Can you imagine? People with something to lose are demanding physical Gold Bullion to defend their wealth...

PERHAPS YOU missed it too, but the thundering herd of Merrill Lynch just spotted a badly-kept secret...

Investors and savers with something to lose are choosing physical gold to help protect their wealth.

A shock revelation? Apparently so on Wall Street!

"People are genuinely worried about what the world is going to look like in 2009," said Gary Dugan, chief investment officer for the US bank and its famous army of advisors, to The Daily Telegraph last week.

"It is amazing how many clients want physical gold, not ETFs," he gasped, citing the still-popular exchange-traded Gold ETFs that give you paper – not gold – through a trust-fund structure built on counter-party and balance-sheet risk.

"They are so worried," Dugan added in awe of these wealthier charges, "I never thought I would be getting calls from clients saying they want a box of Krugerrands."

Two fresh concerns leap out from Wall Street's sudden moment of clarity:

• First, why is Merrill Lynch so amazed by its clients' No.1 aim – not losing their wealth?
• Second (if not more pressing), just what kind of mark-up does Merrill Lynch charge for selling gold Krugerrand coins?

Not being a client of Merrill's, I can barely guess at the fees. But I know for certain that your costs will be very much lower if you buy (and sell) gold live online here at BullionVault.

This simple, ultra-safe service "cuts the costs of gold ownership dramatically," as the Financial Times puts it. The Telegraph calls BullionVault "the most secure way to invest in physical gold" too. Which might appeal if you're looking to defend your wealth today.

Because even before the credit bubble went bang, a US study of 2006 found that "Not losing everything" was the primary worry for almost 90% of high-net worth individuals (Cultivating the Affluent Client, CEG Worldwide).

Yet incredibly, when asked if just one-in-five of their clients worried about losing their wealth, a mere 15% of the financial advisors surveyed thought that might be true.

To learn more about BullionVault now, keep reading if you are Ready to Buy Gold...?