Tip - 7 Ways Not to Buy Gold

Given that $52 billion worth of gold was sold last year for investment purposes, according to the World Gold Council, it's not surprising that shady dealers have lined up for a piece of the action. Most of the total was invested in gold mutual funds or exchange-traded funds. But some of us like to possess the lustrous stuff by buying it in coins or bars -- and that's when you can get ripped off. Regulators say the number of rip-offs is rising with the price of the precious metal.