Your savings account is supposed to be the safe place for your money. But a warning from the Federal Reserve raises an unsettling question: What if the danger never shows up on your bank statement?
On Sept. 16, Fed Chair Kevin Warsh said inflation “is too high, and has been for too long,” as the Fed raised rates for the first time in three years.
Asked about U.S. debt surpassing $40 trillion, Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin went further: “There will be a reckoning on this as it goes forward. No one can tell you when.”
For savers, the threat may be harder to spot: If your account earns less than inflation, your balance can grow while its buying power shrinks. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, $100 in 2026 buys what just $11.61 did in 1970.
The good news? Savvy investors have long found ways to shield their wealth from inflation’s bite. Here’s a look at three time-tested strategies.
Goldco
Diversify your retirement fund with a precious metals IRA
Mogul
Build your real estate portfolio with ease starting from $250
Lightstone DIRECT
Multifamily and industrial real estate for accredited investors
Ethos
Get an annuity with up to 10.5% a year Own something the Fed can’t print
When it comes to preserving wealth and fighting inflation, few assets have stood the test of time like gold.
Its appeal is simple: Unlike fiat currencies, the yellow metal can’t be printed at will by central banks. This inherently limited supply can arguably help it store its value.
Gold is also considered the ultimate safe haven. It’s not tied to any one country, currency or economy, and in times of economic turmoil or geopolitical uncertainty, investors often flock to it — driving prices higher.
Dalio has repeatedly highlighted gold’s role in a resilient portfolio.
“People don’t have, typically, an adequate amount of gold in their portfolio,” he said in the same CNBC interview. “When bad times come, gold is a very effective diversifier.”
Other prominent voices see further potential. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon has said that in this environment, gold can “easily” rise to $10,000 an ounce.
In fact, as inflation continued to chip away at the purchasing power of the dollar, gold has climbed around 150% over the past five years.
You can combine the recession-resistant properties of the precious metal with the tax advantages of an IRA by opening a gold IRA with the help of Goldco.
With a minimum purchase of $10,000, Goldco offers free shipping and access to a library of retirement resources. Plus, the company will match up to 10% of qualified purchases in free silver.
If you’re curious whether this is the right investment to diversify your portfolio, you can download your free gold and silver information guide today.
Goldco
Diversify your retirement fund with a precious metals IRA A time-tested income play
Gold isn’t the only asset investors turn to during inflationary times. Real estate has also proven to be a powerful hedge.
That’s because when inflation rises, property values often increase as well, reflecting the higher costs of materials, labor and land. At the same time, rental income tends to go up, providing landlords with a revenue stream that adjusts for inflation.
Over the past 10 years, the S&P Cotality Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index has jumped by 87%, reflecting strong demand and limited housing supply.
Of course, high home prices can make buying a home more challenging, especially with mortgage rates still elevated. And being a landlord isn’t exactly hands-off work — managing tenants, maintenance and repairs can quickly eat into your time (and returns).
The good news? You don’t need to buy a property outright — or deal with leaky faucets — to invest in real estate today. Platforms like Mogul offer an easier way to get exposure to this income-generating asset class.
As a real estate investment platform offering fractional ownership in blue-chip rental properties, mogul gives investors monthly rental income, real-time appreciation and tax benefits — without the need for a hefty down payment or 3 a.m. tenant calls.
These are a few examples of properties from Mogul. Browse available properties on their website.
Founded by former Goldman Sachs real estate investors, the team hand-picks the top 1% of single-family rental homes nationwide for you. In other words, you gain access to institutional-quality offerings for a fraction of the usual cost.
Each property undergoes a rigorous vetting process, requiring a minimum 12% return even in downside scenarios. Across the board, the platform features an average annual IRR of 18.8%. Offerings often sell out in under three hours, with investments typically ranging between $15,000 and $40,000 per property.
Sign up for an account and browse available properties here to start investing today.
