A golden opportunity to hedge against inflation
The Bank of America survey revealed that among wealthy young investors, 45% own gold as a physical asset, and another 45% are interested in holding it.
Historically, gold has served as a hedge against inflation and market volatility. Many investors turn to “safe haven” assets like gold during economic and geopolitical instability to preserve their wealth.
The enthusiasm of investors has indeed propelled the price of gold to record levels with the precious metal recently sitting around the $3,300 per ounce mark as of June 2025.
There are lots of gold assets to choose from, including gold bars, coins and gold stocks.
One way to invest in gold that also provides significant tax advantages is to open a gold IRA with the help of Thor Metals.
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, making it an attractive option for those looking to potentially hedge their retirement funds against economic uncertainties.
To learn more, you can get a free information guide that includes details on how to get up to $20,000 in free metals on qualifying purchases.
Real estate: rich with opportunity
Real estate has long been considered a solid portfolio hedge, as rent and property values tend to increase with inflation. It’s no surprise that high-net-worth individuals — regardless of their age — see opportunity in this asset.
In the Bank of America survey, 31% of younger people said real estate presents the greatest opportunities for growth. Federal Reserve data also shows that the top 1% of Americans hold over $6 trillion in real estate assets.
You can tap into this market by investing in shares of vacation homes or rental properties through Arrived.
Backed by world-class investors including Jeff Bezos, Arrived allows you to invest in shares of vacation and rental properties, earning a passive income stream without the extra work that comes with being a landlord of your own rental property.
To get started, simply browse through their selection of vetted properties, each picked for their potential appreciation and income generation. Once you choose a property, you can start investing with as little as $100, potentially earning quarterly dividends.
These are a few examples of properties from Arrived. Check out the full list of single family residential homes and vacation rentals currently available.
Artwork: a creative way to diversify
More than 72% of younger investors (ages 21-43) believe it is no longer possible to achieve above average investment returns by investing solely in traditional stocks and bonds. Art is one of the alternative investments that has captured the attention of smart investors.
With over $67 billion in annual transaction volume and a total estimated global value of $1.7 trillion, art represents a massive asset class, according to Deloitte.
In fact, fine art has historically outperformed the S&P 500, with contemporary art achieving an annual return of 11.5% from 1995 to 2023, compared to the S&P 500's 9.6% during the same period.
In the past, you had to be ultra wealthy to invest in art, considering you needed to have the millions it takes to buy a painting at an auction.
But Masterworks has now changed that. This investment platform has made it possible for more investors to access this prized asset.
Instead of buying a single painting for millions of dollars, you can now invest in fractional shares of blue-chip paintings by renowned artists including Pablo Picasso, Basquiat and Banksy.
These are a few examples of sold artworks from Masterworks. For a full list of currently available art, visit Masterworks' Price Database.
All you have to do is select how many shares you want to buy and Masterworks will take care of the rest.
How it works
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Step 1: Accredited investors need to visit Masterworks.com, where they’ll be prompted to enter a few details about their portfolio and investment goals.
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Step 2: Investors can schedule a call with one of Masterworks Advisers — registered investment representatives — to determine which current art holdings match their investment goals. The benefit is that you can select one or many art pieces, buying fractional shares based on your interests and goals.
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Step 3: As soon as Masterworks sells a piece you invested in, you get a return from the net proceeds. While every artwork performs differently, overall the past three exits — where Masterworks has acquired, held and eventually sold the art work — delivered median returns of 17.6%, 17.8%, and 21.5%.
Private equity investing
Private equity refers to investments in companies that are not publicly traded on a stock exchange. This asset class involves investing directly in private companies, often during their growth stages or through buyouts.
It remains a popular choice among young investors seeking higher returns and more control over their investments.
The Bank of America survey showed that over 25% of young wealthy millionaires identified private equity as one of the greatest growth opportunities.
While private equity offers significant upside potential, it also requires a longer-term commitment and comes with higher risks than public equities.
Private equity is a broad category that spans a wide range of assets. So, finding a firm that can help you allocate your capital to the right assets, could be a way to dip your toe into this lucrative category.
With Fundrise you get access to an expansive portfolio of alternative investment opportunities spanning real estate, private debt and venture capital.
With over two million investors and managing over $7 billion in real estate assets alone, Fundrise is an accessible way to diversify your portfolio with the potential of yielding dividends every quarter.
To get started, all you have to do is share some details about financial background and investing style, then Fundrise will build a portfolio for you that aligns with your goals and risk tolerance
*We earn a commission for this endorsement of Fundrise.
Cryptocurrency: more than a craze
Investors used to be skeptical about cryptocurrency, perhaps due to its speculative and highly volatile nature. But it has now entered the mainstream, and especially with President Trump vowing to create a “strategic national Bitcoin stockpile”, crypto has surged to a global market cap of $3.72 trillion.
It’s no surprise that the wealthy millennials and Gen Z are fond of this asset class. In the Bank of America survey, 29% of younger people said cryptos offer the greatest opportunities for growth, while only 7% of the older group agreed.
Rich young Americans also allocated 15% of their portfolios to crypto, compared to 2% of the older generation.
For those looking to get into the crypto market, you could start with Gemini, which was one of 2024’s best crypto exchanges according to Forbes.
Gemini is a full-reserve and regulated cryptocurrency exchange and custodian where you can buy, sell and store over 70 vetted cryptocurrencies. This means you can choose coins that suit your confidence level.
You can snag $15 in free Bitcoin with code GEMINI15 when you trade $100 or more as a new user. However, the trade needs to be revenue-generating for Gemini — meaning no stablecoin or withdrawal-deposit shuffling. Just remember to act fast, the promotion is only good for 30 days after creating a new account.
What’s more, you can earn up to 5.32% APR when you stake your crypto on Gemini. Staking is a process where you use part of your wallet to help an exchange confirm other transactions, then get a little bit back for helping out.
If you don’t want to actively invest in cryptocurrencies, you could instead apply for the Gemini Credit card. With no annual fees, you can earn crypto on every purchase made with the credit card.
The best part? You can earn $200 in crypto rewards when you spend $3,000 on the Gemini credit card within your first 90 days.
