What does the gold industry contribute to society?

There are currently 238 active gold mines in 36 countries on every continent except Antarctica, often in remote and impoverished areas. A World Gold Council report shows that responsible gold mining greatly contributes to many local communities’ economic and social development. 

Gold has been a unique precious metal with great emotional, cultural and financial value throughout history. In addition, gold has an increasing number of technological applications, including in mobile phones, medical test kits and airbags for vehicles. 

Gold resources are also a key source of opportunities in many developing countries. As a World Gold Council report shows, responsible gold mining generates numerous jobs, facilitates the construction of infrastructure, contributes to the development of local communities, and brings in substantial revenues through taxes and royalties. 

Well-paid employment

Analysis of the operations of the 29 member companies of the World Gold Council shows that in 2023 they contributed 57.52 billion euros to their countries’ economies, supporting 212,000 direct jobs and 163,000 businesses. In addition, each job in the gold industry generates another six indirect jobs in the supply chain, or almost that many more if spin-off occupations are included.

Workers in the gold industry are well paid, averaging six times the national average wage. It should be noted that 95 % of the employees belong to the country where the mine is located. The percentage of expatriates has halved in the last seven years. 

Development of local communities

Companies in the sector recognise the mutual benefits of integrating as much as possible into the local economy, using indigenous people and supply chains. This underpins their “licence to operate” and allows the community to benefit from the economic and social development of the mine.  

Indeed, operating in an isolated enclave while ignoring the local community is no longer a viable option for any mining company. To be successful, they must generate sustainable benefits for local people, especially in the poorest and most remote locations, where there are often few alternative avenues for economic activity and community progress. 

This has resulted in World Gold Council member companies spending more than €620 million in community investment by 2023, an increase of €77 million over the previous year. In addition to meeting the needs of a gold mine, it is clear that investments in roads, water supply and electricity will be of long-term benefit to local businesses and communities.

We must add almost €8 billion paid in taxes and royalties, which go back into improving public services, education, health, and infrastructure in the countries where the mines are located. In many developing countries, these taxes constitute a significant proportion of the national tax base and benefit both mining and non-mining areas. 

A significant contribution to GDP

In total, the contribution of these companies to the GDP of the 36 countries where they operate is estimated at around 57 billion euros. For every euro of gold production, at least 63 cents ended up as wages, taxes, or income for local business owners.  

While historically mining operations have not always led to improvements in the human and social development of local communities, there is a growing trend towards strict environmental, governance and social protocols as a condition of operating. As a result, the gold industry is becoming an important economic and social driver for many countries around the world. 

If you want to discover the best option to protect your savings, enter Preciosos 11Onze. We will help you buy at the best price the safe-haven asset par excellence: physical gold.

One of the founding objectives of 11Onze is to offer tools so that our community can reduce costs by managing their money more effectively. Some might think that this is just a marketing slogan, a nice phrase that sounds good and that’s it. Therefore, we have contacted some of our 11Onze Segurs customers to let their testimonials speak for themselves.

Offering a good product at a reasonable price is not an easy job. At 11Onze Segurs we analysed the different options provided by the home insurance market for months, as well as carrying out studies of insurance costs through surveys of members of our community who are homeowners.

The objective was clear: to be able to offer our clients the best home insurance, comparing coverage from various providers to find the best option that adapted to the particular circumstances of each one, and at a more than competitive price, from €5 per month.

But the price is not everything. From the outset, it was clear to us that we had to reduce the amount of paperwork and small print that accompanies any insurance policy. Simplicity and transparency in the scope of the cover we are taking out give us more peace of mind and avoid last-minute surprises.

The result of a job well done

The effort has been worth it, and we believe we have succeeded. At 11Onze Segurs you can take out and manage your home insurance from your mobile phone, streamlining procedures, paying a monthly or annual fee, with no permanence, between 15% and 20% cheaper than with traditional insurance companies, and without forgetting our commitment to society as a certified B Corp company.

But it is not just us telling you, Vincenç Aguilà, from Sabadell, explains that he was clearly overpaying for his home insurance. By switching to 11Onze Segurs he saves €350 a year. And when we asked him what he intended to do with the money he saved: “Reinvest it in 11Onze!

