F.A.Q.s
This is for people who want to know more about what we offer and the details of joining GoldNerds. For subscribers with technical difficulties, see our TroubleShooting page.
Will I be able to find...?
From Brent: Will I be able to find... "gold developers that will tentatively start production in 2008 / 2009, are currently in the project construction phase, and have cheap in-ground resources (e.g. compare cheap ALD with expensive AND who fit these criteria). Am I able to search your 280 odd companies that fit such detailed criteria easily?"
This is just the kind of question GoldNerds is designed to answer. We separate companies into Producer, Developer, Explorer and we have detailed information about the cost per ounce (both EV/oz, and market cap per ounce). The fastest way to shortlist these companies is with our Scoring system, and the most exact and detailed way to do it is by sorting and filtering. Once you have the shortlist you can look at 'company comments' to find out how far down the development track companies are, and when they expect to be in production.
What software do I need?
Each GoldNerds product is a Microsoft Excel file. You must have Microsoft Excel (2000 or later) running on Windows to be able to use our products. GoldNerds uses macros to turn the spreadsheet into a mini-program -- GoldNerds products are more program than spreadsheet, they are NOT spreadsheets of raw data
What size screen is a minimum?
Minimum screen size is 1024 x 768 pixels. This is a huge spreadsheet, and we've compressed the screens as far as we can. If buttons and scroll bars are dropping off your screen, see our Troubleshooting page. Back to Top
Can I use GoldNerds on an Apple Mac?
We like Macs, but unfortunately Microsoft Excel for Mac does not support all of the "standard" macro commands. GoldNerds does not work on Excel for Mac, because it uses macros extensively -- it is not a simple spreadsheet of data. GoldNerds spreadsheets run well on Windows emulation programs such as Parallels on Mac, but that also requires a Windows version of Excel.
I'm really interested in silver...
We include everything on silver we can find, and treat it as gold equivalent (at the current price ratio). But there are not a lot of silver-focussed companies on the ASX. At the moment there are about 50 companies with some resource or interest in silver, but only a very few are predominantly silver. In the next few months we plan to release the new version of our spreadsheet which will make it easier for you to sort all the silver resources with one click.
Do you include other minerals?
Silver, yes. The rest, no. We treat silver as equivalent to gold (at the current price ratio) wherever we can find it. Possibly in future we will cover other minerals too, but for the moment, we are very focussed on precious metals, and do not track platinum group metals, base metals, rare earths, or uranium.
Do you offer trial subscriptions?
We don't have a trial subscription (unless you call 6 months a 'trial'). In the second half of 2009 we'll be setting up a downloadable sample online. 6 months is the minimum subscription. We are often told our prices are too low as it is. For just $150 dollars minimum we provide hundreds of man-hours of research, and could save you thousands of dollars by helping you avoid over-valued companies, sell out of non-performers, or make you thousands by helping you find stocks with more potential.
Does this suit a beginner?
GoldNerds is perfect for independent thinkers who are already gold investors and have used Microsoft Excel. If you don't know anything about resources shares or the gold market, study our 39 page User Guide v 1.1. Inside it, you'll find details of how analyze and value gold companies, why they are different from industrials, and warning signs of stocks that are higher risk.
This is not a newsletter with a list of recommended stocks. Instead we've done what no one else has done (including brokers, funds and advisors) - we've collected information from across the entire sector, and figured out how to slice and dice it, so you can make up your own mind and find the companies that other random searches miss. Our User Guide describes how to make your own shortlist of stocks up in 5 minutes. You choose the factors, we'll find the shares that fit your bill. You'd need to be the kind of person who makes up your own mind, and is happy to ask questions and read information. If you want someone to tell you which Australian shares to buy (gold specialists who know a lot but don't cover the entire sector), then groups like Fat Prophets, and Far East Capital are worth checking out. Also the Daily Reckoning group offers "Diggers and Drillers", a newsletter about an array of resource stocks, and they use GoldNerds for information on the gold sector.
To use GoldNerds you need Excel - the spreadsheet application, and it helps if you have a basic familiarity with it. You may find it's not so difficult to use. We've made it as user friendly as possible, so you can get what you need by clicking on pre-programmed buttons. You never need to look at a formula, and probably don't need to use Excel Menu's much either. As long as you can open it, click on worksheet tabs and buttons, you should be able to use it.
Can I pay by direct deposit?
For Australian customers who'd rather not pay by credit card, we are happy to give you account numbers for direct deposits. It takes a little longer, and we also can't accept credit card numbers by phone or email (seriously, the bank won't allow it). If you are outside Australia, email us and we'll find a solution that works for you.
Can I upgrade from Standard to Pro?
We would be quite happy to upgrade you at any time in your subscription for a pro rata fee for the rest of the subscription period. Many subscribers who initially try the 6 month Standard subscription, resubscribe later for full Pro version. There is more information about the two versions in our User Guide.
Last updated: 21 June 2009