Gold is a really religious topic for investors. People either love it or hate it. As part of the Permanent Portfolio we hold gold along with other assets. This gets a lot of people up in arms and I hear comments about gold not being an inflation hedge, is not money, is not useful in a portfolio, serves no purpose, etc. Well, I want to set the record straight on this asset from my own perspective. Gold is an insurance asset. It’s not perfect (what is?), but when currencies are having a problem people want gold. It’s interesting because some Continue reading →

In the investing world it is very common to run into debates about assets like gold. It becomes seriously religious as both sides arm up to express their views. The anti-gold side will say that gold is some worthless yellow metal that nobody needs. The pro-gold side points out that gold has worked for countless centuries as a form of wealth when all else has failed. Well, everyone’s views on this particular subject are heavily influenced by their own life’s experiences. In the U.S. we have not had seriously bad inflation for at least a generation now (the 1970s). And, Continue reading →