The price of gold dipped slightly to start this week amid new economic developments and broader trade discussions. But the drop wasn’t exactly substantial. Priced at $3,237.75 per ounce on Monday, gold was down from the $3,324.59 it was on May 9, marking just under a 3% decline. 

That’s not surprising as gold prices hover near record highs, having smashed multiple record milestones over the past year or so. While down from a recent record of $3,400 per ounce, gold is still up by more than 56% from the $2,063.73 per ounce it was selling for in early 2024. And there’s a wide expectation that the price of gold could hit $4,000 at some point later this year.

Understanding this dynamic and knowing that, except for minor drops, gold tends to only rise in price over time, current investors may be wondering about the benefits of selling their gold investment now. Like any asset sale, however, there are pros and cons to this approach, particularly in the unique economic climate of May 2025. Below, we’ll break down the pros and cons of selling your gold investment now.

Explore your gold selling (and buying) options here now.

Pros and cons of selling your gold investment now

Here are four major pros and cons of selling your gold investment now:

Pro: Your profit could be substantial

When did you buy your gold bars, coins or jewelry? If it were before 2025, or even earlier, your profit margin could be substantial. Depending on the quality of your gold, the quantity of it and the purity level, you could stand to make hundreds and possibly thousands of dollars by selling your gold now, even if you elect to keep a portion of it. This is a rare opportunity that presents itself to investors who bought gold as recently as 2024, as gold tends to be more of an income protector than an income producer. So take advantage of it while it’s readily available.

Research your gold options here.

Con: You’ll lose a portfolio diversifier

As appealing as a gold sale may be right now, doing so in the full amount of gold you’re invested in will result in the loss of a reliable portfolio diversifier. As can be seen now and in recent years, gold tends to hold its value and even rise when markets are unsteady and the purchasing power of the dollar erodes. That value can help diversify your portfolio when stocks, bonds and other assets underperform. But if you sell it now, you’ll lose that benefit and have to look elsewhere to fill the small but critical gap.

Pro: Selling should be easy

On the other hand, if you’re committed to selling your gold now, it should be relatively easy to do. Gold buyers are ubiquitous in today’s climate. And while you can buy gold online, at a local jeweler or even at Walmart or Costco, you should be able to find buyers interested in buying gold now, too, especially when the price dips a bit, like it did this week. Just go into the process clear-eyed with a realistic understanding both of what your gold is worth and what you can expect to get for it right now. Without both, you may be better served by holding on to your gold for a bit longer.

Con: You’ll still need a long-term hedge against inflation

Let’s say you do (understandably) proceed with selling all of your gold. While the profit could be substantial, your portfolio will then be missing a key component, namely a hedge against inflation. The support gold can provide with a steady value during inflationary periods is one of the key reasons that drove its record-breaking price surge. And you’ll still need that component in your portfolio. Inflation, after all, is cyclical and bound to return at some point in the future, perhaps when you least expect it. Being prepared for that inevitability in advance, then, is critical to investing successfully. Selling your gold, even for a substantial profit, will leave your portfolio that much less secure as a result.

The bottom line

The temptation to sell your gold investments is particularly strong right now and, for some investors, it can be a smart way to cash out. For others, however, the need for a reliable portfolio diversification and hedge against inflation outweighs the one-time profit-earning opportunity a gold sale offers now. So weigh these pros and cons carefully before taking any action and consider potentially doing both at the same time: selling some of your gold to make a profit while keeping a small portion for the portfolio benefits you’ll inevitably be happy to have at some point in the future.