Gold Investment Robinhood: What to Expect for $5 Per Month

Author

Reads 736

Close-up image of high-quality gold bars, symbolizing wealth and investment potential.
Credit: pexels.com, Close-up image of high-quality gold bars, symbolizing wealth and investment potential.

Investing in gold through Robinhood can be a smart move for those looking to diversify their portfolio. With a low monthly fee of $5, you can start investing in gold with minimal costs.

Robinhood's gold investment option allows you to buy and sell gold coins and bars, giving you flexibility in your investment choices. The platform supports a wide range of gold products, including American Eagle coins and 1 oz gold bars.

The $5 monthly fee is a small price to pay for the benefits of investing in gold, including potential long-term growth and a hedge against market volatility. This fee is a fraction of the costs associated with traditional investment platforms.

Benefits and Features

Robinhood Gold offers a range of benefits that can help you grow your investment portfolio. With a Gold subscription, you'll get access to deeper market research and Level II market data, which can give you a more accurate picture of the market.

Detailed view of South African Krugerrand gold coins for investment and currency exchange.
Credit: pexels.com, Detailed view of South African Krugerrand gold coins for investment and currency exchange.

You'll also get to enjoy bigger instant deposits, which can be a big plus if you're looking to invest quickly. Plus, you'll have the option to apply for margin trading, which can help you make the most of your investments.

Here are some of the key benefits you can expect from Robinhood Gold:

  • 5.25% APY interest paid on uninvested brokerage cash for Robinhood Gold Members, but just 1.5% APY for non-Gold members
  • Bigger instant deposits
  • Professional research from Morningstar
  • Level II market data from Nasdaq
  • Margin investing at an interest rate of 8%
  • 3% match on eligible Robinhood IRA contributions

What Do You Get?

With Robinhood Gold, you'll get access to a range of benefits that can help you make the most of your investments. One of the standout features is the 5.25% APY interest paid on uninvested brokerage cash for Gold Members, compared to just 1.5% APY for non-Gold members.

You'll also get bigger instant deposits, which can be a game-changer for those who need to trade quickly. And with access to professional research from Morningstar, you'll have a wealth of information at your fingertips.

Level II market data from Nasdaq is another valuable benefit, providing you with more detailed information about market activity. And if you're looking to trade with more leverage, margin investing at an interest rate of 8% is available with a Gold subscription.

Crop anonymous person in authentic outfit showing Chinese gold bar presented for New Year
Credit: pexels.com, Crop anonymous person in authentic outfit showing Chinese gold bar presented for New Year

Here's a breakdown of the key benefits you can expect with Robinhood Gold:

These benefits can add up quickly, and with a Gold subscription costing just $60 per year, it's worth considering whether the extra features are worth the cost.

Is Safe?

Robinhood Gold operates under the same security standards as the standard Robinhood platform. This means you can have peace of mind knowing your investments are protected.

The standard Robinhood platform has SIPC protection, which covers up to $500,000, including a $250,000 limit for cash claims.

Cost and Pricing

Robinhood Gold is an affordable option for investors, costing just $5 per month. This is a great price for the benefits you get, including interest-free margin and Morningstar research.

You can try Robinhood Gold for free for 30 days, with no commitments. This is a great way to test the service and see if it's right for you.

After the trial period ends, you'll be charged $5 per month, with your first $1,000 of margin included. Any additional margin used will incur a yearly interest charge of 2.5% or 6.00% (as of 11/12/24) depending on the source.

Person Holding Gold and Silver Round Coins
Credit: pexels.com, Person Holding Gold and Silver Round Coins

To put this into perspective, $5 per month is the same as subscribing to popular streaming services like Apple TV+, Discovery+, Peacock, or Indieflix.

Here's a breakdown of the costs:

Overall, Robinhood Gold is a great value for the price, especially considering the benefits you get.

Is It Worth It?

Robinhood Gold costs $5 a month, and you need to consider your own trading habits and investing experience to decide if it's worth it.

