Precious metals
Consumer prices are rising at their fastest pace in 40 years. The market expects a steady stream of rate hikes to help stem the tide.
But Rule doesn’t believe the rate of inflation will slow anytime soon.
“I think we'll continue to see prices going up for most of the remainder of the decade.”
To preserve your purchasing power, Rule points to investing in gold and silver, which can’t be printed out of thin air like fiat money.
“I think that an investor who does not have some of his or her wealth in precious metals or precious metals equities are making an extraordinary mistake,” he cautions.
You can buy physical gold and silver at your local bullion shop. Or you can buy shares in companies that produce precious metals.
For investors who are getting started in the sector, Rule suggests looking at the big names first such as Barrick Gold (GOLD) and Wheaton Precious Metals (WPM).
“The first part of a gold bull market and the most predictable part of a gold bull market is enjoyed by the biggest and best companies in the space.”
He adds that when money from retail investors moves into the precious metals market, it doesn’t go to the small speculative names. “It goes into Barrick.”
Meet Your Retirement Goals Effortlessly
The road to retirement may seem long, but with WiserAdvisor, you can find a trusted partner to guide you every step of the way
WiserAdvisor matches you with vetted financial advisors that offer personalized advice to help you to make the right choices, invest wisely, and secure the retirement you've always dreamed of. Start planning early, and get your retirement mapped out today.
Get Started
Global dominators
When building an inflation-proof portfolio, Rule also likes Warren Buffett’s idea of investing in price-makers: businesses that can easily increase the price of their products and services without jeopardizing demand.
“Buffett has been pointing out going all the way back to the 1970s that there are businesses that are so superb that they have pricing power,” Rule says.
He uses Apple as an example.
Early last year, Apple’s management revealed that the company’s active installed base of hardware had surpassed 1.65 billion devices, including over 1 billion iPhones. While competitors offer cheaper devices, many consumers don’t want to live outside the Apple ecosystem. That means as inflation spikes, Apple can pass higher costs to its global consumer base without worrying too much about a drop in sales volume.
But Rule doesn't advocate buying Apple.
Instead, he suggests a representative sample of what he calls “global dominators” through the exchange-traded fund ProShares S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF (NOBL). NOBL holds S&P 500 companies that have paid increasing dividends for at least 25 consecutive years.
“[The fund] has shown itself over the very long term to be a very efficacious strategy for more than maintaining purchasing power, for adding to your wealth,” Rule says.
Since NOBL’s inception in October 2013, it has delivered annualized returns of over 13%.
Cash
At a time when high inflation is rapidly eroding purchasing power, it might not make sense to keep a bunch of cash on hand.
But that’s exactly what Rule recommends.
Sure, savings accounts pay next to nothing these days. However, Rule says that cash gives you the ability to take advantage of moments of illiquidity.
“I learned a lesson some years ago in 2008. When I ran into that crisis well-cashed up, the cash gave me both the courage and the tools to take advantage of that circumstance rather than being taken advantage of.”
With the global financial markets likely to remain volatile over the near- to medium-term, investors flush with cash won’t have a shortage of buying opportunities to capitalize on.
Sign up for our Moneywise newsletter to receive a steady flow of actionable ideas from Wall Street's top firms.
Trade your favorite stocks any time
Investing doesn't have to be hard. Robinhood is the only place you can trade stocks, options and ETFs 24 hours a day, 5 days a week, all still commission-free. Start building your portfolio with as little as $1.
Get Started
More from Moneywise
- 4 ways to earn big returns in 2022 without the shaky stock market
- Jim Rogers: Next bear market will be ‘worst in my lifetime’ — he'll rely on 3 assets
- Robert Kiyosaki says we're already in a 'technical depression' — he's using these 3 assets for protection
Sponsored
Follow These Steps if you Want to Retire Early
Secure your financial future with a tailored plan to maximize investments, navigate taxes, and retire comfortably.
Zoe Financial is an online platform that can match you with a network of vetted fiduciary advisors who are evaluated based on their credentials, education, experience, and pricing. The best part? - there is no fee to find an advisor.
