How Much Gold Should I Own?Experts Say 10% – 15% of Portfolio

Wondering how much gold you should actually own? Many financial experts say 10% to 15% of your portfolio is a smart starting point, but the right amount depends on your goals and risk tolerance.

Gold can help balance your portfolio when stocks or real estate are shaky, making it a popular pick for long-term stability. Let’s look at how much to consider, and why some investors still turn to gold in uncertain times.

Table of Contents

1. How much gold should you own?
2. Benefits of owning gold
3. 3 ways to diversify with gold
   1. Physical gold
   2. Gold IRA
   3. Gold ETFs
4. How to get started

How much gold should you own?

The expert consensus seems to be that 10% to 15% is a good percentage for most people, but experts vary slightly in their recommendations.

Some is better than none

Not every financial expert recommends a specific amount of gold or precious metals for a portfolio. However, even those who don’t may agree that owning some gold can be a good idea.

For instance, here is what J.P. Morgan has to say about gold in a portfolio:

In our view, having gold as a part of your asset allocation makes sense as a portfolio ballast that helps to enhance the risk-return profile.

10% is the most common suggestion

Many gold advocates recommend allocating around 10% of your portfolio to the metal. This rule of thumb comes up often in industry research, but it’s worth noting that many of these sources have a stake in promoting gold ownership.

• World Gold Council: This global industry group, backed by gold mining companies, states on its website: “Adding between 6% and 10% asset allocation to gold in the average U.S. portfolio has made a tangible improvement to performance and boosted returns on a sustainable, long-term basis.”
• BullionVault UK Study: BullionVault, a gold trading platform, studied how owning gold could have reduced losses during economic downturns in the United Kingdom. Its findings state, in part, “Going 10% gold almost halved the losses of 2008 on a simple 60:40 portfolio of UK equities and government bonds.”
• Sprott, a global investment firm specializing in precious metals and real assets, advises that it “believes a 10% to 15% allocation to gold and gold related equities is an important component of a well-diversified portfolio,” according to a 2025 publication. The company further breaks down its recommendation to 10% gold and 0% to 5% gold-related equities.

When to consider more gold

If you want to optimize your portfolio, some organizations recommend owning more than 10% of your portfolio in gold.

• WisdomTree: A portfolio containing 13% gold may be optimal, according to an analysis by Nitesh Shah, head of commodities and macroeconomic research for WisdomTree. He found that the portfolio with the best Sharpe ratio—that is, risk-adjusted returns—contained 13% gold, 35% equities, and 52% bonds/fixed income.
• Morningstar: Investment research company Morningstar suggests that up to 15% gold in a portfolio may be appropriate. An article on its website notes, “As with other specialized fund categories, Morningstar’s Role in Portfolio framework recommends that individual investors keep their gold exposure limited (which Morningstar defines as 15% of assets or less).”
• Flexible Plan Investments: In an analysis published in Proactive Advisor Magazine, Flexible Plan Investments looked at data from 1973 to 2023 and came to this conclusion: “Over the period studied, the optimal allocation in a balanced portfolio has been 17% to gold and 83% to a balanced portfolio, representing a result of roughly 50% stocks, 33% bonds, and 17% gold.”

Benefits of owning gold

There are many reasons to buy gold, but the following are among those most commonly cited by investors.

Hedge against inflation

Historically, gold is seen as an asset that holds its value during inflationary periods. What’s more, when inflation eats away at the purchasing power of the dollar, the value of gold may increase as demand for precious metals goes up.

“Gold emerged as the best commodity to serve as a potential hedge against inflation and geopolitical risks,” reported a 2024 analysis of commodities by Goldman Sachs. The financial firm found it had an edge over investments in energy, agriculture and industrial metals.

Safe haven during periods of instability

Similarly, gold can provide stability during periods of upheaval.

“Gold could help shield against potential stock market drops if a trade war erupts, and it has upside if concerns mount about the U.S. debt load or if the Fed is subordinated by a new administration,” according to Goldman Sachs.

Investment diversification

Diversification is a prime reason for owning gold and other precious metals. Even if you aren’t concerned about inflation or instability, owning a variety of assets reduces risk in a portfolio. When other assets lose value, gold may gain.

“This was perfectly illustrated in 2022 as global equity markets lost -19.46%, global bonds lost -16%, and gold rose 3%,” writes J.P. Morgan in a 2025 market analysis.

3 ways to diversify with gold

If you’re ready to diversify your portfolio with gold, you have three main ways to do it. Each has its pros and cons depending on your goals, preferences, and comfort level with risk.

Type	Best for	Key benefit	Considerations
Physical gold	Long-term holders, those who want tangible assets	Fully owned, tangible	Requires secure storage, less liquid
Gold IRA	Retirement-focused investors seeking tax advantages	Tax-deferred/tax-free growth	IRS restrictions, setup can be complex
Gold ETFs	Beginners and hands-off investors	Easy to buy and sell, low cost	No physical ownership, market exposure

Physical gold

Physical gold, such as bars, coins, or rounds, is ideal if you want something tangible you can store or pass down. It may appeal to those concerned about financial system instability or who want an inflation hedge they fully control.

However, you’ll need to store it securely and understand the risks of theft or damage. Storage solutions include home safes or professional vaults.

Gold IRA

A gold IRA is designed for retirement savings. These accounts let you invest in IRS-approved physical gold while enjoying tax advantages similar to a traditional or Roth IRA. They’re best for long-term investors who don’t need immediate access to the funds and want to hedge their retirement portfolio against inflation or volatility.

Just keep in mind: Gold IRAs come with setup and custodial fees, and IRS rules dictate how you buy, store, and withdraw your metals.

An experienced gold IRA company, such as American Hartford Gold or one of the others listed below, can guide you through the process of setting one up.

Gold ETFs

If you want exposure to gold without owning the metal itself, gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are a convenient, cost-effective option. You’ll invest in a fund that holds gold, and shares are easy to trade through most brokerages.

ETFs are ideal for investors who want liquidity and simplicity but don’t mind not owning physical metal. Fees are usually low, and there’s no need to worry about storage or insurance.

How to get started buying gold and silver

If you are ready to add precious metals to your portfolio, just follow these easy steps.

1. Decide how you want to invest: physical gold, gold IRA or gold ETF.
2. Determine how much of your portfolio to invest in gold.
3. Find a trusted gold dealer (or brokerage firm, if buying gold ETFs).
4. Select gold products or ETFs to purchase.
5. Make your purchase and monitor your investment as you would other assets.

For a list of trusted companies, check out our list of most reputable gold dealers. Many of these companies have experts on staff who can assist with setting up and funding gold IRAs as well.

Analysts expect gold to hit record highs in the year to come. If you’ve been thinking about investing in gold, now might be the time to do it. Don’t delay.