From Roquetes, Gemma Monllau explains that she is “delighted with the decision to change insurance”, she has saved €55 in the policy fee, which will help her to cover “other expenses, as everything is getting more expensive!“. Xavier Tornos, from Terrassa, had no doubts, with the €100 he has saved by switching to 11Onze Segurs, he has bought “a new Bluetooth speaker!

If you want to discover fair insurance for your home and for society, check 11Onze Segurs.

If you are concerned about the quality of the water your family drinks, you most likely carry large quantities of carafes or bottles of mineral water that over a year cost you more than 1,000 euros. With a tap water filter, you can continue to enjoy quality water, reduce your expenses by 15 times, help the planet and save yourself backaches.

Saving doesn’t necessarily mean depriving yourself of a lot of things. It often means avoiding unnecessary cost overruns on essential products. That’s why 11Onze Essentials was created, so you can cut costs on products you can’t do without. 

The first of these products available at the 11Onze website is related to water, the essential liquid of life. You need to drink two litres a day, and we usually end up buying a huge amount of bottles, with the consequent environmental impact due to the plastic waste. 

A family of four drinks an average of 2,920 litres of water per year. This means a minimum expenditure of 1,196 euros when averaging the prices of the most popular 1.5-litre bottles in the main supermarkets in Spain. 

In environmental terms, this consumption means more than 60 kg of plastic dumped on the planet and a similar amount of CO₂ emitted into the atmosphere during manufacture and transport. 

More than a thousand euros in savings

Is it possible to drink good quality, good-tasting water, save money and help preserve the planet? The answer is yes. As simple as replacing bottled water consumption with filtered water. The Tappwater filter, which is made of 70% from coconut shells, captures up to 100 substances that can be found in tap water, including heavy metals. 

In terms of economic savings, the simple installation of this filter, which does not require any tools, is equivalent to a saving of more than 1,100 euros per year for a family of four. From almost 1,200 euros for the purchase of bottled water to less than 90 euros. 

The kit with the filter and the necessary refills for the annual consumption costs 79.99 euros. And you only have to add less than 10 euros of tap water consumption, taking into account that the average price of tap water in Spain is approximately 0.0019 euros per litre and that you can filter up to 4,800 litres with the Tappwater annual pack.

The planet also gets less plastic and CO₂. 

In addition, you can save the environment around 1,947 of plastic bottles that you don’t have to carry home and 63 kg of CO₂. And you also ensure that your water is free of the microplastics that can be released from plastic containers when they degrade due to environmental heat, and which have been shown to already be present in our bloodstream. 

All Tappwater products undergo stringent quality tests before being shipped to customers, and therefore come with a one-year guarantee.

If you want to discover how to drink the best water, save money and help the planet, go to 11Onze Essentials.

Es consideren dipòsits de valor aquells actius, divises i mercaderies que no es devaluen amb el temps. L’or i altres metalls preciosos han estat històricament els dipòsits de valor per excel·lència, mentre que en les últimes dècades s’han fet evidents les grans deficiències de les monedes fiduciàries.

Com indica la Investopedia, “un dipòsit de valor és essencialment un actiu, mercaderia o divisa que pot guardar-se, recuperar-se i intercanviar-se en el futur sense que es deteriori el seu valor” quan l’intercanviem per productes o serveis: si avui equival a deu pomes, passat un temps haurem de poder intercanviar-lo per, com a mínim, deu pomes també.

L’or i altres metalls preciosos han estat considerats al llarg de la història els dipòsits de valor per antonomàsia perquè la seva vida útil és pràcticament il·limitada. I, si comprovem l’evolució del preu de l’or en les últimes dècades, veurem que una unça ha passat de cotitzar per sota dels 300 dòlars quan va entrar en circulació l’euro l’any 2002 a superar els 1.900 dòlars en l’actualitat.

En l’altre extrem, productes peribles com les pomes són pèssims dipòsits de valor perquè en pocs dies es descomponen i perden tot el seu valor. Tot i que determinats productes bàsics com els aliments poden pujar de preu temporalment en funció de la situació del mercat, el seu caràcter perible impedeix considerar-los dipòsits de valor.

