Compare
Selling Half vs. Borrowing on All of It
The sensible-feeling middle option. Worth comparing properly, because the numbers land closer together than people expect.
No credit check and no obligation. If borrowing is the wrong answer for your situation, you will be told that first.
The whole argument, in one line
Selling is permanent and can be taxable.
A loan is neither.
65%
Advance against value
$15k
Minimum loan
Same
Bars returned
Live market
Business-purpose loans only. Not available in Nevada, Vermont, North Dakota and South Dakota.
Side by side
| Category | Borrowing against it | Selling Part of It |
|---|---|---|
| Cash raised on $100,000 | About $65,000 | About $50,000 |
| Metal still owned | $100,000, less the debt | $50,000 |
| Taxable disposal | None by itself | On the half you sold |
| Ongoing obligation | Monthly interest | None. Partial sale wins here |
| Simplicity | A loan to manage | Cleaner. Partial sale wins here |
| If prices fall | Possible margin call on the pledged metal | Half the exposure. Partial sale wins here |
| Minimum | Full holding must clear $23,000 | No minimum. Partial sale wins here |
| Rebuilding the half sold | Nothing to rebuild | Market plus premium |
Every row marked “wins here” is a real advantage of the alternative, and on this site the alternative wins a lot of them. A comparison where the lender wins every row is an advertisement.
The fair case
What selling part of it genuinely does better
Selling part of a holding is the most underrated option here and frequently the sensible one. It raises cash with no obligation, no term and no ratio, while keeping most of the position intact. If the amount you need is small relative to what you hold, liquidating a slice is simpler than any financing arrangement and costs nothing to maintain. We would rather point someone at this than write a facility they did not need.
The limit
Where the gap is
It works cleanly only if the holding divides cleanly. A stack of smaller coins or bars sells in pieces easily; a single large bar does not, and selling it to raise a fraction of its value means converting far more of your position than you intended. There is the same permanence problem as any sale — the portion sold is gone, with its spread paid and whatever tax consequences apply, which again is a question for your own adviser. The practical test is arithmetic: if the slice you would have to sell is close to what you would borrow against the whole, sell the slice.
Our view
The honest verdict
A partial sale is the right answer if you were over-allocated to metal and wanted to reduce anyway — you get a cleaner balance sheet and no monthly obligation. It is the wrong answer if you would rebuild that half later, because you raised less cash, realized a gain, and will pay the round trip to undo it. The deciding question is not financial: do you actually want to own less metal?
Run your own numbers
Instant estimate
What could you borrow?
Enter the ounces you hold. We advance up to 65% of market value.
| Metal | Spot / oz | Your oz | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | $4,600.00 | $0.00 | |
| Silver | $69.00 | $0.00 | |
| Platinum | $1,840.00 | $0.00 | |
| Palladium | $1,329.00 | $0.00 |
Estimate only. Final advance rate and terms are confirmed after your collateral is inspected and verified. Spot prices are indicative and move continuously. Minimum loan is $15,000 (about $23,077 in collateral value at our 65% rate).
These are business-purpose loans and are not offered for personal, family or household use. Not available in Nevada, Vermont, North Dakota and South Dakota. If metal prices fall materially we may contact you about adding collateral or paying down the balance to keep the loan-to-value in range.
Other comparisons
Selling Outright vs. Borrowing
The straight comparison, with selling given a fair hearing. It wins on more rows than a lender usually admits.
Explore →
Pawning It vs. Borrowing Against It
Both lend against metal. The similarity ends at the advance rate and the interest, and pawn genuinely wins on speed and access.
Explore →
Selling Now, Buying Back Later
The plan almost everyone has, and the one almost nobody costs out properly.
Explore →
Waiting vs. Acting
The option nobody lists, chosen more often than either of the others, and occasionally correct.
Explore →
Next step
Run it both ways before you decide.
No credit check and no obligation. Tell us what you hold and what the money is for, and if selling is the better answer for your situation you will be told that first.
Business purpose only. Not available in Nevada, Vermont, North Dakota and South Dakota.