# Gold ETFs vs Physical Gold: Which Move Should You Make in 2025?

Gold ETFs are having a moment. If you're tired of the hassle of storing physical bars but still want precious metals exposure, they're basically the lazy investor's dream—trade them like stocks, zero storage headaches, done.

Here's the split: **Spot gold ETFs** (like GLD, IAU) hold actual bullion and track the gold price directly. Your money mirrors what's happening in real-time markets. **Mining ETFs** (like GDX, GDXJ) bet on the companies digging it up—riskier, but way more upside potential if gold keeps running.

Top moves for 2025:

**If you want pure gold exposure:** GLD ($139B AUM, 0.4% fee) or IAU ($64B AUM, 0.25% fee). Both solid, both boring—which is good.

**If you want lower fees:** GLDM hits 0.1% expense ratio. IAUM goes even lower at 0.09%. Pennies matter when you're holding long-term.

**If you want leverage to mining boom:** GDX ($23.8B) holds the big dogs like Newmont and Agnico. GDXJ goes smaller and spicier—junior miners, higher risk, bigger swings.

TL;DR: Gold ETFs = convenient, liquid, tax-efficient if you're not chasing physical ownership. Pick your flavor based on whether you want to ride gold's price or gamble on miner stocks bouncing harder. 2025's economic uncertainty? Yeah, gold's probably the move.