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Not every investment is right for every investor. Multiple factors affect the value of a particular asset, including the personal financial situation of the investor, their age and their goals, both short and long-term. The timing is key and what may be beneficial for investors at one point in their life may not be as advantageous at another and vice versa. This is why it’s so important to monitor the broader economic climate, including the state of inflation, interest rates and more.
There are, however, some investments that can be beneficial for every investor. Gold, for example, has been a popular way to protect and grow one’s funds for hundreds of years. And in the current economic climate, it’s only grown in popularity with investing in the precious metal hitting an 11-year high last September. It’s easy to understand why. There are multiple benefits of investing in gold in the right amount (capped at 10% of one’s portfolio), regardless of the specific investor profile. Below, we’ll break down three ways every investor can benefit from gold.
Start exploring your gold investing options here today.
3 ways every investor can benefit from gold
Here are three ways every investor — no matter their age or personal financial situation — can benefit from adding gold to their investments.
By securing a hedge against inflation
Inflation has been problematic for most of the last two years, hitting a decades-high in June 2022. While it’s come down dramatically since that point, the most recent report showed inflation rising again. This is a major reason why gold interest has surged recently. Gold can provide a hedge against inflation by maintaining its value, and it often rises in price as inflation erodes the purchasing power of the dollar. This has been a major advantage for savers as of late with the price of gold hitting a record high earlier this month.
But even if inflation continues to dwindle, it’s cyclical, meaning it will rise again in the future. So by investing in gold today investors can secure a useful buffer now — and have one in place for when inflation resurfaces in the future.
Learn more about how gold can help with inflation here now.
By diversifying their portfolio
Diversification is a major key to success for every investor. Being overinvested in any one asset — like stocks, bonds, real estate or something else — can be detrimental if any of those assets underperform (or if they do poorly altogether). It makes sense, then, to diversify your portfolio in a smart and informed way.
Gold can do just that. While it’s not the traditional income-producing investment others can be, it can help offset the ups and downs those assets inevitably endure. Plus, gold tends to move in an upward direction over time, letting investors know that they’ll have both protection and a likely boost in value in the future.
By having a tangible asset
It can be reassuring to have a tangible asset that you can easily buy, sell or trade in any economic climate. Fortunately, gold provides that feature. There are a multitude of ways to invest in the precious metal and it can easily be bought in physical form. Gold bars and coins are ubiquitous and are now even sold by major retailers like Costco and Walmart.
This flexibility and accessibility is a major benefit for any investor and is particularly advantageous in today’s still unpredictable economic climate. That noted, holding physical gold may require a custodian, so it’s important to understand the pros and cons if you elect to go this particular route.
Explore investing in gold bars and coins today.
The bottom line
Every investor should carefully weigh the pros and cons of an asset before moving their hard-earned money into it. Gold is no exception. But the benefits of the precious metal — from hedging against inflation to portfolio diversification to having a tangible asset that’s easy to access — make it favorable for practically all investors. However, with the price of the metal rising it may be beneficial to act aggressively before it becomes prohibitive to buy in.
Matt Richardson is the managing editor for the Managing Your Money section for CBSNews.com. He writes and edits content about personal finance ranging from savings to investing to insurance.
