speaking to the individual above you, you amateur.
Regarding brokers, there are dedicated threads specifically for them where you can discover the top-tier options, though you will find plenty of guidance here as well.

The question of where to purchase physical gold has been addressed at least a hundred times on this thread—you can find the most recent discussion just two pages back.
It is quite tedious to constantly repeat the same information, simply because every couple of days, some newcomer will inevitably jump in and ask the exact same thing about buying physical gold.

Michelle Gonzalez11 said:I’m also wondering about the best places to pick up physical gold—and where one might actually store it securely, assuming we aren't talking about hiding it under a mattress or in a home safe. I'd also like to know where to offload it later on. My focus is strictly on long-term holding.

Could you perhaps try reading a bit more?
In all the gold threads, the same shops in Austria are constantly being mentioned, along with local dealers here in the States and over in Canada.
Wherever you buy it, you can sell it back there too, and if you had bothered to stay active on the board, you could have simply visited a dealer's website and read everything they have to offer. They often provide professional vault storage services as well.
You can even order gold online; I have done this myself and wrote two full pages about my purchase process and the specific vendor I used just a few posts ago.
But clearly, you aren't interested in doing the legwork... typical American, too lazy to read when someone is handing everything to them on a silver platter.

The purpose of this forum isn't to serve up easy answers for intruders and the lazy, but rather to facilitate the exchange of genuine experiences and perspectives...
This community has been helpful to me, and I found the information on where to buy within this very thread, yet I saw no reason to ask again when the answer has already been written a hundred times.

velvetfalcon44 said:If you're looking to flip it in just a couple of months, you're better off going through Plus500. But honestly, don't go straight to them—they have an Admiral Markets representative right here in the States. You can just sign up online.
Just to be clear, I don't have any skin in the game with them and I'm not vouching for them or anything, but Admiral Markets shouldn't give you trouble paying out if you actually turn a profit.
With Plus500, I'm a bit more skeptical because I've heard people having some rough experiences.
There's also the option of opening an account with Interactive Brokers, though they usually want a massive deposit—like $10,000—and they don't offer much leverage. Plus, the onboarding process is a total headache compared to Admiral Markets, which I think is way smoother. I opened an account there ages ago just to test the waters, but I never actually pulled the trigger on a trade.

Now, if you go the route of buying physical gold, you're obviously going to get hit with a commission, usually around 3.5% of the price.

When you're holding an open position, your main expense is the swap fee. Basically, every night while your position is live, they deduct a specific amount—you'll see it listed in MetaTrader when you click on the pair you're trading, whether you're using the app or their web platform.

Your best bet is to check in with Admiral Markets and see what works for you. But look, if you aren't familiar with how MetaTrader and all this stuff actually functions, you definitely need to do your homework first.
And hey, if you're planning on moving serious money, physical gold is probably the safer play—nothing beats having the actual thing in your hands.

Goldman Sachs has actually waived that $10,000 minimum for opening an account nearly a year ago. There isn't much hassle involved; you simply complete the application and your account is active within two days...
I am not sure how it used to be, but this is 2019 and everything moves quite quickly and simply now...
In my opinion, the best course of action would be to buy a gold-tracking ETF if you are looking to speculate on a shorter timeframe...

cosmicscout9 said:Hey!
I'm looking to pick up 100g of gold. Any tips on where to grab it? I've got a trip coming up in a few weeks through Scranton - Chicago - NYC - Philly... Does it even matter where I buy, or is the price pretty much the same everywhere based on the market?

I opted to go through an online retailer instead of visiting a physical shop, and I found the process quite straightforward... Shipping was roughly $30.

ironcyclist58 said:So there's this topic.

The subject matter isn't actually identical... from what I can gather, this discussion focuses specifically on Wise, whereas the other one covers general methods for transferring funds

Kate Ortiz said:I've never bought anything outside the States, but for that kind of amount, the spread here in America is probably around 2-3%. Honestly, I doubt you'll find a significantly better price abroad either. Even if you do manage to save something, we're talking maybe $10 or $20 tops. It’s hardly worth the hassle unless you're already passing by the shop anyway.

I'm no expert, so maybe someone else knows more than I do.

On a $7,000 purchase, saving $100-$150 is actually quite significant...
Shipping from Germany costs about $29, so even if you order online, you could still walk away with a $100 profit...

Megan Williams9 said:Experts, I need some guidance here. A buddy of mine is looking to pick up about $7,500 worth of investment gold—specifically 20g bars. I’m heading out to Portland soon, so I’m wondering where the best spot would be to pull the trigger? Should he look in Germany, France, or Switzerland—maybe even Austria? He’s dead set against buying online; he wants to walk into a physical shop and handle the transaction in person. Any advice? THANKS

I personally purchased from Philoro; they delivered my order by mail, though they do offer in-store options as well.

You have a signed contract for the car sale, but that’s beside the point.
A larger transfer wouldn't even hit $10,000, let alone anything less than that.

We have already discussed this matter previously, so I would suggest reviewing the earlier pages before you begin posing such questions...

Karen Morales said:How would this play out if I moved back to the States?

Let's say I head back home—I want to grab an apartment and a car. I'm keeping all my cash in an overseas account.

Can I just pay for the car or the place directly from that foreign account, or am I forced to move the money into a US bank first?

If I drop 100k on a condo and 20k on a car, should I be expecting a call from the IRS?

Thanks

There is no reason for the IRS to bother you unless the money originated from somewhere like the Cayman Islands.
If your funds are held in a bank in, say, Germany, the money is already within the established financial system, and if any issues arise, the German authorities would be the ones investigating...

There is no reason why you couldn't pay using funds from a foreign account, and even if you are questioned, you simply provide proof of the source via your foreign bank statements...