GLD — SPDR Gold Trust
SPDR (State Street) · Expense Ratio: 0.4% · Commodities · 11bp below the Commodities category average of 0.51%
Key Facts
| Ticker | GLD |
| Full Name | SPDR Gold Trust |
| Provider | SPDR (State Street) |
| Expense Ratio | 0.4% |
| Category | Commodities |
| Assets Under Management | $70B |
| Inception Year | 2004 (22 years ago) |
| Number of Holdings | 1 |
| Top Holdings | Physical Gold Bullion |
What Is GLD?
GLD, managed by SPDR (State Street), launched in 2004, is a major ETF with deep liquidity and tight bid-ask spreads in the Commodities category. Commodity ETF tracking gold, silver, or other physical commodity prices. With $70B in assets under management, it benefits from deep institutional liquidity and tight bid-ask spreads.
GLD in a FIRE Portfolio
Physical gold provides a hedge against both inflation and market crashes — useful as a small portfolio diversifier for risk-averse FIRE investors.
Gold and commodity ETFs historically perform well during periods of high inflation and market stress. Most FIRE portfolios allocate 0-10% to such hedges — enough to provide downside protection without sacrificing long-term growth.
Cost Analysis: How GLD's 0.4% Fee Affects Your FIRE Timeline
At 0.4%, GLD is relatively expensive. Annual cost on a $100K position: $400. Over 30 years, fees could consume approximately 2.4% of total returns. On a $1M FIRE portfolio, cumulative fees approach $40,000. Compare with lower-cost peers in Commodities: .
Frequently Asked Questions About GLD
What is the expense ratio for GLD?
GLD has an expense ratio of 0.4%. This is relatively expensive — on a $100K portfolio, annual fees are $400. 11bp below the commodities category average of 0.51%.
Is GLD good for a FIRE portfolio?
Physical gold provides a hedge against both inflation and market crashes — useful as a small portfolio diversifier for risk-averse FIRE investors. Its 0.4% expense ratio is relatively expensive for the Commodities category.
How does the 0.4% fee affect long-term returns?
At 0.4%, annual costs are $400/$100K. Over 30 years, this could reduce your final portfolio value by 2.4% or more. For a $1M FIRE portfolio, that's $24,000+ in lost compound growth.
Similar ETFs in Commodities
- SLV — iShares Silver Trust (0.5% · Not Recommended for FIRE)
- PDBC — Invesco Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Strategy No K-1 ETF (0.59% · Not Recommended for FIRE)
- DBC — Invesco DB Commodity Index Tracking Fund (0.89% · Not Recommended for FIRE)
- GSG — iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust (0.75% · Not Recommended for FIRE)
- IAU — iShares Gold Trust (0.25% · Portfolio Hedge)
- SGOL — Aberdeen Standard Physical Gold Shares ETF (0.17% · Portfolio Hedge)