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• Cheap money can inflate asset prices and encourage risk-taking, but rising rates can expose the debt behind those gains.
• Rising rates can force investors to sell assets to cover higher costs, potentially turning financial stress into a broader crisis.
• A Gold IRA can help protect your finances with physical gold that requires no refinancing and carries no credit risk.

When Cheap Money Gets Expensive

Low interest rates make it easier to borrow, spend and push asset prices higher.

But money doesn’t stay cheap forever. When financing costs rise, assets bought with cheap debt become more expensive to carry. Investors may be forced to unwind their positions, selling assets to cover those higher costs. On a large enough scale, that rush to unwind investments can turn financial stress into an economic crisis.

Cheap Money Changes Behavior

The Federal Reserve has warned that prolonged periods of low interest rates can contribute to elevated asset valuations and encourage greater risk-taking.

Cheap mortgages can help buyers afford more expensive homes. Lower financing costs can support higher commercial property prices. Investors may also take greater risks when safer assets offer little income.

History shows how quickly those conditions can change when rates rise.

Housing Shows How Debt Can Magnify a Downturn

The housing boom before the 2008 financial crisis offers a dramatic example. Low interest rates following the 2001 recession helped support housing activity. Easier mortgage credit and increasingly risky lending also contributed to the boom.

Average U.S. home prices more than doubled between 1998 and 2006. During the same period, household mortgage debt climbed from 61% of GDP to 97%.

When home prices began falling, the debt accumulated during the good years magnified the downturn. Losses spread throughout the financial system. The S&P 500 ultimately fell 57% from its October 2007 peak to its March 2009 low.¹

Commercial Real Estate Faces the Same Math

Commercial real estate provides a current example of what happens when cheap financing disappears.

About $875 billion in commercial and multifamily mortgages are scheduled to mature during 2026. Roughly one out of every six dollars of outstanding commercial mortgage debt must find new financing this year.

Commercial real estate may be approaching a refinancing crisis. The office CMBS delinquency rate stood at 12% in August, near its all-time high, as some borrowers failed to pay off loans when they matured.²

Many properties were financed when rates were much lower. A building may generate roughly the same rent it did a few years ago, while refinancing the debt behind it now costs substantially more.

The IMF reported that U.S. commercial property prices had already fallen about 11% after the Federal Reserve began raising rates in 2022.

Cheap Money Also Lifted Stocks

Low rates can also support higher stock prices. The Federal Reserve has acknowledged that low interest rates increase the present value of future corporate earnings, while low bond yields can encourage investors to seek higher returns in stocks.

Those conditions helped create a favorable environment for growth stocks and today’s AI boom. Major technology companies are expected to spend roughly $698 billion on capital projects in 2026, much of it tied to AI infrastructure.

Higher rates make that spending more expensive while giving investors more attractive alternatives to richly valued stocks. Concerns about an AI bubble could grow if financing costs rise and investors become less willing to pay high prices for profits expected years into the future.

Japan Could Be the Next Test

For decades, investors borrowed yen at extremely low Japanese interest rates and put that money into assets offering higher returns elsewhere.

Now the conditions supporting that strategy are changing.

The Bank of Japan has raised its policy rate to 1%, its highest level in 31 years, and investors are watching for another increase. Cross-border yen borrowing, a proxy for carry-trade activity, has reached a record 360 trillion yen, or about $2.35 trillion.³

Higher Japanese rates make the strategy less profitable. A stronger yen adds pressure because investors need more money to repay what they borrowed.

Investors exiting the trade may have to sell stocks, bonds or other assets and buy yen to repay their loans. If enough investors sell at once, pressure could spread far beyond Japan.

Markets Have Seen It Before

August 2024 provided a preview.

After a Bank of Japan rate increase and a rapid rise in the yen, carry trades began reversing. Japan’s Nikkei plunged 12.4% in a single session, its worst percentage decline since Black Monday in 1987.

Selling quickly spread beyond Japan, and U.S. stocks also fell sharply as investors reduced leveraged positions.

Markets have more time to prepare for the next Bank of Japan move. The bigger risk comes from the speed of the adjustment. A rapid rush for the exits could still force investors to sell assets across global markets.

Gold Sits Outside the Borrowing Chain

Assets built on cheap financing can come under pressure when rates rise. Physical gold does not rely on that borrowing cycle.

Gold does not need refinancing and carries no credit risk. Its value does not depend on a borrower making payments, which can make physical precious metals a useful source of diversification when financial conditions tighten.

If you want to protect your portfolio with physical precious metals in a Gold IRA, contact AHG today at 800-462-0071.

Notes

1. Federal Reserve

2. MBA.org

3. Reuters

4. Reuters

• A stronger-than-expected jobs report has increased the likelihood of another Federal Reserve rate hike.
• Stocks are already near historic valuations, leaving less room for disappointment if rates rise or profits weaken.
• A Gold IRA can help protect your finances by adding physical gold to a diversified retirement portfolio.

High Valuations Meet Higher Rates

Wall Street received a surprise Friday when the August jobs report came in far stronger than expected.

The U.S. economy added 162,000 jobs, nearly three times the 56,000 economists surveyed by Reuters had forecast. Unemployment remained at 4.1%, while previous payroll numbers for June and July were revised higher by a combined 55,000 jobs.¹

Under normal circumstances, strong employment can be encouraging news for the economy. Investors saw another implication immediately: a resilient labor market gives the Federal Reserve more cause to fight inflation with higher interest rates.

Stocks fell following the report as Treasury yields climbed and traders increased their expectations for a September Fed rate hike. The reaction comes at a vulnerable time for the market. Stocks are already trading near historic valuations, with prices reflecting high expectations for future earnings. If interest rates rise further, those lofty valuations could come under pressure, increasing the risk of a sharp market decline and reducing portfolio values.

Stocks Are Near Historic Valuations

One widely followed measure of stock market valuation is the Shiller CAPE ratio. CAPE compares stock prices with the previous 10 years of inflation-adjusted corporate earnings. Using a decade of earnings gives a longer-term view of how expensive stocks have become.

As of September 4, the CAPE ratio stood at 41.41. Its long-term historical average is approximately 17.4. During the height of the dot-com bubble in December 1999, CAPE reached its all-time high of 44.19. Today’s reading sits only about 6% below that record. These high prices reflect an expectation that corporate profits will remain strong.

