Published: May 5, 2025 · By: GoldenCrest Metals · Reading Time: ~7 min
Let’s start with a number that might surprise you.
If you had put $50,000 into gold five years ago, that investment would be worth over $110,000 today. Not because of a hot stock tip or a risky bet — but because gold has done what it has always done when the world gets uncertain: it has held its value, and then some.
Meanwhile, many Americans watched their 401(k)s swing wildly, their savings lose purchasing power to inflation, and their confidence in the markets take hit after hit. And most of them had zero gold in their retirement portfolio.
This article is for anyone who has thought about adding gold or silver to their retirement savings — but wasn’t sure if the time had passed, if it was too complicated, or if it was even worth it. The short answers are: it hasn’t, it isn’t, and it absolutely is.
If you’d rather just talk to someone directly, our specialists at GoldenCrest Metals are available right now — no pressure, no obligation, just straight answers.
The Story of Gold Over the Last Five Years
To understand where gold is today, it helps to understand the journey it took to get here. It wasn’t a straight line up. There were dips, doubts, and moments where people thought the rally was over. Every single time, they were wrong.
2020: The World Panics, Gold Surges
When COVID-19 hit, the Federal Reserve slashed interest rates to near zero and the government pumped trillions of dollars into the economy. Investors around the world asked the same question: if they’re printing this much money, what is the dollar actually worth? The answer they landed on was gold. By August 2020, gold crossed $2,000 per ounce for the first time in history — and closed the year up over 24%.
2021: A Breather — And a Buying Window
With vaccines rolling out and markets rallying, investors moved back into stocks and gold pulled back modestly — closing the year down about 6%. At the time, some declared the gold rally was over. In hindsight, 2021 was simply a chance to buy at lower prices before an even bigger run. Gold held firm near $1,828/oz. Nobody who bought during this period regrets it today.
2022: The Rate Hike Pressure Test
The Fed raised interest rates aggressively — seven times in a single year — in a bid to fight inflation that had reached a 40-year high. Higher rates typically put pressure on gold, and they did: gold dipped to a five-year low of around $1,627/oz in October 2022. But here’s what’s important — even at its lowest point, gold had still massively outperformed cash sitting in a savings account. And within months, it was surging again.
2023: Banks Start Failing. Gold Flies.
Silicon Valley Bank collapsed in March 2023. Then Signature Bank. Then First Republic. Suddenly, people with more than $250,000 in the bank realized their money wasn’t as safe as they thought. Investors moved capital into gold fast — and the price shot through $2,000/oz in just seven months from its 2022 low, closing the year at a then-record high of $2,135/oz.
2024: Rate Cuts Fuel Another Leg Up
The Federal Reserve pivoted — cutting rates by 50 basis points in September 2024, its first cut since 2020. That was the signal markets had been waiting for. Combined with a contentious presidential election, rising Middle East tensions, and relentless central bank buying, gold climbed from roughly $2,063 to nearly $2,790/oz by October. It closed 2024 up more than 27% for the year.
2025: Into Uncharted Territory
Gold crossed $3,000 in March. Then came “Liberation Day” — the sweeping tariff announcements that shocked global markets — and gold accelerated to $3,500 in April. It hit an all-time high of $5,414/oz in late January 2026. As of today, May 5, 2025, gold is trading near $4,560/oz — still 34% higher than it was just one year ago.
Gold Price Snapshot: 2020–2025
| Year | Approx. Close | Annual Change | The Big Story |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ~$1,893/oz | +24.4% | Pandemic stimulus; first time above $2,000 |
| 2021 | ~$1,828/oz | −5.8% | Vaccine optimism; healthy pullback — a buying window in hindsight |
| 2022 | ~$1,824/oz | −0.3% | Rate hikes pressure gold; 5-year low of $1,627 in October |
| 2023 | ~$2,063/oz | +13.1% | SVB banking crisis; record central bank buying; new ATH of $2,135 |
| 2024 | ~$2,625/oz | +27.3% | Fed rate cuts; election uncertainty; gold hits $2,790 |
| 2025 (current) | ~$4,560/oz | +34% vs. 1yr ago | Tariff shock; trade war fears; all-time high of $5,414 in Jan ’26 |
Gold Year-End Price Per Troy Ounce (USD) — 2020 to May 2025
2020 Close
2021 Close
2022 Close
2023 Close
2024 Close
May 2025 ★
Annual close price (2020–2024) and current spot price (May 5, 2025). Sources: APMEX, JM Bullion, Trading Economics.
Is It Too Late? Honestly, No — And Here’s Why.
This is the question we hear most often. And we understand why people ask it — when you see a price that’s gone from $1,600 to $4,500, it’s natural to wonder if you’ve missed the boat.
But consider this: the people who asked “is it too late?” at $2,000 in 2023 watched gold go to $5,414. The people who asked it at $1,800 in 2021 watched it nearly triple. Every price that looks like a peak in the rearview mirror looked like a risk at the time.