Els diners moderns suspenen com a dipòsit de valor

Òbviament, l’euro i la resta de les monedes fiduciàries són dipòsits de valor molt deficients perquè no es revaloren al mateix ritme que els productes i serveis que permeten adquirir. Encara que les nostres monedes haurien de ser un dipòsit de valor raonablement estable, la inflació fa que el cafè que fa uns anys compràvem en un bar per un euro avui dia ens costi bastant més. Els nostres diners es deprecien dia rere dia.

Richard Nixon va posar fi al patró or l’any 1971, que fins llavors obligava als països del Fons Monetari Internacional (FMI) a mantenir un tipus de canvi fix respecte al dòlar i a la Reserva Federal dels Estats Units a recolzar la seva divisa amb or. Des de llavors, utilitzem monedes fiduciàries, és a dir, monedes que són de curs legal però que no estan recolzades per cap bé valuós. Tots els bancs centrals poden fabricar diners segons la seva conveniència i el seu únic aval és la confiança dels ciutadans.

Com és lògic, si la quantitat de diners en circulació augmenta a un ritme més elevat que els béns i serveis que es poden adquirir amb ells, el desequilibri entre l’oferta i la demanda fa que s’apugin els preus. Per tant, els nostres diners es devaluen.

Una moneda raonablement estable és essencial per a la salut de l’economia. Una unitat monetària que funciona malament com a dipòsit de valor desincentiva l’estalvi i dificulta el comerç. Els seus efectes nefastos són evidents si donem un cop d’ull als casos d’hiperinflació que han viscut alguns països al llarg de la història.

Els metalls preciosos com a valor refugi

Al llarg de més de dos mil·lennis, moltes economies han utilitzat l’or i altres metalls preciosos com a moneda de canvi per la seva durabilitat, relativa escassetat i fàcil transport. A més, en les últimes dècades l’or ha tingut un paper important com a valor refugi. La seva demanda ha tendit a disparar-se en moments d’incertesa econòmica, com demostren les dades de l’any passat, el de major demanda des de 2011. La llarga experiència amb l’or permet avalar la seva capacitat per exercir com a dipòsit de valor a llarg termini.

En general, altres actius com els béns immobles, les obres d’art, les antiguitats o alguns objectes de col·lecció també han demostrat que poden tenir aquest rol. Tot i que el seu valor pot caure en moments puntuals, tendeixen a revaloritzar-se a llarg termini gràcies a una demanda més o menys constant i una oferta molt limitada.

El seu gran inconvenient respecte a l’or és que es tracta d’actius molt poc líquids: és difícil vendre’ls de manera immediata si volem fer-ho per un preu raonable. A més, aquests mercats exigeixen un bon coneixement i es ressenten especialment en les crisis econòmiques, quan més es tendeix a recórrer als dipòsits de valor.

I els criptoactius?

Més difícil és valorar si els criptoactius arribaran a considerar-se algun dia com a dipòsits de valor, ja que són massa recents. És cert que el bitcoin es basa en el principi d’escassetat, una característica pròpia dels dipòsits de valor: cada any es genera un número limitat de bitcoins i existeix un topall predeterminat. No obstant això, com tants altres criptoactius, el seu gran inconvenient és que manca d’un valor intrínsec. Gairebé tot el seu valor és ara com ara subjectiu, la qual cosa és terreny adobat per a la volatilitat.

Això sí, en la mesura que el bitcoin sigui acceptat de manera massiva com a mitjà de pagament i s’empri en un nombre creixent de transaccions, el seu valor s’enfortirà i augmentaran les probabilitats que arribi a ser un dipòsit de valor a llarg termini, més enllà de volatilitats puntuals.

Si vols descobrir la millor opció per protegir els teus estalvis, entra a Preciosos 11Onze. T’ajudarem a comprar al millor preu el valor refugi per excel·lència: l’or físic.

In the current economic situation, saving is a goal we would all like to achieve, but it seems practically impossible. Here is a savings method based on percentages that allows you to save a monthly amount of money easier than you think.