Higher Rates Could Change the Equation

Friday’s jobs report quickly changed expectations for Federal Reserve policy. After the jobs report, markets put the odds of a September rate hike at roughly 60%, up from about 50% beforehand. UBS also changed its forecast and now expects the Fed to raise rates in both September and December.

Higher interest rates can put pressure on richly valued stocks. As rates rise, bonds can offer higher, more predictable income, giving investors an alternative to taking on the greater uncertainty of stocks. Some investors may shift money from stocks into bonds, reducing demand for stocks and putting downward pressure on share prices. Higher rates can also reduce the present value of the future earnings investors use to justify today’s stock prices. The impact can be greater when valuations are already unusually high.

Treasury markets are beginning to reflect the change in expectations. Both the 10-year Treasury yield and the 2-year yield climbed following Friday’s jobs report. Investors are now facing a market where stock prices sit near record levels while borrowing costs move higher at the same time.

Inflation Is Still Driving the Fed

The jobs report alone may not determine what the Federal Reserve does next. Inflation remains the bigger concern. July consumer prices were 3.4% higher than a year earlier. The Fed’s preferred Personal Consumption Expenditures inflation measure rose 3.7%.³

Energy costs could add more pressure, since Brent crude has climbed toward $100 per barrel while diesel prices have surged. Higher fuel costs can work their way through the economy because businesses must pay more to manufacture and transport goods.

The Market Is Pricing in Plenty of Good News

High stock valuations have some support from corporate earnings. FactSet reported that third-quarter earnings estimates increased during July and August. Analysts typically lower forecasts as a quarter progresses. Expectations for full-year 2026 earnings have also risen.⁴

Strong profits can support higher stock prices. But today’s valuations already price in continued strength, leaving less room for disappointment if inflation stays high, rates rise or profits fall short.

For retirement savers, the issue becomes especially important. Someone decades from retirement may have years to recover from a prolonged market decline, while someone approaching retirement may have considerably less time.

Diversification Matters When Expectations Are High

No valuation indicator can predict exactly when a market correction will happen. CAPE has remained elevated for long periods before. And strong earnings could continue supporting stock prices.

Yet, current conditions make it worth considering how much of your financial future depends on a richly valued stock market continuing to meet unusually high expectations.

Physical gold can provide diversification because its value does not depend on corporate earnings or stock market valuations. Gold can face short-term pressure when interest rates rise. But over longer periods, physical precious metals can provide retirement savers with an asset that operates differently from stocks and other traditional financial assets.

If you want to learn more about protecting your portfolio with physical precious metals in a Gold IRA, contact AHG today at 800-462-0071.

Notes

1. Reuters

2. Yale

3. Reuters

4. Fact Set

 

• The gold-silver ratio may offer clues about whether silver still has room to move higher.
• Silver’s smaller market means renewed investor demand can drive sharper price moves.
• A Precious Metals IRA can help protect your finances with physical precious metals outside traditional financial assets.

What the Ratio Reveals

For years, gold quietly outpaced silver. From 2018 through much of 2025, it typically took 80 to 90 ounces of silver to buy one ounce of gold, a measure known as the gold-silver ratio.

Then silver moved.

Silver surged in late 2025 and early 2026. By January, the ratio had fallen to just 45.6:1. Silver went beyond simply catching up. It had briefly become expensive relative to gold by long-term historical standards. As of early September, the ratio had climbed back to roughly 67:1, putting silver closer to its long-term relationship with gold.¹

Whether silver has more room to run may depend on what the gold-silver ratio is signaling, the forces supporting gold, and whether investor demand returns to silver.

What the Gold-Silver Ratio Tells Us

A rising ratio shows gold outperforming silver. A falling ratio shows silver gaining ground.

An analysis of market data going back to 1970 found that the gold-silver ratio has averaged around 60:1 over the long term. When the ratio has moved far above or below that level, it has historically tended to move back toward it.

As a general guide, a ratio above roughly 72:1 can make silver look relatively attractive compared with gold. While a ratio below roughly 48:1 can suggest silver has become relatively expensive.

The ratio has moved through enormous extremes along the way. It reached 125.7 during the COVID panic in March 2020 and fell below 46 during silver’s January 2026 surge.

Those swings make the ratio useful as a measure of relative value. They do not, however, provide a precise price target or timetable.

Gold Has a Buyer Silver Doesn’t

One reason the ratio has remained elevated for extended periods may be a fundamental change in the gold market.

Central banks have become major gold buyers. Their purchases accelerated after 2022, providing gold with a large source of demand that generally does not extend to silver.

Central-bank buying may have created a new market dynamic. Persistent purchases could allow gold to remain expensive relative to silver for longer periods.

The long-term 60:1 ratio still provides a useful reference point. The difference now may be how long the ratio can stay far from that level before moving closer to it.

Investor Demand Could Hold the Key for Silver

Silver is well known for its expanding industrial uses. Solar power, electronics and other technologies consume large amounts of the metal.

New research adds another dimension to the silver story.

Industrial use has grown substantially over time, yet global manufacturing activity explains only a small share of movements in the gold-silver ratio. A study found a much stronger relationship between the ratio and relative investor demand for the two metals.

In other words, silver’s next major move could depend heavily on how much financial demand enters the market.

Why Silver Can Move So Quickly

Silver has a much smaller and less liquid market than gold. Changes in investor buying can therefore produce much larger percentage moves.

Silver has often lagged during periods dominated by gold’s safe-haven demand. The relationship can change rapidly when significant new buyer demand reaches silver.

Late 2025 and January 2026 showed the potential impact. Silver prices accelerated sharply and the gold-silver ratio plunged from above 80 toward 45.6. The move eventually carried the ratio well below its estimated 60:1 equilibrium.

Silver’s volatility works in both directions. After the January surge faded, silver gave back part of its gains and the ratio moved back toward its longer-term range.

The episode still demonstrated an important characteristic of the market: gold does not need to decline for silver to narrow the gap. Silver can gain relative ground simply by rising faster.

Where Could Silver Go from Here?

None of this makes silver’s path certain. The gold-silver ratio works best as a measure of relative value rather than a precise forecasting tool.

Commerzbank has projected silver could reach approximately $95 an ounce by the end of 2027. Other forecasts are more conservative. Bank of America has projected silver around $75 an ounce by the second quarter of 2027. UBS’s latest forecast calls for approximately $75 in early 2027 and $80 by September 2027.²

Forecasts can change quickly, especially in a market as volatile as silver. But the bigger picture is clear: gold has gained a powerful source of demand from central banks, while silver remains a smaller market that can react sharply when investor interest increases.

