Pledging Gold- To Do or Not to Do (That’s the Question)
Gold is considered
pious in India. It has been associated with the likeliness of Goddess Lakshmi,
the deity of prosperity and wealth. Buying gold commemorates auspicious
functions and celebrations. No doubt, pledging gold does not go too well with
Indian community.
Gold is also a prized
heirloom which is passed from one generation to another as a mark of family
legacy.
Also, the skyrocketing
prices of this metal make it a safe bet against odd times. Be it a medical
emergency, financial crisis, business requirement, one can pledge gold to bail
out of a perilous situation.
With changing times,
the concepts of people have also changed. Pledging gold is no longer considered
unacceptable. However, whether one should pledge gold or not is still a
debatable topic.
Pledged Gold Vs.
Instant Payment Against Gold
People realise that gold can be used as a security to meet their urgent
cash requirements. There is no doubt that gold loan market is soaring today.
Most banks as well as NBFC’s provide a loan against gold. But, the heavy amount
of interest levied on pledged gold is a major deterrent. One may even lose
their gold if the interest amount is not paid on time. For this reason, it is
recommended that one opts for getting cash against gold after getting a
proper evaluation of their gold.
Modern Outlook
With more and more people becoming educated and modern in their outlook,
the inhibitions associated with selling gold
for instant cash are being shunned. In urban dwellings, people prefer
getting instant payment against their gold items. The idea of mortgaging their
gold assets with banks or local jewellers does not go too well with their mindsets;
they do not want to get entangled in the web of surmounting interest.
Hard Earned Saving/Investment
Many of us buy gold as an investment against a potential financial
crunch. No wonder, we put our hard-earned income into it. Pledging gold at the
times of need is an option but not really recommended as the process entails
lot of complications. As a customer, even if you are being offered lucrative
interest rates by the creditor, it is not in your interest to get trapped in
the web of accumulating interest of pledged-gold. Moreover, credibility of the
creditor is a concern too. Many a times, one may get cheated at the hands of
creditor and end up paying huge interest against the pledged gold.
Financial Literacy
As a customer, one must understand the concept of gold-pledging clearly.
The poor segment can be easily lured into the concept without actually
understanding the underlying clauses of the process.
Sound financial literacy is required to be able to understand the
technicalities involved in the process. Otherwise, it may pose a serious risk
to the customer as it would be difficult to regain the pledged gold in case of
a default. There are hidden charges, late-payment charges and many intricate
obstacles that can torment you with a life long stress.
To summarize, it is suggested that in today’s scenario, you should not
burden yourself under the load of ever-increasing interest of pledged gold. You
should rather take a pledge to come out of a financial crisis by getting instant
payment against gold by evaluating your gold for highest price.
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