President Donald Trump’s tariffs continue to drive market uncertainty while boosting the price of domestic and imported goods, and may further weigh down a beleaguered U.S. market, according to JPMorgan’s annual stakeholder letter.
“The recent tariffs will likely increase inflation and are causing many to consider a greater probability of a recession,” Jamie Dimon, who serves as JPMorgan CEO and chairman, wrote in a letter to shareholders on April 7 (1). “And even with the recent decline in market values, prices remain relatively high.”
His concerns aren’t without merit.
Trump’s tariff policies have battered the stock market — the S&P 500 index declined by over 10% in April of 2025, formally entering correction territory.
Dimon had supported Trump’s tariffs earlier that year in January, calling them a “little inflationary” yet imperative for national security.
But Dimon sees the U.S. economy weakening in the wake of Trump’s tariff announcements, according to that same shareholder letter.
“The economy is facing considerable turbulence (including geopolitics), with the potential positives of tax reform and deregulation and the potential negatives of tariffs and 'trade wars,' ongoing sticky inflation, high fiscal deficits, and still rather high asset prices and volatility,” Dimon acknowledged.
These concerns aren't being left in the rearview mirror. In JPMorgan's third quarter report released on Dec. 16, 2025, Dimon wrote: "There continues to be a heightened degree of uncertainty stemming from complex geopolitical conditions, tariffs and trade uncertainty, elevated asset prices and the risk of sticky inflation (2)."
If you share these concerns, here are three ways to help protect your portfolio.
Precious metals
When markets look shaky, investors often turn to gold — and for good reason. The precious metal is seen as a store of value, offering protection against inflation, economic downturns and stock market volatility.
As market uncertainty mounts, investors often take cover with precious metals. For instance, gold has climbed around 35% over the past year, hitting over $4,500 per ounce in December (3), while silver has posted impressive gains to match.
One way to invest in gold that also provides significant tax advantages is with a gold IRA from Priority Gold.
Gold IRAs allow investors to hold physical gold or gold-related assets within a retirement account, thereby combining the tax advantages of an IRA with the protective benefits of investing in gold. This can make gold IRAs an attractive option for those seeking to secure their retirement fund against economic uncertainty.
Even better, when you make a qualifying purchase with Priority Gold, you’ll be eligible for up to $10,000 in free silver.
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Real estate
Investors looking to diversify beyond stocks to shield their wealth from the impacts of rising prices brought on by tariffs might find real estate a compelling choice.
Property values tend to rise with inflation, reflecting the increasing costs of materials, labor and land. At the same time, rental income has been shown to climb, providing landlords with a steady revenue stream that adjusts with the cost of living.
Of course, purchasing a property requires significant capital — and finding the right tenant takes time and effort. But thanks to modern investment options, you don’t need to own a property outright to gain exposure to real estate as a financial asset.
If you have capital or an existing real estate portfolio, you could instead consider opportunities in commercial real estate.
Lightstone DIRECT offers accredited investors access to institutional-quality multifamily and industrial real estate — with a minimum investment of $100,000.
Founded in 1986 by David Lichtenstein, Lightstone Group is one of the largest privately held real estate investment firms in the U.S., with more than $12 billion in assets under management.
Over nearly-four decades, their team has delivered strong, risk-adjusted performance across multiple market cycles — including a 27.5% historical net IRR and a 2.49x historical net equity multiple on realized investments since 2004.
With Lightstone DIRECT, you gain access to that proprietary deal flow.
Here’s the kicker: Lightstone invests at least 20% of its own capital in every deal — roughly four times the industry average. With its skin in the game, the firm ensures its interests are directly aligned with those of its investors.
For those considering a more economical way to get started, crowdfunding platforms like Arrived make it easier to invest in real estate with as little as $100.
Backed by world-class investors like Jeff Bezos and Marc Benioff, Arrived lets you invest in residential property nationwide.
You can potentially generate passive income in two ways through Arrived — any rental income generated from the property you invested in is paid out as dividends monthly, and any capital gain from property value appreciation is paid out at the end of the investment hold period.
When you fund your account with $1,000 or more you can also earn a 1% reward. Just note that you have to hit this $1,000 minimum within the first 24 hours after completing your first eligible activity to take advantage of this bonus.
Fine art
It’s easy to see why great works of art tend to appreciate over time. Supply is limited, and many famous pieces have been snatched up by museums and collectors. This makes art an attractive option for investors looking to diversify their holdings.
In 2022, a collection of art owned by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen sold for $1.5 billion at Christie’s New York, making it the most valuable collection in auction history (4).
But for a long time, investing in art was a privilege reserved for the ultra-wealthy.
Now, that’s changed with Masterworks — a platform for investing in shares of blue-chip artwork by renowned artists, including Pablo Picasso, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Banksy. Masterworks has had 25 successful exits to date. All told, Masterworks has distributed over $60 million in proceeds back to investors, including the principal.
To get started, simply browse their impressive portfolio of paintings and choose how many shares you’d like to buy. Masterworks will handle all the details, making high-end art investments both accessible and effortless. Note that Investing involves risk. See Reg A disclosures at Masterworks.com/cd.
Article sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.
JP Morgan (1), (2); APMEX (3); Christie’s (4)
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Jing is an investment reporter for MoneyWise. He is an avid advocate of investing for passive income. Despite the ups and downs he’s been through with the markets, Jing believes that you can generate a steadily increasing income stream by investing in high quality companies.