Volatility can work in silver’s favor. Because its market is smaller, renewed demand can produce larger percentage moves over shorter periods, creating greater upside potential along with greater downside risk.

In any case, physical precious metals can provide another way to diversify beyond traditional financial assets. If you want to protect your portfolio with physical precious metals in a Gold IRA, contact AHG today at 800-462-0071.

Notes

1. Silver Institute

2. Kitco

• Social Security’s retirement trust fund could be depleted by 2032, putting scheduled benefits at risk.
• Fixing the shortfall could mean higher taxes, reduced benefits, or changes to retirement rules.
• A Gold IRA can help protect your finances by adding physical precious metals to your retirement strategy.

Washington Is Running Out of Time

For years, Social Security’s funding problems were treated like something for another Congress to solve. The deadline was always far enough away to postpone the hard decisions.

Not anymore.

Washington is beginning to confront a Social Security shortfall that could have real consequences for millions of Americans approaching retirement.

The 2026 Social Security Trustees Report projects that the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance trust fund will deplete its reserves in the fourth quarter of 2032, one quarter earlier than previously estimated. Once those reserves run out, incoming payroll tax revenue would cover only about 78% of scheduled retirement benefits. Without congressional action, retirees could face an effective 22% reduction in scheduled payments.¹

Social Security would continue receiving payroll tax revenue. The program would simply no longer collect enough to pay scheduled benefits in full.

Washington knows the problem is coming. Now it has to decide who pays for fixing it.

The Math Is Getting Harder to Ignore

The problem goes much deeper than a single depletion date.

The combined Social Security retirement and disability trust funds ended 2025 with about $2.56 trillion in reserves, down roughly $160 billion in one year. Program costs have exceeded non-interest income every year since 2010.

Demographics are adding even more pressure. In 1960, more than five workers supported each Social Security beneficiary. Today, fewer than three workers do. Fewer workers are supporting a growing retired population.²

Over the next 75 years, Social Security’s projected funding shortfall has been estimated at roughly $30 trillion. ⁴ Complicating the problem is the government’s broader financial position. U.S. national debt has now surpassed $40 trillion. Federal interest costs are projected to exceed $1 trillion this year. Social Security’s retirement and disability programs are also expected to pay out $250 billion more than they collect in dedicated tax revenue in 2026.

As those shortfalls grow, they add further pressure to federal deficits and borrowing. Washington is confronting Social Security’s funding crisis at a time when the government already has less financial room to maneuver.⁵

The numbers leave Washington with fewer easy choices as 2032 approaches.

Someone Has to Pay

Lawmakers have a limited number of ways to strengthen Social Security. They can bring in more revenue, reduce future costs or combine different reforms.

Proposals include raising the payroll tax rate and changing retirement ages. Others would alter future benefit formulas.

Another frequently discussed idea involves raising or eliminating the wage ceiling subject to Social Security taxes. In 2026, payroll taxes apply to the first $184,500 of earnings, and only about 6% of workers earn above that threshold.⁶

Rich Thau, president of the research firm Engagious, summed up the dilemma: “Someone has to pay.”⁷

Different proposals would affect Americans differently. Some workers could contribute more. Some retirees could receive smaller future benefits. Congress could also adopt a mix of tax increases and benefit changes.

For anyone planning a retirement, the uncertainty itself matters.

Retirement Promises Can Change

Millions of Americans build retirement plans around an expected level of Social Security income.

Future tax rates, benefit formulas and eligibility rules remain subject to decisions made in Washington. Someone retiring ten or twenty years from now cannot know exactly what those rules will look like when the time comes.

Social Security’s funding problem highlights a broader retirement risk. Part of your future income may depend on decisions you cannot control.

You cannot control what Congress ultimately does with Social Security. You can control how much of your retirement depends on it.

Building More Control into Your Retirement

Social Security’s funding problems highlight the importance of building a retirement strategy that does not depend too heavily on any single source of income.

Stocks and bonds are exposed to financial-market conditions. Cash can lose purchasing power as prices rise over time. Physical gold provides another source of diversification.

Gold is a tangible asset that can be owned directly. Its value does not depend on Congress maintaining a particular benefit formula or a company meeting earnings expectations. Gold has also served as a store of value through periods of inflation, currency weakness and financial uncertainty.

Qualified physical precious metals can also be held inside a self-directed Gold IRA, giving retirement savers another way to diversify a tax-advantaged retirement account.

Conclusion

Congress still has time to address Social Security’s shortfall, and a 22% reduction in scheduled benefits is not inevitable.

What remains uncertain is how Washington will close the gap and who will ultimately bear the cost.

Americans nearing retirement cannot determine which solution Congress chooses. They can determine how much of their financial future depends on government benefits.

Physical gold can provide one way to build greater independence into a retirement portfolio while diversifying beyond traditional assets.

If you want to protect your portfolio with physical precious metals in a Gold IRA, contact AHG today at 800-462-0071.

Notes

1. Social Security Administration

2. Social Security Administration

3. Fortune

4. Bipartisan Policy.org

5. Brookings

6. Bipartisan Policy.org

7. Oregon Public Broadcasting

 

• The debasement trade is back as record debt and Treasury intervention raise new concerns about the dollar.
• Speculators, central banks, and Wall Street forecasts are adding fresh support for gold.
• A Gold IRA can help protect your finances with physical gold outside traditional dollar-based assets.

Why Gold is Rising Again

Gold is surging again.

Prices pushed toward $4,700 an ounce this week, reaching their highest level in roughly 15 weeks. The move has traders talking about a familiar phrase again: the debasement trade.

The debasement trade is based on a simple concern. As governments borrow and spend more, investors begin to question the long-term purchasing power of their currencies. When confidence in a currency falls, investors often turn to safe-haven stores of value like gold.

Gold becomes more attractive because its supply cannot be expanded by a central bank or issued by the government to finance a deficit.

The story behind gold’s rally says as much about Washington’s finances as it does about gold itself.

The Trigger: A Bigger Buyback from the Treasury

The catalyst traces back to an announcement from the U.S. Treasury Department. Starting September 9, the Treasury will double the size of its buyback operations on long-dated bonds, moving from roughly $2 billion per operation to at least $4 billion. On paper, it’s a way for the Treasury to support the bond market and help lower long-term yields. In reality, analysts see it as a sign of how much strain the government’s finances are under.²

Federal debt recently crossed $40 trillion. The 30-year Treasury yield touched 5.34% last week, close to a two-decade high. Against that backdrop, investors worry the buyback keeps the bond market from setting prices on its own, further fueling the debasement trade. When the government buys its own long bonds to hold down yields, the underlying pressure doesn’t disappear. It just shifts onto the currency instead.