If you want quick access to funds for large purchases, Robinhood Gold allows up to $50,000 in instant deposits, which can be a game-changer for taking advantage of market changes.

For active traders who self-manage their portfolios, the detailed Level II market data and analysis from Morningstar that comes with Robinhood Gold can be a valuable addition.

However, if you're a beginner or prefer a passive investment strategy, you may not find much value in Robinhood Gold and might be better off saving the $5 monthly fee.

A close-up of gold bars and coins symbolizing wealth and investment on a black background.
Credit: pexels.com, A close-up of gold bars and coins symbolizing wealth and investment on a black background.

You can earn interest on uninvested cash with Robinhood Gold, which can pay for the monthly fee with just a few trades or a moderate cash balance.

For example, earning $50 in interest from $1,000 of margin or $10,000 of uninvested cash would pay for an entire year's subscription.

But keep in mind that margin trading comes with extra levels of risk and financial responsibility, and you need to be prepared for the possibility of losses that can exceed the limit set by the broker.

If you're considering investing on margin, make sure you understand the risks and have done your research.

Here are some scenarios where Robinhood Gold might be worth it:

  • Quick access to funds for large purchases
  • Deeper research and data for advanced trading
  • Access to margin trading
  • Earning interest on uninvested cash

Ultimately, whether Robinhood Gold is worth it depends on how you plan to use the features and your individual financial situation.

How It Works

Robinhood Gold offers a subscription-based service that delivers premium features to make investing more efficient and profitable.

Close-up Photo of a Gold Coin
Credit: pexels.com, Close-up Photo of a Gold Coin

You can sign up for Robinhood Gold and access bigger instant deposits, interest on uninvested cash, margin benefits, advanced data, and professional research.

With Robinhood Gold, you can get instant access to up to $50,000, which is a significant improvement over the free account's limit of up to $1,000.

The actual amount of instant access you get depends on your account balance and status, so it's not a guarantee of $50,000.

You'll also get a 1% boost on eligible new deposits, which can add up to extra cash over time.

For example, depositing $5,000 into your account will get you an extra $50 over two years on top of your regular returns.

The deposit boost is distributed over 24 months, encouraging long-term investing habits.

Upgrading to Robinhood Gold is easy - simply navigate to Account > Menu (3 bars) > Investing > Robinhood Gold in your app or online account.

Your benefits will be activated immediately once you subscribe.

Morningstar Research

Close-up of a golden bar with ancient warrior engraving on red velvet.
Credit: pexels.com, Close-up of a golden bar with ancient warrior engraving on red velvet.

With a subscription to Robinhood Gold, you get access to in-depth research reports on around 1,700 different stocks from Morningstar.

These reports cover information including the company's business strategy, economic moat, fair market value, risk, and leadership.

They're available on the Robinhood mobile app as well as the website, and are updated frequently based on current company events.

A subscription to Morningstar is typically over $60 per year, but is included with Robinhood Gold, making it a valuable addition to your investment research.

Warrior Trading found that the Morningstar research reports don't give their readers an inherent edge, and a favorable rating doesn't mean you should necessarily buy the stock.

However, the reports can still be useful in making more informed investment decisions, and are definitely worth exploring if you're considering investing in a particular stock.

Charles Schwab and other brokers provide Morningstar reports for free, but Robinhood Gold's partnership with Morningstar still makes it a valuable feature for investors.

Margin Investing

Close-up of two gold bars placed on Euro banknotes, emphasizing wealth and investment.
Credit: pexels.com, Close-up of two gold bars placed on Euro banknotes, emphasizing wealth and investment.

With Robinhood Gold, you can access margin investing, which allows you to borrow money to buy more stocks, giving you greater potential gains or losses.

To qualify for margin trading, you must have a minimum of $2,000 in your Robinhood account, minus any cryptocurrency positions.

The interest rate for margin is currently set at 12% for standard Robinhood margin, but with Robinhood Gold, your first $1,000 in margin is interest-free, and then at 8% for any amounts above $1,000.