“It is a method that is commonly used by all those who not only want to save, but also want to keep track of their monthly expenses,” says Coral Santacruz, marketing specialist at 11Onze.

This method consists of separating the salary into three different percentages, “50% must be allocated to fixed expenses, 30% to avoidable expenses, and 20% to savings“, explains Santacruz. Following this rule, it is essential that we never spend more than half of our monthly income on covering our basic needs.

As the marketing specialist explains, “to make sure we can use this method whenever we can”, we should try to put it into practice “as soon as we receive our salary, so that we don’t run the risk of spending more during the month“.

If you want to discover the best option to protect your savings, enter Preciosos 11Onze. We will help you buy at the best price the safe-haven asset par excellence: physical gold.

These are small, everyday expenses that, at the end of the year, have a major impact on our finances. The President of 11Onze, James Sène, gives us the keys to identifying these small expenses and mitigating the effect they can have on our pocket.

The water bill, the electricity bill, insurance, the euro a day for coffee… there are many products or services that we consume on a daily basis without stopping to think about their cost. Whether out of habit, lack of time, or lack of alternatives, we do not periodically review these costs, and we assume them without thinking about the impact they can have on us every year.

This fact, which in itself can be a disaster in our economic planning, is aggravated in economic contexts such as the current one, in which the excessive increase in inflation is not translated into an increase in salaries.

Ant expenses

When your monthly income comes in, can you tell where every penny goes? It is quite common to get to the end of the month, check your expenses and not understand where the money has gone. To identify these expenses in your daily economy, Sène suggests two main characteristics: “they are things that we consume on a daily basis and that have a relatively low cost, i.e. all those essential expenses that we need before we start doing anything else”.

Sène raises the impact that can be had by something as simple as paying attention to all our expenses and, to give us an idea of the impact it can have on our economy, he warns that “with the analysis we have done, families can save €4,000 simply by paying attention“. It is therefore a question of changing the lens through which we analyse our finances and prioritising savings on basic expenses rather than cutting back on leisure or our holidays.

Programmed to consume

Part of this consumerist vision can be explained by everything that advertising and brands make us do, “advertising pushes us to make programmed purchases, we don’t make intelligent purchases“, warns Sène. 11Onze wants to break with this dynamic and, for this reason, will make available to the whole community all the information related to this type of expenditure.

Through comparisons, calculations, and basic information, all this data will be put on the table to allow us to pay attention to ant-spending without having to spend time and effort.

If you want to wash your clothes without polluting the planet, 11Onze Recommends Natulim.

Do we really know how we spend our money? And, are we aware of what is important and what is not? Càrol Rafales, senior sales specialist at 11Onze, explains what the Kakebo budgeting system consists of and how we can adapt it to our personal situation.

The Kakebo budgeting system, which translates as “household ledger“, was devised in 1904 by Japanese journalist Motoko Hani. At a time when women depended on the money given to them by their husbands, Motoko wanted to provide Japanese women “with a tool that would allow them to manage their household finances efficiently”, says Càrol Rafales.

What do we need to put this budgeting system into practice? Very little, because it is designed to be very simple. As Rafales explains, “a blank notebook, a pencil, and a lot of perseverance“. Even so, we can buy a Kakebo book, specifically designed as a diary where we can keep track of our income and expenses.

Conscious consumption

In addition to managing our money, the Kakebo system helps us to avoid unnecessary purchases that we sometimes make irrationally. Only by focusing on analysing how money disappears from our account, will we become truly aware of our consumption habits. The graphs and tools found in the book will help us make decisions before making purchases and control recurring expenses.

Kakebo divides monthly expenses into four categories: survival, leisure, culture, and other (non-anticipated). Based on these blocks, Rafales points out the basic premise of the method, “we write down the expected income for the month, subtract fixed expenses, and from the remaining amount we take out the savings target we have. What is left over is the budget for variable expenses. For a more detailed explanation of how Kakebo works, take a look at the video above.

If you want to discover the best option to protect your savings, enter Preciosos 11Onze. We will help you buy at the best price the safe-haven asset par excellence: physical gold.

The price of gold reached record highs in 2024, approaching 2,800 dollars per ounce, the most bullish in the last 14 years. But how will it perform this year, will it consolidate its price or will the relentless appreciation continue?