What Analysts Are Saying

Commodity strategists have been direct about the connection. Bart Melek is Head of Commodity Strategy at TD Securities. He pointed to America’s fiscal situation as a driver of gold’s surge, noting that market participants expect government bond market interference to intensify further. Nicky Shiels of MKS PAMP described the debasement trade as a structural theme with room to run. She is calling gold the cleanest available hedge against both currency debasement and U.S. political intervention in markets.³

Neither strategist framed this as a straight line higher. Rising energy prices and inflation fears could still push the Federal Reserve toward a rate hike. Higher rates typically put downward pressure on gold.

Speculators Are Piling Back In

The move isn’t limited to central banks and long-term holders. According to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, money managers have been steadily increasing their bullish bets on gold. Net bullish positioning has climbed 18% in just three weeks, reaching its highest level since late September.⁴

Speculative traders are generally chasing price gains rather than holding gold as long-term protection. Their return signals a growing belief that gold has further upside. Even so, positioning hasn’t reached previous extremes. It is staying below where it stood twelve months ago and well below the speculative peak seen earlier in the cycle.

Gold Bulls Return to Wall Street

Bank of America’s August Global Fund Manager Survey backs up the shift in sentiment. Sixteen percent of fund managers surveyed called gold undervalued, compared with just 6% in July.⁵

Citigroup now sees gold reaching $4,800 in the near term and $5,000 within 12 months. While Commerzbank and Morgan Stanley see a path above $5,000 in 2027. Over the past month, those forecasts have risen about 6.7% at Citi, more than 4% at Morgan Stanley, and 13.6% at Commerzbank.⁶

Conclusion

The debasement trade is back, fueled by record federal debt and increased Treasury intervention in the bond market. Returning speculative demand and continued central bank buying are adding further support for gold.

The debasement trade also raises a bigger question: what will a dollar be worth down the road? For retirement savers, that matters well beyond the trading desk. A weaker dollar can erode purchasing power, meaning the same retirement savings may buy less over time.

It can also signal broader problems in the financial system. Rising debt, persistent inflation, and pressure on the dollar can weigh on stocks and make heavily concentrated retirement portfolios more vulnerable. Many portfolios are more concentrated than people realize, with a handful of large companies making up an outsized share of major indexes.

Physical gold can provide diversification outside stocks, bonds, and the dollar-based financial system. Its appeal is not about getting rich quickly. As one veteran of the space put it, gold does not go up so much as the dollar goes down. Gold functions as insurance rather than speculation.

If you want to protect your portfolio with physical precious metals in a Gold IRA, contact AHG today at 800-462-0071.

Notes

1. Bitcoin.com

2. Treasury.gov

3. Kitco

4. Index Box

5. Kitco

6. London Gold Exchange

• Gold continues to rise despite the threat of higher interest rates.
• Inflation, central-bank buying and safe-haven demand are helping offset the pressure from higher rates.
• A Gold IRA can help protect your finances with physical gold outside traditional stocks and bonds.

Why Gold Is Defying Rates

The Federal Reserve is heading into its annual Jackson Hole symposium with a problem that refuses to go away: inflation.

Meanwhile, gold is trading near $4,635 an ounce, its highest level since mid-May. As gold continues to rise in the face of potential rate hikes, old assumptions are being challenged. Other forces are now offsetting the traditional pressure of higher rates.

Inflation Won’t Let Go

The Fed’s inflation fight has dragged longer than many expected. Consumer prices climbed at an annual rate above 4% in May, the highest reading since 2023. Energy costs surged more than 20% amid the conflict involving Iran.¹

A stronger than expected May jobs report added to the pressure. At more than double economists’ forecasts, it further narrowed the case for near term rate cuts. Goldman Sachs went as far as pulling every remaining 2026 rate cut from its forecast entirely.²

Roughly half of Fed policymakers penciled in additional rate hikes for 2026 at Warsh’s very first meeting as chair in June. Three regional Fed presidents dissented in favor of immediate tightening at the July meeting. Heading into Jackson Hole, the Fed looks less like a central bank preparing to ease and more like one still debating whether it needs to tighten further.³

Why Higher Rates Usually Weigh on Gold

Gold pays no interest or dividend. When Treasury bonds and savings accounts offer yields above 4%, holding gold carries a real opportunity cost. Investors give up guaranteed income to hold a metal that only pays off through price appreciation.

This relationship has shaped gold trading for decades. Rising real interest rates typically make bonds and cash more attractive relative to gold. Falling rates usually do the opposite. Analysts have long treated a hawkish Fed as one of the biggest headwinds bullion can face.

Gold Keeps Climbing Anyway

Gold hit an all-time high near $5,589 an ounce in January. It pulled back roughly 25% by June. And then rebounded through the summer and surged past $4,400 in August. Gold just had its best monthly gain since the start of the year. All this happened alongside a stalled rate cut path and rising policy uncertainty.

Wall Street’s own price targets reflect the same disconnect. Forecasts from major banks have sat well above prevailing gold prices for much of the year. Professional analysts see support for gold that goes beyond the rate cut story.

What’s Actually Driving Gold Now

Central banks bought gold at a record quarterly pace in the second quarter of 2026. They added nearly 289 tonnes even as gold prices remained historically high. A recent World Gold Council survey found that 89% of central bank reserve managers expect global gold reserves to keep growing over the next year. A record 45% said their own institutions plan to add gold. Reserve diversification topped the list of reasons cited. The dollar’s share of global reserves continues to decline as gold takes on a larger strategic role in central bank reserves.⁵

Geopolitical tension surrounding the Iran conflict added another layer of support. Safe haven demand rose along with energy costs, inflation and regional uncertainty. Rising federal debt is playing a role as well. The national debt has topped $40 trillion. And the government’s recent move to buy back more of its own long-term bonds has raised further questions about the dollar’s ability to hold its value over time.

New Fed Chair Kevin Warsh may also be adding to the story. He has pulled back on the kind of forward guidance markets had grown used to. ING economist James Smith warned that offering less commentary on the rate path risks adding more volatility to an already unsettled bond market.⁶ A recent Bank of America survey found that 69% of fund managers expect Warsh’s upcoming Jackson Hole speech to offer little new direction either way. Uncertainty about how the Fed communicates has become its own source of market anxiety, separate from any actual decision on rates.⁷

Conclusion

Gold can still react sharply to changing interest-rate expectations. Higher yields can pressure prices. Hopes for rate cuts can provide support. Fed comments can also move gold and the dollar quickly.