This is a significant difference, as it's 4% less than the standard rate.

You can set your own limit on how much money you can borrow from Robinhood, and track how much margin you use in the Robinhood app's Margin Investing settings.

Here are the key metrics you'll see:

  • Total Margin: the maximum margin you are allowed based on your portfolio value;
  • Margin Used: the portion of the margin you are currently using; and
  • Borrowing Limit: your own self-imposed limit on how much money you can borrow from Robinhood.

It's worth noting that you won't earn interest on any uninvested cash if you're using margin, as margin balances take priority.

Financial Information

Gold investment on Robinhood is a relatively low-cost option, with no commission fees for buying or selling gold ETFs.

You can invest in gold through Robinhood's platform by purchasing a gold ETF, which tracks the price of gold.

The minimum investment requirement for gold on Robinhood is $1, and you can start investing with as little as that amount.

Financial Position

Detailed close-up of gold bars and coins symbolizing wealth and investment opportunities.
Credit: pexels.com, Detailed close-up of gold bars and coins symbolizing wealth and investment opportunities.

Robinhood offers a range of financial tools, including a debit card linked to your spending account.

In the U.S., clients are protected by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), which provides a safety net for your investments.

You can earn interest on uninvested cash in your Robinhood account, with standard members earning 1.5% APY and Robinhood Gold members earning up to 5.25% APY.

To make the most of the 5.25% APY, you'll need to have at least $1,714 in cash in your account throughout the year.

If you have $10,000 in uninvested cash, you could generate $500 in interest with Robinhood Gold, compared to just $1 with a standard account.

Robinhood Gold offers a 3% match on IRA contributions, which can be a valuable perk for those looking to grow their retirement savings.

If you use margin investing, you'll need to be aware of the interest rates, which are currently set at 12% for standard Robinhood margin and 8% for Robinhood Gold members.

A Happy Man in White Shirt Looking at a Gold Coin
Credit: pexels.com, A Happy Man in White Shirt Looking at a Gold Coin

The interest-free margin for the first $1,000 with Robinhood Gold is a significant benefit, especially for those who want to invest without incurring interest charges.

Robinhood's trading platform gets relatively high marks for its charting features, which allow customers to view technical indicators like moving averages.

You can also access OTC stocks and IPOs with Robinhood, making it a solid choice for traders.

In total, Robinhood offers 15 different cryptocurrencies, making it a popular choice for crypto traders.

Trades of stocks, ETFs, and options are commission-free at Robinhood Financial LLC, which is a major advantage for investors.

Please see Robinhood Financial’s Fee Schedule to learn more about the fees associated with trading on the platform.

How to Cancel

Canceling a financial service can be a bit of a hassle, but it's often easier than you think. If you decide to cancel your Robinhood Gold subscription, you can do so by navigating to Account > Menu > Investing > Robinhood Gold > Cancel Membership.

You'll still have access to all the Gold features until your current billing cycle ends. This means you can keep using the higher interest rate and other benefits until the cycle is over.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you invest in Gold on Robinhood?

Robinhood Gold allows you to invest with margin, catering to a wide range of investors. Learn more about investing with margin on Robinhood

Is there a catch to Robinhood Gold?

To get the 3% cashback, you need to be a Robinhood Gold Status member, which requires a monthly or annual fee. There's also a catch on redeeming rewards, which can only be used within the Robinhood brokerage account or for travel and gift cards.

How to buy gold stock?

You can buy gold stock through brokerage accounts and online trading platforms, such as shares of gold mining stocks, gold streaming stocks, and gold ETFs. Consider exploring these options to learn more about investing in gold.

James Hoeger-Bergnaum

Senior Assigning Editor

James Hoeger-Bergnaum is an experienced Assigning Editor with a proven track record of delivering high-quality content. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, James has curated articles that captivate and inform readers. His expertise spans a wide range of subjects, including in-depth explorations of the New York financial landscape.

Love What You Read? Stay Updated!

Join our community for insights, tips, and more.