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Investment option
Precious metals need more than a weight and a spot price.
Gold, silver, platinum and palladium holdings create identity, purity, ownership, custody, insurance, valuation and disposal records that need to remain connected to the fund.
At a glance
A physical holding needs a verifiable position.
Metal type
Form
Weight
Purity
Ownership
Custody
Insurance
Valuation
The fund should be able to identify what it owns, where it is held and what supports its value.
Operating position
What sits behind a precious-metals holding.
01
Holding identity
Record the metal, form, refiner or mint, weight, purity and identifying references.
02
Ownership position
Keep invoices, certificates and fund ownership evidence connected to the holding.
03
Custody position
Record where and how the metal is stored, who controls access and whether holdings are allocated.
04
Value position
Keep valuation date, pricing source, premiums and any specialist valuation context visible.
Evidence position
Keep identity, custody and value evidence together.
Physical metals need an evidence trail that supports acquisition, ownership, authenticity, storage, insurance, valuation and eventual disposal.
Purchase invoices and settlement records
Assay certificates or authenticity records
Serial numbers and identifying photographs
Vault, custodian or storage records
Insurance policies and renewal records
Valuation and disposal evidence
Attention points
Precious metals create physical-asset attention points.
Custody, authenticity, personal access, insurance and reliable valuation should remain visible enough to support trustee and professional review.
01
Custody and access
The storage location and access arrangements should be documented and clearly separated from personal holdings.
02
Authenticity
The fund should retain evidence that supports metal type, weight, purity and the identity of the holding.
03
Insurance
Coverage, insured value and renewal details should remain current and connected to the holding.
04
Valuation
Spot prices may not capture premiums, condition, form or the circumstances of a particular holding.
How SMSF Home helps
Keep the precious-metals position visible.
01
Holding register
See each bullion bar, coin or other investment-grade metal position separately.
02
Custody record
Keep storage, access and custodian information connected to the asset.
03
Evidence continuity
Attach invoices, certificates, photographs and insurance records to the holding.
04
Valuation history
Record value, date, pricing source and supporting context consistently.
Bring the physical holding home
Keep precious-metal identity, ownership, custody, insurance and valuation evidence together.
Home Helper™ source and review record
Primary guidance sources
This educational summary is not a substitute for the current law, regulator guidance or advice based on the fund's circumstances. Use the primary sources below to check the rule and later changes.
- ATO - Investment strategy (opens in a new tab)
Source checked 2026-08-21
- ATO - What are the SMSF investment restrictions? (opens in a new tab)
Source checked 2026-08-21
- ATO - Valuation guidelines for self-managed super funds (opens in a new tab)
Source checked 2026-08-21
Resource version 1.0.0 / Content reviewed 2026-08-21