The larger lesson is that gold’s outlook cannot be reduced to a single Fed decision. Inflation, economic growth and confidence in monetary policy can all shape the market’s response.

For retirement savers, the broader environment matters more than predicting the Fed’s next move. Higher interest rates can put pressure on gold, while inflation concerns, central-bank buying, safe-haven demand and uncertainty surrounding the dollar can push back the other way. Physical gold offers a way to hold part of retirement savings outside traditional stocks and bonds.

If you want to protect your portfolio with physical precious metals in a Gold IRA, contact AHG today at 800-462-0071.

Notes

1. Reuters

2. Reuters

3. CNBC

4. MacroMicro

5. World Gold Council

6. Reuters

7. Crypto Briefing

 

• Gold can strengthen diversification because it often behaves differently from stocks and other commodities.
• Growing BRICS financial and geopolitical cooperation could weaken Western influence and create new risks for American retirement portfolios.
• A Gold IRA can help protect your finances as the global financial system becomes less dependent on the dollar.

Why Gold Diversifies Differently

Most retirement savers know diversification matters. Spreading money across different assets can help reduce the impact when one part of a portfolio struggles.

Owning several different assets, however, does not guarantee they will behave differently when markets come under pressure. Stocks, commodities and other holdings can fall together during periods of stress, leaving investors more exposed than they may realize.

New 2026 research from the World Gold Council helps explain why gold has historically behaved differently. The forces driving gold demand are different from those affecting most commodities, which can give gold a distinct role in a diversified portfolio.

Gold Is a Different Kind of Commodity

Gold is often grouped with oil, copper and agricultural products. Most of those commodities are consumed as they are used. Their prices can rise or fall sharply when production falls short or supply builds up.

Gold works differently. It is rarely consumed or destroyed. Much of the gold mined throughout history still exists. And it can be recycled, resold or held for decades.

Because so much gold already exists above ground, its price is less dependent on short-term changes in production. Existing gold can come back onto the market when demand rises, moderating the kind of boom-and-bust supply swings seen in many other commodities.

Gold production is also spread across many regions, reducing reliance on any single producing country.

Broad commodity funds may also provide less gold exposure than investors expect. Major commodity indexes generally allocate only about 7% to 15% to gold because their formulas emphasize futures trading and production. Owning a broad commodity fund therefore may not provide meaningful exposure to gold.

A Broader Demand Base Can Matter When Markets Fall

Investors may buy gold for wealth protection. Central banks hold it as a reserve asset. Jewelry and technology create another source of demand during stronger economic periods.

Industrial metals and energy are more closely tied to the business cycle. Gold’s broad demand base can help it behave differently when growth slows or market stress rises.

History offers several examples.

During the fourth quarter of 2018, U.S. stocks fell roughly 14% and broad commodities declined about 9%. Gold gained approximately 8%.

During the first quarter of 2020, stocks dropped about 20% and commodities fell roughly 23%. Gold rose around 6%.

The Numbers Behind Gold’s Long-Term Performance

World Gold Council research found that gold outperformed broad commodity indexes over the 3-year, 5-year, 10-year and 20-year periods examined.

One reason involves the way many commodities are traded.

Commodity investors often gain exposure through futures contracts. Those contracts expire and must eventually be replaced. Moving from one contract to another can create roll costs that reduce long-term returns.

Over the 20-year period studied, gold produced a 9.9% annualized spot return and an 8.9% futures return. Oil generated a negative 0.2% spot return and a negative 7.2% futures return.

While gold can trail commodities over shorter periods, it generally experiences less day-to-day volatility than many major commodities.

Gold has performed well during periods of high inflation and has also posted positive returns when inflation was low. In addition, it is one of the world’s most actively traded assets, with roughly $373 billion changing hands each day.

A Small Gold Allocation Can Have a Large Effect

World Gold Council modeling shows how an asset’s behavior can influence diversification even when the allocation itself is relatively small.

In one hypothetical portfolio analysis, a 5% allocation to gold accounted for about 28% of the portfolio’s total diversification benefit. An equivalent 5% allocation to commodities provided roughly 15%.

The same modeling found that a 5% gold allocation improved annualized returns and reduced volatility across every time period studied.

Over 20 years, the hypothetical portfolio’s maximum drawdown improved from about negative 41% without gold to negative 38.6% with a 5% gold allocation.

Gold and Commodities Move Differently Through Market Cycles

The World Gold Council also examined how gold and commodities performed across different economic environments.

Gold delivered positive average returns across all four market environments studied. Interestingly, gold performed particularly well during risk-off periods, when fear rises and investors look for places they believe may hold up better during market stress.

Broad commodities tended to perform best during economic recoveries, when growth was strengthening alongside inflation and interest rates. Their performance tended to weaken during recessions.

Conclusion

Meaningful diversification becomes more important as retirement approaches, when there may be less time to recover from a major market decline. Research shows gold can help diversify a portfolio because it often behaves differently from stocks and other commodities, especially during periods of market stress. If you want to protect your portfolio with physical precious metals in a Gold IRA, contact AHG today at 800-462-0071.

Notes

Source: Unless otherwise noted, all data and research in this article are from the World Gold Council’s Gold as a Strategic Asset: 2026 Edition. World Gold Council

Watch our exclusive webinar from August 20, 2026, where we reveal critical insights into protecting your finances with precious metals.

You’ll Learn:

• Two Ways to Own Gold: How physical delivery and a Gold IRA offer different ways to hold precious metals
• Physical Gold Delivery: How buying gold for direct possession works and what to consider before taking delivery
• Gold IRA Ownership: How physical gold can be held within a tax-advantaged retirement account
• Choosing the Right Approach: How your goals, available funds, and retirement strategy can help determine which option may fit
• Using Both Strategies: Why some Americans may choose to own delivered gold while also holding precious metals in a Gold IRA

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Machi Block, a highly respected Senior Director at American Hartford Gold, is a trusted precious metals specialist dedicated to helping Americans protect their financial future. He has helped clients safeguard millions in savings, expertly navigating today’s toughest economic challenges.

