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Jing Pan
Updated Apr 6, 2026
Rich Dad Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki warned last year that Americans were headed into dark times, fueled by debt and the cost of living crisis.
“In 2025 credit card debt is at all time highs. U.S. debt is at all time highs. Unemployment is rising. 401(k)s are losing,” he wrote in an April 2025 X post (1). “U.S.A. may be heading for a GREATER DEPRESSION.”
According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Americans now owe an unprecedented $1.28 trillion in credit card debt — 5.5% more than last year, while total U.S. debt has climbed to $38.6 trillion.
So, what kind of action does Kiyosaki recommend to weather the storm ahead?
“For those who take action today, when the crash crashes, those who invest in just one Bitcoin, or some gold, or silver … You may come through this crisis a very rich person,” Kiyosaki wrote last year.
That advice should come as no surprise. Kiyosaki has long been a vocal proponent of these alternative assets.
However, not all of Kiyosaki’s claims have come to pass. For example, average 401(k) account balances actually reached “new record highs” in Q3 of 2025, according to Fidelity.
So, what about Kiyosaki’s allegations that something worse than the Great Depression is coming for Americans?
As of April 2026, despite many Americans struggling, the nation has not fallen into a recession, let alone a “greater” depression.
Here’s a closer look at the assets he’s championing and whether his predictions for 2026 might come true.
Fundrise Flagship Fund
Buy real estate through Fundrise's $1 billion private fund
Precious metals
Kiyosaki’s endorsement of gold and silver is nothing new — he’s been advocating for precious metals for decades.
Back in October 2023, he wrote on X: “Gold will soon break through $2,100 and then take off. You will wish you had bought gold below $2,000. Next stop, gold $3,700.”
Gold prices surged in 2024 and continued to climb. Over the past 12 months, the price of the precious metal has increased by more than 70% — now hovering around $5,000 per ounce.
Gold has long been viewed as a safe haven. It’s not tied to any one country, currency or economy. It can’t be printed out of thin air like fiat money, and in times of economic turmoil or geopolitical uncertainty, investors tend to pile in — driving up its value.
And Kiyosaki isn’t the only one who says the precious yellow metal will keep growing. A note from the Chief Investment Office at UBS noted, “We see bullion reaching $5,000/oz in the coming months,” adding, “the gold price could also climb higher than we forecast, to $5,400/oz if political or financial risks increase.”
This chart shows the price of gold over the past five years. If you want to see whether opening a precious metals IRA is the right investment to diversify your portfolio, download a free info guide.
For those looking to capitalize on gold’s potential while also securing tax advantages, one option is to open a gold IRA with the help of 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, making it an attractive option for those looking to potentially hedge their retirement funds against economic uncertainties.
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 2026 gold investor bundle.
Bitcoin
Bitcoin has been one of the top-performing assets of the past decade — and Kiyosaki is betting it still has room to run.
On November 29, 2025, he predicted on X: “Bitcoin will soon break $100,000.” On December 4, 2025, the cryptocurrency surpassed that milestone, grabbing headlines worldwide.
Although Bitcoin has since dipped below $100,000, Kiyosaki’s long-term forecast remains ambitious: $1 million per coin by 2035.
He’s not alone in that view. Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey said in an interview with Pirate Wires published in May 2024 that Bitcoin could hit “at least” $1 million by 2030 — and possibly go even higher.
That kind of bullish outlook may be prompting more investors to explore how to buy and manage crypto.
With platforms like Kraken, buying and trading cryptocurrencies is straightforward, whether you’re on desktop or using the mobile app.
You can invest in 600+ cryptocurrencies*, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP and more, or set up recurring buys to invest automatically.
There’s also the option to add price conditions, so your trades only execute when the market hits your target.
Kraken also offers guides on popular coins, helping you understand what you’re buying and how to navigate the process from start to finish.
And if you have questions, 24/7 support is available via live chat, phone, or email.
Opening an account is quick, with a simple sign-up, verification and short investor profile to get started.
*Not investment advice. Crypto trading involves risk of loss. View legal disclosures at kraken.com/legal/disclosures.
