Allocated gold:
which bars are yours?
You just bought gold. But is it really yours? Most people never check. Sellers hold customers’ gold in one of three ways: pooled, unallocated or allocated. The words sound technical, but the difference comes down to one question: which bars are yours? Only allocated gold gives you a clear answer.
Finmet Pte LtdUEN 202022529NRegistered precious-metals dealer with Singapore’s Ministry of Lawinfo@finmet.sg+65 8999 2600
Pooled gold
One big pile. You own a slice.
Some sellers mix everyone’s gold together in one shared stock. You own a share of that stock, but you can’t point to a single bar and say “that one”.
- If the seller fails
- You are usually a creditor making a claim, alongside everyone else the seller owes.
Unallocated gold
Just a record. You own a number.
Other sellers keep a record of how much gold they owe you. You hold a claim on the seller for that amount, and no particular bar is yours.
- If the seller fails
- You are generally a creditor making a claim, alongside everyone else the seller owes.
Allocated gold
Real bars. In your name.
Some sellers set aside specific bars in the vault and record them in your name. The metal is your property, held apart from the seller’s own assets. Of the three, it is the only one where specific bars belong to you, and it’s how FinMet holds yours.
- If the seller fails
- Your bars are returned to you. They are not shared out among creditors.
The three, side by side.
| Pooled | Unallocated | Allocated | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you hold | A share of a shared stock | A balance the seller owes you | Identified bars recorded as yours |
| Can you point to your bar? | No | No | Yes |
| Whose property is the metal? | Usually the seller’s or the pool’s | Generally the seller’s | Yours |
| If the seller fails | You are usually a creditor making a claim | You are generally a creditor making a claim | Your bars are returned to you, not shared out among creditors |
Pooled
- What you hold
- A share of a shared stock
- Can you point to your bar?
- No
- Whose property is the metal?
- Usually the seller’s or the pool’s
- If the seller fails
- You are usually a creditor making a claim
Unallocated
- What you hold
- A balance the seller owes you
- Can you point to your bar?
- No
- Whose property is the metal?
- Generally the seller’s
- If the seller fails
- You are generally a creditor making a claim
Allocated
- What you hold
- Identified bars recorded as yours
- Can you point to your bar?
- Yes
- Whose property is the metal?
- Yours
- If the seller fails
- Your bars are returned to you, not shared out among creditors
Only allocated gold puts specific bars in your name and keeps them yours if the seller fails.
Terms differ from seller to seller, and each seller’s own terms decide what you own.
Whose gold is it?
The difference matters most when a seller runs into trouble. If a seller goes under and your gold is a slice of a pile or a number on a balance, you could end up queuing behind the seller’s other creditors.
Allocated gold is held apart from the seller’s own assets. If the seller fails, its creditors cannot claim your bars. They are still yours. That’s why allocated is the one to ask for.
This is a general explanation, not legal advice.
Ask any gold seller
three questions.
A seller that holds allocated gold can answer yes to the first two. Here is how FinMet answers all three.
Is my gold allocated to specific bars?
FinMet: yes. Every whole gram is allocated to identified 1g Valcambi bars, and title passes to you once payment clears and your grams are allocated. Allocation happens automatically when payment clears if bars are in stock. Otherwise it completes within two weeks.
Is it kept separate from your own assets?
FinMet: yes. Your gold is segregated, held off FinMet’s balance sheet and unavailable to FinMet’s creditors. Helveticor (SG) Pte. Ltd., an independent vault operator in Singapore, holds it, and FinMet acts as custodian.
Can I take the metal home?
FinMet: yes, from 10g, in 10g multiples. Your 1g bars are exchanged gram for gram into 10g bars. Pickup: S$50. Delivery within Singapore (coming soon): S$143.
Something real.
Clearly yours.
At FinMet, every whole gram is allocated to identified 1g Swiss gold bars, held in your name in an independent Singapore vault.
24K Swiss gold, vaulted in Singapore. Pay by PayNow and verify with Singpass.
The short version,
in 78 seconds.
The same story as a short video, with captions on.
Read the transcript
So you just bought gold. But is it really yours? Most people never check. When you buy gold online, what actually happens? You might hear words like pooled, unallocated and allocated. Sounds complicated. It isn’t. It all comes down to one thing: which bars are yours?
Some gold sellers mix everyone’s gold into one big pile. You own a slice, but no bar is yours. That’s called “pooled”. Others just keep a record of how much gold they owe you. You own a number, not a bar. That’s unallocated. And some, like FinMet, set aside real bars, with your name on them. That’s called “allocated”, and that’s the way it should be.
Here’s why it matters. If the seller goes under, with a pile or a number, you could end up queuing behind all the other creditors. With allocated gold, your bars are kept apart. Still yours.
So before you buy, always ask: who does my gold really belong to? At FinMet, it always belongs to you. Start with 1g at finmet.sg.
Questions about
allocated gold.
What is allocated gold?
Allocated gold is physical gold held as specific, identified bars that are set aside in a vault and recorded as yours. The metal is your property and is held apart from the seller’s own assets.
Is allocated gold better than unallocated gold?
For the buyer, yes. With allocated gold you own specific bars held apart from the seller’s assets, so the seller’s creditors cannot claim them. With unallocated gold you hold a claim, and getting your gold back depends on the seller being able to pay what it owes. Terms differ between sellers, so check what each seller’s terms say.
What is the difference between allocated and unallocated gold?
With allocated gold you own particular bars. With unallocated gold you hold a balance: the seller owes you an amount of gold, and the bars belong to the seller. If the seller fails, allocated bars go back to their owners, while an unallocated holder is generally a creditor making a claim.
Is pooled gold the same as unallocated gold?
They are close, and neither gives you a bar of your own. With pooled gold you own a share of a shared stock of bars. With unallocated gold you hold a claim on the seller for an amount of gold. Sellers use the two words loosely, so the seller’s terms are the place to check which one you have.
What happens to allocated gold if the dealer goes bust?
Allocated gold is held apart from the dealer’s own assets, so the dealer’s creditors cannot claim it, and the bars are returned to their owners. Holders of pooled or unallocated gold are usually creditors and may have to queue with everyone else the dealer owes. This is a general explanation, not legal advice.
Is FinMet’s gold allocated?
Yes. Every whole gram you buy is allocated to identified 1g Valcambi bars, and you own those bars once payment clears and your grams are allocated. Your gold is segregated, held off FinMet’s balance sheet and unavailable to FinMet’s creditors. It is never pooled. Your account shows the grams you own, your purchases and their allocation status.
Keep reading.
Paper gold, pooled gold, physical gold: which one do you actually own?
The wider map, including gold ETFs and CFDs.
Read the guideWhere your gold actually is
What happens to your grams after you pay, step by step.
Read the guideNine questions to ask any gold platform before you send money
A longer checklist for comparing sellers.
Read the guideHelp centre
Answers on buying, storing, redeeming and selling back.
Visit the help centre