About American Hartford Gold

American Hartford Gold is dedicated to helping individuals and families invest in precious metals. This includes Gold, Silver and Platinum in both bars and coins. We provide both physical delivery to one’s doorstep or inside of a retirement account like an IRA, 401K or TSP. American Hartford Gold helps clients achieve greater security for their future by adding “safe haven” assets to their portfolio. Investors receive only the highest quality gold and silver coins, offered at competitive prices with 100% customer satisfaction guaranteed.

American Hartford Gold has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and has a 5-star customer satisfaction rating on multiple review platforms like Trustpilot and Google. Additionally, American Hartford Gold was ranked the #1 Gold Company on the prestigious Inc. 5000’s list of America’s fastest-growing private companies. American Hartford Gold is the only precious metals company recommended by Bill O’Reilly, Rick Harrison, and Lou Dobbs. We are extremely honored that they trust and recommend us to their beloved friends, family, and viewers.

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• Government borrowing costs are rising as investors demand greater compensation for holding increasingly risky sovereign debt.
• Growing deficits and higher interest expenses could make already massive global debt burdens even harder to manage.
• A Gold IRA can help protect your finances with physical gold that does not depend on a government’s ability to repay debt.

The Debt Crisis Is Deepening

Government borrowing costs just climbed to levels the market hasn’t seen in a generation. A weak bond auction forced the government to pay the steepest borrowing costs in roughly two decades. The U.S. 30-year Treasury yield closed near 5.26% last week. Across the Atlantic, France and Germany’s 30-year bond yields climbed to their highest levels since the 2008 financial crisis.¹

The cost of government debt is rising across every major economy at once. As investors demand more compensation for riskier government bonds, demand for gold as a store of value is also rising.

What’s Driving Yields Higher

Several forces are converging to push borrowing costs up around the world.

Growing government debt needs to be financed. The Congressional Budget Office recently raised its forecast for the U.S. annual deficit to $2.1 trillion. That is $200 billion higher than its estimate from just months earlier. Larger deficits require more Treasury issuance, increasing the supply of bonds competing for investor dollars.

Governments are also competing with corporations for a shrinking pool of capital. Tech giants are issuing enormous volumes of corporate bonds to fund AI data centers. Some of those companies carry stronger credit ratings than the U.S. government itself. Investors chasing yield increasingly have somewhere else to put their money besides Treasurys.

Policy uncertainty is adding another layer of pressure. Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh has moved away from the forward guidance markets relied on for years. The lack of information makes it harder to predict future interest-rate policy. Increasing uncertainty encourages investors to demand a higher premium for holding longer-term bonds. The missing guidance shows up as higher interest rates and a higher cost to taxpayers.

Why This Matters Beyond Wall Street

Bondholders can feel the impact directly. Bond prices generally fall when yields rise, which means existing fixed-income holdings may lose market value during periods of sharp rate increases.

For retirees who rely on bonds for stability, recent volatility is another reminder that fixed-income assets can face meaningful market risk.

But Treasury yields affect much more than bond holders.

They set the floor for mortgage rates, auto loans, business credit, and credit card rates across the entire economy. When the government pays more to borrow, everyday borrowing gets more expensive too.

And there’s a deeper concern building underneath the daily headlines. Higher rates also make servicing the national debt more expensive.

The Congressional Budget Office projects the average interest rate on federal debt will climb from 3.4% in 2025 to 4.2% by 2056. Servicing the debt will cost more than triple what net interest payments have averaged over the past half century. As older, cheaper debt matures and gets refinanced at today’s much higher rates, the government’s interest bill compounds on itself. A ‘debt death spiral’ is created.³

The Historical Pivot Toward Gold

Bonds and gold have long competed for the same pool of capital. Bonds pay a yield. Gold pays nothing. For decades that made bonds the default choice for conservative investors.

The equation shifts when confidence in government debt itself comes into question. Investors watched something similar unfold in 2011. A U.S. debt-ceiling standoff and a European sovereign debt crisis sent gold surging past $1,600 an ounce for the first time. The fear driving that rally wasn’t really about interest rates. It was about whether governments could manage their obligations at all.

Global debt has only grown since then. Debt across governments, households and businesses has reached roughly $340 trillion in 2025. Government share of that total climbed to a record 30%.⁴

At three to four times global GDP, debt on that scale raises legitimate questions about currency stability and long-term purchasing power. Gold’s structural bull market over the past several years has tracked almost exactly alongside this debt buildup. It is seen as a hedge against currency debasement rather than a bet on any single interest rate decision.

Protecting Your Savings in an Uncertain Debt Environment

The global economy itself appears to be shifting. Rather than building strong, durable growth through productivity and investment, major governments have leaned on borrowing to dig their way out of every hole. And soon they may approach a point where they can’t dig any deeper.

A real crisis is brewing. It can be clearly seen in the rising cost of compensating bondholders for risk. The people buying government debt are losing confidence that the money will actually get paid back. And that loss of confidence is an existential problem, not a technical one.

Unlike a bond, physical gold carries no counterparty risk and no dependence on any government’s ability to pay its debts. It can operate as a true store of value during a debt crisis. If you want to protect your portfolio with physical precious metals in a Gold IRA, contact AHG today at 800-462-0071.

Notes

1. Wolf Street

2. Yahoo Finance

3. National Taxpayers Union

4. Institute of International Finance

 

• BRICS is building payment networks, gold reserves and financial systems that could gradually reduce reliance on the U.S. dollar.
• Growing BRICS financial and geopolitical cooperation could weaken Western influence and create new risks for American retirement portfolios.
• A Gold IRA can help protect your finances as the global financial system becomes less dependent on the dollar.

The Dollar’s Changing Global Role

For decades, the U.S. dollar has sat at the center of the global financial system. International trade, central-bank reserves and cross-border payments have all depended heavily on the dollar and the financial infrastructure surrounding it.

The September 12–13 BRICS summit in New Delhi could mark another step toward changing that system.

BRICS leaders are expected to discuss closer connections between their national payment networks and potentially their central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). The goal is to make it easier for member nations to trade with one another without automatically relying on dollars.

BRICS countries now represent roughly 40% of global GDP. Even a gradual shift in how those economies move money could matter. The dollar does not have to disappear for its dominance to weaken. Every new payment option and local-currency transaction can make it a little less necessary.

Building the Plumbing for Dollar-Free Trade

Reserve Bank of India Governor Sanjay Malhotra recently confirmed that BRICS members are discussing ways to connect national payment systems and central bank digital currencies.¹

Much of global commerce currently settles in dollars, even when neither party to a transaction is American. The system creates steady worldwide demand for dollars while giving the United States significant financial influence through the networks surrounding its currency.