2024 was a record year for the gold price, reaching an all-time high of 2,790 dollars per ounce on 30 October, thanks to the volatility generated by the elections in the United States and the armed conflict between Israel and Iran. By the end of the year, it had accumulated gains of almost 30% and closed the year as the most continuous bullish period since 2010.

Geopolitical tensions, the start of interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve (Fed) and large purchases by central banks to increase their balance sheets boosted the value of gold during 2024 and will remain key factors in determining its evolution this year.

However, uncertainty surrounding the impact of President Donald Trump’s policies on the global economy, which could trigger a trade war, paint an uncertain picture for the precious metal during 2025.

‘As we move into 2025, while business cycle dynamics remain crucial to the outlook, greater attention will be paid to political changes in the US in trade, immigration, regulation, and tax policy. These changes would have to significantly influence outcomes in the US and beyond,’ said Hussein Malik, head of Global Research at J.P. Morgan.

Gold could rise above $3,000 in 2025

Although analysts expect appreciation to lag 2024, the consensus is that the price of gold will continue to rise. Financial institutions such as Bank of America and J.P. Morgan believe that gold has everything in its favour to rise above $3,000 this year, driven by geopolitical uncertainty, the imposition of US tariffs and continued central bank demand.

Goldman Sachs also expected gold to hit $3,000 by the end of the year, but in recent weeks has pushed back the forecast to mid-2026 on expectations of fewer rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. Nonetheless, its analysts expect prices to reach $2,910 an ounce by the end of the year.

On the other hand, Kevin Shahnazari, founder and CEO of FinlyWealth notes that ‘Gold prices are likely to remain stable if interest rates remain stable and inflation normalises at around 2%’ or could even go down ‘in the face of a stronger than expected dollar and higher real interest rates’.

If you want to discover the best option to protect your savings, enter Preciosos 11Onze. We will help you buy at the best price the safe-haven asset par excellence: physical gold.

Moltes llars tenen joies d’or o altres peces d’aquest metall preciós que amb el pas dels anys han perdut la seva brillantor. L’or gairebé no s’oxida, però la brutícia acumulada pel contacte amb la pell i cosmètics pot malmetre el seu aspecte. T’expliquem com netejar i cuidar les teves joies d’or amb productes naturals.

L’or pot perdre la seva lluentor natural pel contacte amb el pH de la nostra pell o per reaccions amb substàncies líquides, com el clor de la piscina o altres agents nocius. Per a mantenir l’esplendor de les peces d’or, es recomana netejar-les amb un drap blanc de cotó, com fan els joiers a l’hora de manipular-les, evitant així que el contacte amb la pell els hi resti lluentor. Existeixen moltes maneres tradicionals, naturals i efectives de netejar les teves peces d’or. A continuació t’expliquem alguns dels trucs clàssics per retornar la brillantor a aquest metall preciós:

Netejar amb sabó

• Barrejar unes gotes de sabó de rentar plats suau amb aigua tèbia en un recipient.
• Submergir la peça d’or al recipient durant uns quinze minuts una vegada estigui llesta la mescla. Veuràs que les impureses es desincrusten soles.
• Retirar la peça d’or del recipient i esbandir bé amb aigua tèbia.
• Assecar-la bé amb un drap suau.
• Repetir aquest procés tantes vegades com creguis necessari.

Recuperar la lluentor amb vinagre

• Barrejar en un recipient ½ tassa de vinagre blanc i 2 cullerades de bicarbonat de sodi
• Submergir les peces d’or que estiguin brutes o hagin perdut la seva lluentor, durant dues hores.
• Esbandir les joies d’or amb aigua freda i assecar-les amb un drap suau. També es pot fer servir una camusa abrillantadora.

Preservar la brillantor amb bicarbonat de sodi

• Barrejar tres cullerades de bicarbonat en un recipient amb un dit d’aigua tèbia. Remoure fins a formar una mescla consistent.
• Aplicar aquesta mescla sobre les peces d’or que vulguis netejar.
• Un cop aplicada la mescla sobre les joies, tirar un raig de vinagre per activar l’efervescència que desprengui la brutícia de les joies.
• Esperar uns minuts i retirar la mescla
• Esbandir amb abundant aigua tèbia, assecar les peces d’or acuradament amb un drap suau.

