Apr 10, 2025
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The U.S. Bullion Depository at Fort Knox is home to one of the world's most famous gold reserves — or so it’s believed. However, President Donald Trump wants to see it for himself.
“We’re going to open up the doors, we’re going to inspect Fort Knox,” Trump said at the Republican Governors Association event in Washington on February 20. “I don’t want to open it and [find] the cupboards are bare.”
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Built in 1936, the Fort Knox Bullion Depository is a highly fortified vault adjacent to the U.S. Army post in Fort Knox, Kentucky. According to the U.S. Mint, the facility currently holds 147.3 million ounces of gold, does not allow visitors and has only removed “very small quantities” for purity testing during audits. Yet Trump isn’t the only one raising questions about what’s inside.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who leads the newly created but not yet Congress-approved Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), shares the same curiosity.
“There's 5,000 tons of gold [in Fort Knox], give or take. I think we all want to see it. This is your gold. It's the public's gold,” Musk said during an interview at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). “We just want to see it and make sure someone didn't spray paint some lead or something.”
As speculation swirls over what’s really inside Fort Knox, investors have been piling into gold. Prices have surged 40% over the past year, recently crossing $2,900 an ounce. No matter what’s behind those vault doors, you can always take control of your own gold investments. Here are three simple ways to add gold to your portfolio.
Buy gold bullion
Gold has been a store of wealth for thousands of years, and despite the rise of modern investment options, its recent rally reminds us that the precious metal remains as relevant as ever.
Billionaire hedge fund manager Ray Dalio recently suggested that investors consider allocating 10% to 15% of their portfolios to gold.
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Unlike fiat money, gold can’t be printed out of thin air. Because it’s not tied to any single currency or economy, investors often turn to it during times of economic turmoil or geopolitical uncertainty, driving up its value.
The most tangible way to invest in gold is to buy physical gold in the form of bars or coins.
These days, you don’t even need to visit a bullion shop to buy precious metals. Many online platforms offer a wide selection of gold and silver bars and coins at fair prices.
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Invest in gold stocks/ETFs
Gold mining companies offer another way to gain exposure to the precious metal. When gold prices rise, miners tend to enjoy bigger profits, which can boost their stock value.
Adding gold-mining stocks to one’s portfolio can provide diversification, but it also exposes investors to stock market risks and the performance of individual companies.
Additionally, Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) track the price of gold by holding physical gold or gold futures contracts, allowing investors to gain exposure without owning the metal directly.
Invest in a gold IRA
Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) are a popular way to save for retirement, offering tax advantages that can help grow your savings over time.
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Traditional IRAs allow you to contribute pre-tax income, with taxes deferred until you withdraw the funds during retirement. Roth IRAs, on the other hand, involve contributions made with after-tax dollars, providing tax-free growth and tax-free withdrawals in retirement.
You can combine the recession-resistant nature of gold with the tax benefits of an IRA by opening a gold IRA.
Priority Gold is an industry leader in precious metals, offering physical delivery of gold and silver. Plus, they have an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and a 5-star rating from Trust Link.
If you’d like to convert an existing IRA into a gold IRA, Priority Gold offers 100% free rollover, as well as free shipping, and free storage for up to five years. Qualifying purchases will also receive up to $10,000 in free silver.
To learn more about how Priority Gold can help you reduce inflation’s impact on your nest egg, download their free 2025 gold investor bundle.
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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.