A functioning BRICS payment network could allow more energy, commodity and other transactions to take place without using dollar-clearing systems.

The technology is no longer entirely theoretical. Project mBridge, a multi-CBDC platform, has already demonstrated real-time cross-border settlement outside SWIFT. Full-scale adoption may still be years away, but the groundwork is being established.

Dollar dominance can erode gradually, transaction by transaction.

A New BRICS Currency Is Not Required

BRICS members do not agree on creating a common currency. India has taken a cautious position, favoring greater use of national currencies in trade instead.³

The disagreement does not prevent countries from reducing their reliance on the dollar.

Trading partners can increasingly settle transactions directly in rupees, yuan or other national currencies. One transaction conducted outside the dollar system makes little difference. Millions of similar transactions can gradually reduce the amount of dollar liquidity needed for global commerce.

Why BRICS Countries Are Building Gold Reserves

Reducing dollar reliance in trade solves only part of the problem. Countries also need an alternative to the dollars held in their reserves.

Gold offers an important option.

Foreign currencies depend on the policies and financial systems of the countries that issue them. Government debt depends on the government behind the obligation. Physical gold has no issuing government and requires no counterparty promise.

For countries seeking greater financial independence, gold provides a reserve asset outside the dollar-based system.

China has been particularly active. The People’s Bank of China reported 20 consecutive months of gold purchases through June 2026, bringing official holdings to approximately 2,346 metric tons. Gold represented about 8% of China’s official foreign-exchange assets.⁴

An Alternative Gold Market

Russia has proposed a broader BRICS precious-metals system that could eventually include pricing benchmarks and clearing mechanisms. BRICS also support greater precious-metals trade through common quality standards.

But China is already building the infrastructure needed to support a larger role in the physical gold market.

The Shanghai Gold Exchange has become one of the world’s largest gold-trading centers. Placing a strong emphasis on physical bullion, they are positioning themselves to compete directly with London’s OTC bullion market (LBMA ecosystem) and COMEX in New York.⁵

Deeper BRICS bullion markets could give member nations a place to trade and store gold outside traditional Western centers. It could strengthen their financial independence while reducing the West’s influence over a market increasingly driven by Asian demand.

BRICS Is Cooperating Despite Its Differences

BRICS remains a group of countries with different political and economic interests. However, cooperation can still move forward in other areas.

The Strait of Hormuz crisis could give BRICS a chance to show its growing geopolitical influence. India and China may use the upcoming summit to rally members behind efforts to reopen the strait and support a diplomatic solution involving fellow BRICS member Iran. Such an effort could offer an alternative to U.S.-led diplomacy. Success would strengthen BRICS’ case as a geopolitical counterweight as it works to build greater financial independence from the West.⁶

Conclusion

Less international dependence on dollars could eventually reduce a major source of structural demand for the currency. Lower demand can pressure the dollar’s value, making imports more expensive, adding to inflation, and complicating the interest-rate outlook. Higher rates can weigh on stock valuations and borrowing, while weaker purchasing power can reduce the real value of retirement savings.

No single BRICS initiative is likely to transform the financial system alone. The larger risk comes as more alternatives to the dollar begin to add up. BRICS countries are building new payment connections, using more local currencies and growing their gold reserves. The dollar does not have to collapse for the global financial order to shift. Tiny drips away from the dollar can add up over time, eventually creating an ocean of change.

If you want to protect your portfolio from the impact of changing global economy, learn more about holding physical precious metals in a Gold IRA. Contact AHG today at 800-462-0071.

Notes

1. Yahoo Finance

2. Dirk Bal

3. TBS News

4. World Gold Council

5. World Gold Council

6. South China Morning Post

• Gold has surged above $4,300 as weaker jobs data, lower yields and a softer dollar reshape the financial outlook.
• Continued central bank buying and changing Fed expectations may provide longer-term support for gold.
• A Gold IRA may help protect your finances as uncertainty surrounding markets, currencies and the economy continues.

A New Tailwind for Gold

Gold has regained momentum in a big way.

After falling below $4,000 an ounce in late June, gold has climbed back above $4,300, posting its strongest weekly performance since January. The metal gained more than 7% during the week ended August 7 as a surprisingly weak U.S. jobs report changed expectations for the economy and Federal Reserve policy.

Lower Treasury yields and a weaker dollar added support. And continued central bank buying has helped provide a longer-term foundation beneath the market.

Gold has long served as a barometer of confidence, and its latest surge may reflect growing doubts about the broader financial system.

A Weak Jobs Report Changes the Outlook

U.S. payrolls unexpectedly fell by 23,000 jobs during the month. Economists had expected the economy to add about 80,000 jobs. Earlier employment figures were also revised lower by a combined 103,000 jobs, suggesting that the labor market had already been losing momentum.²

The weaker report quickly changed expectations for Federal Reserve policy.

Before the data was released, markets put the probability of another September rate hike at about 57%. Afterward, those odds fell below 44%.

Gold often benefits when rate-hike expectations fade, since lower yields reduce the appeal of interest-bearing assets like Treasuries relative to gold.

The Dollar and Treasury Yields Weaken

The shift in Fed expectations quickly spread across financial markets.

Treasury yields moved lower after the employment report, reducing some of the income advantage available from government bonds.

The U.S. dollar also weakened, with the dollar index falling to around 99.5 following the jobs report.

Because gold is priced globally in dollars, a softer U.S. currency can make the metal more affordable for buyers using other currencies. Dollar weakness can also signal changing expectations about U.S. monetary policy and the economy.

Falling Oil Prices Remove Another Headwind

Energy prices have also played a role.

Earlier this year, elevated oil prices added to concerns that inflation could remain stubborn. Persistent inflation can make it harder for the Federal Reserve to ease monetary policy.

More recently, improving conditions surrounding shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have helped take some pressure off oil prices.

Lower energy costs may give the Fed greater flexibility if the economy continues to weaken.

Geopolitical uncertainty has not disappeared, however. Continued tensions in the Middle East can still encourage demand for assets traditionally viewed as safe havens.

Gold may therefore benefit from easing inflation pressure while concerns about global stability remain elevated.

Central Banks Continue Buying Gold

Central bank demand adds a longer-term backdrop.

According to the World Gold Council’s latest survey, 89% of central banks expect global gold reserves to increase over the next year. A record 45% expect their own institutions to buy more.

