Gold as a „Tier 1 Asset“ of the BIS: What it Really Means – and What it Implies for WEG Reserves

As of Feb 14, 2026: Gold is trading at approximately 4,248.30 EUR per troy ounce, silver at 65.31 EUR per troy ounce.
For many, such price levels are merely market news. It becomes interesting when the same commodity plays a special role in banking regulation – and we draw clear, practical conclusions for the management of communal assets.

In recent years, a term has taken hold that is often misunderstood in practice: „Gold is now Tier 1“. Is that true? Yes – but differently than it sounds in many articles.

What „Tier 1“ Actually Is – and Why the Term Is Frequently Conflated

In the banking world, „Tier 1“ in the narrower sense initially refers to Tier 1 Capital (i.e., a bank's core equity components). When people speak of „Tier 1 Assets,“ they often mean something else: the regulatory treatment of certain assets, for example, in the risk weighting within the Basel Framework.

This is precisely the core: The Basel Framework contains a provision that is decisive for gold. It stipulates that gold bullion can, under certain conditions, be treated with a 0% risk weight – similar to cash – if it is physically held or allocated gold and the position is appropriately offset against bullion liabilities.

At the same time, this does not automatically mean that gold is a „High Quality Liquid Asset“ (HQLA) of the liquidity reserve. In 2025, the LBMA explicitly pointed out that reports of a blanket HQLA classification for gold are misleading.

The distinction is therefore important: Risk weight is not the same as liquidity class.

Regulatory Classification at a Glance

Bridge to German WEG: What Reserve Management Practically Requires of the Manager

In Homeowners' Associations (WEG), the maintenance reserve is part of the communal administrative assets. The manager administers it within the scope of their legal duties; specialist literature emphasizes that reserves must be kept separately from the manager's assets and also separately from other associations.

The legal text itself also makes clear that homeowners resolve on reserves and advances, and the manager acts within this framework.
In practice, it is regularly derived from this: For investment decisions that go beyond pure administration, an owner resolution is required – and the manager must observe safety and fiduciary duties.

The IVD describes secure and readily available solutions such as overnight or fixed-term deposits as common practice for WEG reserves.

This sets the standard: Reserves must be organized so that they are available for planned measures, can be transparently accounted for – and usually do not suddenly become „smaller“ without price risk when an invoice is due.

Can Gold or Silver Even Be Conceivable as „Tier 1“ Reserve Investments?

If one translates „Tier 1“ correctly, the right question is not: „Is gold Tier 1?“ – but rather: Does precious metal meet the requirements for WEG reserves in terms of security, availability, and proper administration?

From a regulatory perspective, gold is a special case for banks under certain conditions (0% RW in the Basel Framework).
For a WEG, however, it is crucial whether the asset is liquid in a practical sense: Can it be quickly converted into Euro if needed without jeopardizing the association's ability to act?

Liquidity in Everyday WEG Life: Gold Is Quickly Salable, but Not a „Means of Payment“

Physical gold is globally tradable, pricing is continuous, and sales via reputable dealers typically occur quickly. This fundamentally speaks in favor of liquidity.

But: A WEG pays contractors, appraisers, and renovators via bank transfer. For this, it needs bank balances. Precious metal is therefore not the „first line“ of liquidity, but rather a second line that is sold if necessary.

This is the crucial difference between „tradable“ and „operationally liquid“: Gold is tradable, but operational liquidity only arises after sale and settlement.

Gold vs. Silver for Reserves: The Practical Difference

Gold is very compact in relation to its value and often incurs lower relative storage costs in professional custody. Silver is cheaper per ounce but more voluminous – and can thus become relatively more expensive in storage and handling. Furthermore, silver typically fluctuates more strongly, which can be more psychologically and organizationally demanding for reserves.

The fact that silver currently stands at 65.31 EUR per ounce shows market strength, but is secondary to reserve logic: The decisive factors are volatility and practical settlement capability.

What Could a Legally and Organizationally Sound Framework Look Like?

A WEG can only hold what can be clearly assigned and documented. If precious metal is considered at all, then from a governance perspective, it would be primarily important that the position

first, is clearly owned by the association,
second, is held as separately stored (allocated) metal,
third, remains clearly traceable in the annual statement/asset overview,
and fourth, can be sold at any time without counterparty risk or unclear claims „from a collective pool.“

This is also the point where Basel logic and WEG logic meet: The Basel Framework explicitly speaks of gold bullion „held … on an allocated basis“ in a clear structure for favorable treatment.

Is It Sensible to Place Part of the Maintenance Reserve in Precious Metals?

As a general rule: Reserves are not a yield instrument, but a functional account for value preservation and maintenance. This is exactly why bank solutions dominate in practice.

Nevertheless, there is a plausible motive for a small precious metal component: If very large reserves are held over years, a manageable portion can serve as an inflation and purchasing power buffer – provided the association accepts price movements and regulates the processes clearly by resolution.

The decisive protective mechanism is not „gold,“ but the limitation: Precious metal must never block operational capability.

A Pragmatic Share That Protects Operational Capability

From a conservative WEG logic, a corridor seems sensible that clearly prioritizes bank liquidity:

If you press me for a „good share“: 10% gold as an upper limit for many average WEG profiles, maximum 15% only for very large reserves and clear resolution/documentation status. I would keep silver – if at all – smaller, around 0–3%, because the fluctuations and handling are often unnecessarily complex for reserves.

Important: This is not investment advice, but a governance-oriented assessment that protects the purpose of the reserves. The resolution status, risk appetite, planned measures, and the concrete design of custody are decisive.

The Central Conclusion for Managers and Advisory Boards

„Gold is Tier 1“ is too coarse as a headline. Correct is: In the Basel Framework, physical, allocated gold can, under certain conditions, be treated very favorably from a regulatory standpoint.
For a WEG, however, the decisive factor is: Reserves must, above all, work. Gold can be conceivable as a second line of liquidity if documentation, ownership assignment, and short-term operational capability are watertight – and if the share remains small enough not to jeopardize any measures.

Stay farsighted

Yours, Helge Peter Ippensen