Leading Precious Metals Company Says It's a Great Time to Own Gold and Other Precious Metals

SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 21 /PRNewswire/ -- It's a great time to own gold and other precious metals, according to Kevin DeMeritt, president of Lear Capital, a leading precious metals company to investors and institutional clients.

According to DeMeritt, a growing investor appetite for safe haven assets due to worsening economic and political uncertainty will skyrocket gold prices.

Daily, DeMeritt and his staff help thousands of clients expand their portfolios to include precious metals, but DeMeritt says consumers are often scared about investing in precious metals and don't understand how to do it or with whom to work.

DeMeritt offers consumers the following tips:

1. Beginning gold investors should have no more than five-to-20 percent of their assets in precious metals. Precious metals are a long term investment and don't pay interest or dividends. Expect to own your investment for at least three-to-five years or longer;
2. Do some research to understand the different types of gold and each of the risks and rewards. There's a difference between the physical market that includes coins and bullion, and mining shares and futures;
3. Work with a reputable company. The company should be in business for at least five years or longer and the better companies have newsletters, e-mail clients, updated websites and other ways to communicate with their clients on a regular basis;
4. When purchasing precious metals and coins, obtain the terms of the transaction in writing;
5. Make sure the price you're quoted for your purchase is locked-in on the day of the transaction so you pay that price the day the company receives your check;
6. The company where you buy the precious metals should have a written buy back policy;
7. Store your physical gold in a security deposit box or small safe. If you don't have access to either, contact a depository to hold the metals;
8. If a person chooses to invest in numismatic coins, make sure it has been certified by either the Numismatic Guarantee Corporation (NGC) or Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS). This ensures the authenticity and quality of the coin;
9. Never send money to a company until you have the exact quantity, quality and denomination of the metals that you are purchasing. This also should include shipping and insurance charges. Always ask when you will receive your order once the company has received your funds; and
10. If you don't understand, ask questions. Like any investment, you want to understand it and feel at ease. If the company you're working with refuses to help you, select another company.

DeMeritt predicts gold will continue to increase as there's more demand then mining supply. He says several gold funds reached all-time highs in 2006 and are still trending upward.

Founded in 1997 with 13 employees, the company reported $5 million in gross sales its first year. In less than 10 years, the company has 46 employees and has grown 1,760 percent to gross sales revenues of $88 million.

A recognized industry leader, Lear Capital works with all types of precious metals to help clients meet their specific investment needs. Each client receives a personal account representative to assist with purchasing or liquidating precious metals and clients have 24-hour online access to Lear. The company prides itself on keeping clients updated on the market and offers an "Investor-Friendly Service Guarantee." Most important, the company is transparent about any costs and fees and every transaction is contracted.

To learn more about investing in gold and gold bullion through Lear Capital call 800-576-9355 or visit http://www.LearCapital.com/.

About Lear Capital, Inc.
Founded in 1997, Lear Capital is a leading precious metals company to investors and institutional clients. With an "Investor-Friendly Service Guarantee" Lear Capital provides investors with the tools needed to securely purchase, sell and trade precious metals. Lear Capital offers a diverse suite of intelligent investment resources including real-time pricing, regular e-mail alerts, newsletters, and personal account representatives to answer questions. Lear Capital not only enables investors to stay current on the latest developments in the gold and precious metal market, but also gives investors the flexibility to move gold and precious metals as expeditiously as conventional paper investments. For more information, please visit http://www.LearCapital.com/.