Their reasons are also revealing. Ninety percent cited gold’s performance during times of crisis as an important reason for holding the metal.³

China has remained an active buyer. Meanwhile, South Korea recently announced plans to purchase physical gold from domestic producers for the first time in more than a decade.

Central banks appear to see an expanding role for gold as currencies, interest rates and geopolitical conditions continue to shift.

Gold as a Measure of Confidence

The forces behind gold’s rally may look separate at first.

Employment is weakening. Expectations for higher interest rates are fading. The dollar has come under pressure, while governments continue accumulating physical gold.

Together, they point toward a broader issue: confidence.

Gold does not depend on the earnings of a company or the creditworthiness of a particular government. For generations, people and institutions have held it during periods when confidence in traditional financial assets becomes less certain.

The latest rally may therefore be more than a reaction to one economic report. It may represent a broader reassessment of confidence in the financial system itself.

What Comes Next

Inflation will likely provide the next important signal.

If price pressures continue to cool while employment weakens, the Federal Reserve may have more room to keep rates steady or eventually move toward easier policy. Such an environment could continue supporting gold.

Stronger inflation could push expectations in the other direction and create short-term pressure on the metal.

Some major financial institutions nevertheless remain bullish on gold’s longer-term outlook. After gold broke above $4,250 an ounce, UBS strategists reiterated their price target, writing:

“But while the immediate backdrop may remain volatile, the medium- to long-term case for gold still looks supported by several durable drivers. We expect gold prices to rise toward USD 5,000/oz in the first half of 2027.”⁴

Whether the rally continues or UBS’s forecast proves right, the forces behind it extend beyond a single trading session. Changes in employment, monetary policy and confidence in the dollar can all affect Americans whose savings and retirement portfolios remain closely tied to traditional financial assets.

If you want to protect your portfolio with physical precious metals in a Gold IRA, contact AHG today at 800-462-0071.

Notes

1. American Hartford Gold

2. CBS News

3. World Gold Council

4. Investing.com

 

• Tether, the world’s largest stablecoin company, is steadily adding physical gold to its reserves.
• Tether’s growing gold holdings could create a powerful new source of long-term demand and price support.
• Physical gold in a Gold IRA may help protect your finances from inflation, debt and instability across traditional and digital markets.

Gold’s New Digital Foundation

A new financial order is beginning to emerge, and physical gold may be at the heart of it.

For decades, the global financial system has depended on confidence in fiat currencies. Persistent inflation and rising government borrowing have weakened faith in the ability of paper assets to preserve value over time.

Cryptocurrency developed partly as an alternative to that system. Stablecoins promised to combine the efficiency of digital assets with the stability of traditional currency.

Now Tether, the company behind the world’s largest stablecoin, is building one of the largest private gold reserves on the planet.

Its growing purchases suggest that physical gold could become a foundation of the digital economy and a new pillar of long-term support for gold prices.

Why Tether Matters

Tether issues USD₮, a stablecoin designed to maintain a value equal to one U.S. dollar. Its stability depends heavily on Tether’s reserve portfolio of short-term U.S. Treasury securities.

But now, the company is building a substantial physical gold position alongside those traditional reserves.

Gold now accounts for roughly 10% of Tether’s reported reserves. The size of its holdings exceeds the gold reserves of many national central banks.¹

Treasury Income Is Flowing into Bullion

Tether’s gold strategy appears to be part of a deliberate shift in how the company manages its growing profits.

The company earned about $1.5 billion in the second quarter, largely from U.S. Treasuries. Tether moved part of their financial strength into bullion.

They purchased approximately 14 metric tonnes of gold during the second quarter of 2026. The acquisition increased its total physical gold holdings to more than 146 tonnes, valued at approximately $18.8 billion.²

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino has discussed holding 10% to 15% in gold, suggesting purchases may continue as part of a long-term strategy.

Tether is still one of the world’s largest holders of U.S. Treasuries. Its growing gold position shows that the company sees a place for an asset outside the debt-based financial system as well.

A Private Buyer with Central Bank Scale

Tether’s buying has reached a level usually associated with sovereign institutions.

The company purchased approximately 27.1 tonnes of gold during the first half of 2026, averaging 4.5 tonnes per month.

If Tether were included in rankings of central bank gold holdings, its approximately 150 tonnes would place it behind Poland and China among the largest buyers over the period.

Tether’s 14-tonne second-quarter purchase was also equal to nearly 5% of the gold bought by the entire official sector during the quarter.⁴

Continued buying from Tether and other stablecoin issuers could add another source of demand with enough scale to affect available supply and long-term prices.

Stablecoin Users Are Buying Gold Too

Demand is also growing among customers who use Tether’s gold-backed digital product.

Tether Gold, known as XAU₮, allows users to hold a digital token backed by physical bullion. Each token represents ownership of at least one fine troy ounce of gold held in reserve.

Tether reported approximately 22 tonnes of physical gold backing XAU₮ at the end of the second quarter. The reserves included 1,759 London Good Delivery bars stored in Switzerland.

Customer holdings increased by 9.5% during the quarter, representing approximately 1.66 additional tonnes of physical gold.

The increase occurred while gold prices were falling. Gold declined 14.1% during the quarter, yet buyers continued adding tokenized physical gold to their holdings.

“Gold experienced its sharpest quarterly correction in 13 years, yet token holders continued to accumulate XAU₮,” said Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino.⁵

A New Foundation for Gold Demand

Gold demand has traditionally come from jewelry buyers, individual owners and government institutions.

Stablecoin companies now appear capable of becoming another major force in the market.

Tether earns income from the traditional financial system, converts part of those proceeds into physical bullion and offers customers another way to hold gold through digital networks. The cycle connects the old monetary system, the crypto economy and the physical gold market.

Growing private-sector demand could create another layer of support for gold prices, particularly during periods when short-term traders are selling.

Conclusion

Tether’s strategy reflects a basic principle. Digital money and government debt may serve important financial purposes, while physical gold can provide a source of value outside those systems.

Physical gold allows buyers to own the underlying asset directly. A Gold IRA can also provide a way to hold eligible physical precious metals within a tax-advantaged retirement account.

The crypto industry may be helping create a new financial order, but one of its largest companies is building its reserves with an asset that has endured through many previous ones.

If you want to protect your portfolio with physical precious metals in a Gold IRA, contact AHG today at 800-462-0071.

Notes

1. Tether

2. Tether

3. Visual Capitalist

4. Tether

5. Tether