Or blanc o amb acabat mat

En cas que tinguis una peça d’or blanc o or amb acabat mat, has d’evitar fer servir una camussa per donar brillantor. L’or blanc consisteix en un aliatge d’or pur, de color groguenc, i altres metalls preciosos més blanquinosos, com poden ser el platí, níquel, etc., als que s’hi afegeix un bany de rodi. Per tant, netejant aquestes peces amb una camussa, podries eliminar el bany de rodi o aconseguir una brillantor no desitjada en una peça amb acabat mat.

Guarda or amb or, no barregis metalls preciosos

Per a preservar la lluentor de les teves peces i joies d’or no les guardis al costat d’altres joies o peces en plata o un altre metall. Guarda i classifica les teves peces de valor segons la composició del metall: or amb or, platí amb platí… Evitaràs que l’or o altres metalls s’enfosqueixin i així també faràs que es conservin millor, amb tota la seva lluentor.

Lingots d’or i monedes de col·leccionisme

Els lingots d’or, com els que pots comprar amb Preciosos 11Onze, acostumen a venir precintats o empaquetats amb un blíster termo-segellat que porta un codi certificant el seu origen i autenticitat. Això es fa per certificar i preservar el seu valor, tant quan els compres com a l’hora de vendre’ls. Tot i que pot ser temptador trencar el blíster per tocar la peça amb les nostres mans, no és recomanable. 

Les monedes d’or comprades com a inversió també venen empaquetades, però rarament precintades. Així i tot, no és recomanable la seva manipulació per la possible contaminació de la peça i risc de malmetre la moneda quan es neteja. A més, cal tenir en compte que les monedes de col·leccionisme, especialment monedes antigues, poden perdre una bona part del seu valor si es netegen i perden la seva pàtina original.

Si vols descobrir la millor opció per protegir els teus estalvis, entra a Preciosos 11Onze. T’ajudarem a comprar al millor preu el valor refugi per excel·lència: l’or físic.

We have always heard that cash is king. But while there may be some truth in this saying, keeping all our savings at home may no longer be the best option.

Ever since currency was invented, the prevailing thinking in our society has been that more money is better. The accumulation of notes and coins has been a constant throughout history. People saved in case of bad times, they saved money in good times to be able to use it in bad times, in case they needed the money for an emergency or simply to ensure a better future for their children. Obviously not everyone has been lucky enough to be able to afford to set aside a significant amount of their money on a regular basis, but many people have had small savings tucked away in a bedside table, in a hidden safe, or, although it may seem a cliché from another time, under the mattress. 

Security, the reason for the change in habits

Over time, the amount of money kept at home has gradually decreased. And this is no coincidence. The development of the financial system and the advantages it offers has allowed it to play a leading role in the collection of savings, relegating private safes to a certain ostracism. But why has there been such a drastic change in habits? The main factor is security, since it is a fact that, no matter how well hidden we may leave our savings, there is always the possibility of them being stolen.

The other point to bear in mind is taxation, as keeping cash at home can currently entail certain risks with regard to the Inland Revenue. Agent Mireia Cano explains it to us.

Will the money lose value?

The other variable to take into account is inflation and its effects on prices in general. The reason is very simple: the money we keep in the safe or under the mattress, in a year, two years, or ten, will still be the same: it will not multiply. However, basic products, such as the coffee we drink in the corner bar, will have gone from costing one euro to costing one and a half or even two euros. These are the effects of inflation, or sustained price increases.

That is why money kept at home can end up losing value over the years if inflation during this period is high. On the other hand, people who have decided to invest some of their savings, or put them in a deposit or somewhere that gives them interest in return, are unlikely to have been hurt by inflation, and may even have increased their money.

So what is the best option? The decision will be a personal one, as everyone has their own way of managing their money and more or less tolerance for risk. But whichever option you choose, you need to be aware of the advantages and risks that this may entail, to prevent your hard-earned savings from being compromised. 

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