Real estate — revisited
“Your house is not an asset,” Kiyosaki once said during an interview with finance YouTuber Sharan Hegde in September 2023. “What is the definition of the word? If it puts money in my pocket, it's an asset. If my house is taking money from my pocket, it's a liability.”
His point is that owning the home you live in often takes money out of your pocket in the form of mortgage payments, utilities, taxes and maintenance costs. Rental properties, however, are a different story.
According to the Rich Dad website, rental properties can generate significant, regular cash flow when purchased and managed wisely. Additionally, increases in rents and property values over time can create “an important supplementary revenue stream.” While all investments carry some risk, cash-flowing properties are “generally less subject to the daily ups and downs” of the market.
Today, you don’t need to be as wealthy as Kiyosaki to get started in real estate investing.
For instance, the Fundrise Flagship Fund¹ is a $1 billion private real estate fund that lets you invest in an expertly crafted strategy without needing hundreds of thousands of dollars. You don’t need to be an accredited investor, and you can get started with as little as $10.
With 4,700+ single-family homes and 2,500+ residential units owned by the Fundrise Flagship Fund, you get exposure to institutional-style scale and diversification.
Industrial
215 Interchange
Las Vegas, NV
Build-for-rent
Pine Ridge
Fountain Inn, SC
Build-for-rent
Omnia
Richmond Hill, GA
These are a few examples of properties powering the Fundrise Flagship Fund. For a full list of the Fundrise Flagship Fund's portfolio properties see the Flagship Fund website.
After you place your first investment, the Fundrise Flagship Fund will work to find and add new assets to your portfolio over time and send you transparent updates along the way.
It only takes a few minutes to sign up now and become a real estate investor today.
Fundrise Flagship Fund
Buy real estate through Fundrise's $1 billion private fund
Fine art
Although Kiyosaki didn't mention it in his X post, another way to diversify is through art investments.
All in all, art represents a massive asset class with a total estimated global value of $2.17 trillion, based on Deloitte’s 2023 Art + Finance report. Even better, the global art market saw $65 billion in annual transactions in 2023, according to Art Basel and UBS.
In fact, fine art has historically outperformed the S&P 500. Contemporary art, or pieces produced after 1945, show especially strong annualized price appreciation at 14% from 1995 to 2023 compared to the S&P 500's 9.6%, according to the CAIA association.
In the past, you had to be ultra-wealthy to invest in art, but now services like Masterworks have opened the door to art investing. So far, over 1 million members have joined the platform.
Here’s how it works: Instead of buying a single painting for millions of dollars, you instead invest in fractional shares of blue-chip paintings by renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso, Basquiat and Banksy. Blue-chip paintings are pieces of art that tend to only increase in value over time, much like blue-chip companies.
Sold
Joan Mitchell
17.8% annualized net return
Sold
Yayoi Kusama
17.6% annualized net return
Sold
George Condo
21.5% annualized net return
These are a few examples of sold artworks from Masterworks. For a full list of currently available art, visit Masterworks' Price Database.
From here, all you have to do is select how many shares you want to buy and Masterworks will take care of the rest.
See important Regulation A disclosures at Masterworks.com/cd
Finding the right asset mix
While gold, cryptocurrencies and real estate can play an important role in building and protecting your wealth, they’re just a portion of your entire financial puzzle.
Determining the right mix of assets for your portfolio isn’t one-size-fits-all — and a trusted, pre-screened financial advisor can help tailor investment choices to your income, net worth, and long-term goals, where generalized advice often falls short.
According to research by Vanguard, people who work with financial advisors see a 3% increase in net returns. This difference can be substantial over time. For instance, if you start with a $50,000 portfolio, you could potentially retire with an extra $1.3 million after 30 years of professional guidance.
Finding the right advisor for your needs is simple with Advisor.com. Their platform connects you with an experienced, qualified financial professional in your local area who can provide personalized guidance.
A professional advisor can also help you assess how many years you have left to invest before retirement and determine your comfort level with market fluctuations, both of which are key to creating the right asset mix for your portfolio.
You can schedule a free consultation with no obligation to hire to discuss your financial goals and retirement planning needs.
Jing Pan
Investment Reporter
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.
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