Mogul
Build your real estate portfolio with ease starting from $250 Diversify your real estate portfolio
Another option is to leverage multifamily real estate investing. The advantage of investing in multifamily real estate — which includes anything from duplexes and triplexes to apartment buildings — is that it can generate multiple income streams from one asset, offering a potentially more resilient cash flow.
In a report prepared by JPMorgan, Al Brooks — the firm’s vice chair of Commercial Banking — said, “I think multifamily housing is absolutely where you want to be as an investor.”
Accredited investors can now tap into this opportunity through platforms such as Lightstone DIRECT, which gives accredited investors access to single-asset multifamily and industrial deals.
Retail
Oklahoma City, OKC
Multifamily
Grand Rapids, MI These are a few examples of past properties or acquisitions from Lightstone. With a $100,000 minimum investment, you can explore more investment opportunities when you register with Lightstone DIRECT.
Lightstone DIRECT’s direct-to-investor model ensures a high degree of alignment between individual investors and a vertically-integrated, institutional owner-operator — a sophisticated and streamlined option for individual investors looking to diversify into private-market real estate.
With Lightstone DIRECT, accredited individuals can access the same multifamily and industrial assets Lightstone pursues with its own capital, with minimum investments starting at $100,000.
Lightstone DIRECT
Multifamily and industrial real estate for accredited investors Warren Buffett’s inflation playbook
Investing legend Warren Buffett knows a thing or two about navigating inflation, having managed Berkshire Hathaway’s stock portfolio through the double-digit inflation of the 1970s. It would be fair to say he has developed plenty of insight into the types of businesses that can hold up when consumer prices surge.
In his 1982 letter to shareholders, Buffett pointed to two characteristics that can make a business especially resilient in an inflationary environment: the ability to increase prices easily and the ability to handle more business without requiring large amounts of new capital.
In other words, companies with strong pricing power and relatively modest capital needs can be better positioned to protect their profitability as costs rise.
That helps explain why the right stocks can serve as a long-term hedge against inflation. But Buffett has also made clear that you don’t need to be an expert in picking stocks to participate in the market’s growth.
“In my view, for most people, the best thing to do is own the S&P 500 index fund,” Buffett has famously said.
This approach gives investors exposure to 500 of America’s largest companies across a wide range of industries, providing instant diversification without the need for constant monitoring or active trading.
The beauty of this approach is its accessibility — anyone, regardless of wealth, can take advantage of it. Even small amounts can grow over time with tools like Acorns, a popular app that automatically invests your spare change.
Signing up for Acorns takes just minutes: All you have to do is link your cards, and Acorns will round up each purchase to the nearest dollar, investing the difference — your spare change — into a diversified portfolio.
With Acorns, you can invest in an S&P 500 ETF with as little as $5 — and, if you sign up today with a recurring investment, Acorns will add a $20 bonus to help you begin your investment journey.
Acorns
Auto-invest your spare change Protecting your principal near retirement
Buffett’s advice works best if you can ride out the market’s worst years without selling. That’s harder to do when you’re close to retirement or already drawing on your savings, because a steep drop at the wrong time can permanently shrink how long your money lasts.
One option you may want to consider is a fixed index annuity (FIA) through Ethos. It can help protect 100% of your principal from index-linked losses while giving you the opportunity to earn interest based on the performance of a market index.
When the index rises, you can earn interest based on its gains, subject to applicable limits such as current annual cap rates ranging from 8% to 12% on S&P 500 Index Accounts, depending on the carrier and contract terms.¹ When the index falls, a 0% guaranteed floor means index-linked losses won't reduce your principal.
An FIA can also help you diversify your retirement income strategy. When you're ready to start taking income, you can convert your savings into predictable income and — for those 59 and older — get lifetime guaranteed income, backed by the issuing insurer's claims-paying ability and subject to annuitization, rider elections, and contract terms including surrender charges.
If you're considering an FIA, book a free consultation with a licensed Ethos insurance agent to explore your options. No purchase is required.
Ethos
Get an annuity with up to 10.5% a year Not available for residents of New York.²
