Gold investing has moved into the spotlight in recent years thanks to a combination of factors. With the need for a hedge against inflation elevated, many turned to the precious metal for its inherent ability to maintain and often rise in value during such periods. Investing in gold then hit an 11-year high in 2023. The price of the metal also surged during this period, rising to more than $3,400 per ounce in April – up dramatically from the $2,063.73 price point it started at in early 2024. This has made gold not only a smart way to protect against inflation and diversify an otherwise static portfolio but it’s also offered investors a rare opportunity to buy and sell gold for a quick profit, as the metal is traditionally more well-known as an income protector versus a producer.

That said, gold doesn’t operate in the same way traditional assets do. So, a traditional approach to the metal simply won’t work as intended. To this end, it helps for investors to know how much gold to buy each year. And, more granularly, how often to invest in the metal. Below, we’ll break down what to consider now.

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How often should I invest in gold?

A gold investment isn’t something you should or shouldn’t do based on a particular cadence. In other words, investing in a certain amount on a weekly, monthly or even annual basis is typically not the right approach. Instead, investors should view gold more broadly as a small but critical component of their portfolio. 

The conventional wisdom is that gold shouldn’t make up more than 10% of your overall portfolio. But, for some investors, that percentage could be under 5%, while, for others, it could be closer to the 10% threshold. It depends on the investor profile, as gold can typically be advantageous for investors of many ages and backgrounds. How often you should invest, then, is determined by how much money you have to invest and how those investments will be spread out over time to get to that 10% maximum. For some, that may mean getting invested all at once. For others, however, it may require incremental investments in the metal over months or even years until they hit that threshold.

The details here matter, however. Waiting to get invested in gold is generally not advisable, as over time, the price only increases, accounting for minor drops. Waiting for a cheap time to invest could mean waiting indefinitely. So it makes sense to get started before the price becomes permanently out of reach. On the other hand, for existing investors, it can be tempting to sell parts or even all of your current gold investment, especially now when the profit-earning opportunity is so strong. In these instances, then, you may want to consider the timeline for rebuilding the gold investment portion of your portfolio to make up for its absence.

Ultimately, the answer to this question depends on the investor. If you don’t have a safe-haven asset like gold in your portfolio, then you should invest in it fairly quickly and frequently until you have the 5% to 10% support many experts recommend. This will not only add the benefits of gold to your portfolio more rapidly, but it will also prevent you from paying more for your gold in the future. Conversely, if you’re already invested but want to boost the gold portion of your portfolio, buying more at a slower but more consistent, spread-out timeframe could also work. Only you will know which type of investor you are and, accordingly, what frequency works well for your needs and goals.

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The bottom line

Ultimately, the timeline for investing in gold depends on your specific needs and goals, both immediately and long-term. But a cadence matters less than building up to the recommended threshold. So consider working toward that first, likely in an expedited fashion considering gold’s remarkable price surge in recent years. By keeping that portfolio limit in mind, you’ll have a clear gold goal in mind and you can start exploring cost-effective ways to get invested in the metal without having to pay today’s high price.