More importantly, adding gold to your retirement portfolio isn’t a trade. It’s not about timing the market perfectly. It’s about protecting what you’ve already built — making sure that decades of hard work can’t be quietly eroded by inflation, currency weakness, or a stock market correction that wipes out years of gains in a matter of weeks.
The people who wish they had bought gold aren’t the ones who bought at $3,000. They’re the ones who kept waiting for a better price — and never bought at all.
Why Gold’s Run Isn’t Over
The forces that pushed gold from $1,600 to $4,500 haven’t gone away. If anything, they’re getting stronger:
- Central banks around the world are buying gold at record pace — 244 tonnes in Q1 2026 alone, as nations from China to Poland move away from U.S. dollar reserves.
- Inflation hasn’t gone away. Oil is above $100 a barrel. The Fed has already cut rates. The dollar is under real pressure.
- Geopolitical risk is elevated on multiple fronts — trade wars, Middle East tensions, and ongoing conflicts all send investors toward the safety of physical gold.
- The U.S. national debt continues to grow at a pace that makes a strong dollar increasingly difficult to sustain long-term.
- More Americans are discovering Gold IRAs — and demand for physical precious metals in retirement accounts has never been higher.
None of these forces are resolving themselves quickly. That’s exactly why gold analysts and central banks alike continue to view precious metals as a long-term hold, not a short-term trade.
Have Questions? We Have Answers.
Our specialists can walk you through exactly how a Gold or Silver IRA works and whether it makes sense for your situation — at no cost and no obligation.
Mon–Fri · 9AM–6PM PT · Calabasas, CA
So What Exactly Is a Gold IRA — And How Does It Work?
A Gold IRA is simpler than it sounds. Think of it as your regular IRA — same tax benefits, same contribution limits, same rules — except instead of holding stocks and mutual funds, it holds real, physical gold and silver stored securely in an IRS-approved vault on your behalf.
You don’t have to cash out your existing retirement savings to get started. Most of our clients fund their Gold IRA by rolling over an existing 401(k), 403(b), or traditional IRA — a process that takes about 2 to 4 weeks and triggers no taxes or penalties whatsoever.
The Key Differences at a Glance
| Feature | Traditional IRA | Gold / Silver IRA |
|---|---|---|
| What You Own | Stocks, bonds, mutual funds — paper assets | Physical gold & silver — real, tangible metal |
| Tax Benefits | Tax-deferred or tax-free growth (Roth) | Identical — same tax advantages apply |
| Annual Contribution | $7,000 / $8,000 if age 50+ | $7,000 / $8,000 if age 50+ — exactly the same |
| Rollover from 401(k)? | N/A | Yes — penalty-free, no taxes triggered |
| Inflation Protection | Limited — paper assets lose real value during inflation | Strong — gold has historically risen with inflation |
| Can It Go Bankrupt? | Depends on underlying holdings | No — physical metal has no counterparty risk |
Why Both Gold and Silver?
Many of our clients choose to hold both gold and silver within their Precious Metals IRA — and for good reason. Gold is the proven store of value, the one central banks trust. Silver tends to be more volatile, which means it can move faster and further during a bull market. Together, they give your retirement portfolio a diversified precious metals foundation that works in different market conditions.
What Does It Actually Cost?
There are setup fees, annual custodian fees, and storage costs involved — these vary by provider and the size of your account. At GoldenCrest Metals, we believe in full transparency about costs before you make any decisions. That’s one of the first things we’ll walk you through when you call.
Why Now Is Actually a Good Time — Even at $4,500
We know $4,500 per ounce sounds like a lot. But here’s a way to think about it differently.
Gold’s long-term average annual return over the last five decades is approximately 7.78% per year. That’s without the exceptional conditions of the past five years. The structural drivers in place today — record central bank buying, persistent inflation, dollar weakness, and global instability — suggest the conditions for continued growth remain firmly in place.
Beyond performance, the purpose of gold in a retirement portfolio isn’t just to grow — it’s to protect. When the stock market drops 30%, gold typically holds or rises. That kind of balance becomes more valuable — not less — as you get closer to retirement and have less time to recover from losses.
Most financial advisors suggest keeping 5% to 15% of your retirement portfolio in precious metals. For most people, that’s a meaningful position without putting all your eggs in one basket. And it’s enough to make a real difference when markets get rough.
Key Moments That Shaped Gold’s Five-Year Run
$2,067/oz
$1,627/oz
$2,080/oz
$2,685/oz
$3,500/oz
$4,560/oz
What Should You Do Next?
If you’ve read this far, you’re probably someone who takes their retirement seriously. That’s exactly the kind of person who benefits most from a conversation with one of our Gold IRA specialists.
Here’s what that call looks like: you tell us a little about your current retirement setup, your goals, and your timeline. We explain your options in plain English — no pressure, no confusing financial jargon, no hard sell. If a Gold or Silver IRA makes sense for your situation, we walk you through exactly how to get started. If it doesn’t, we’ll tell you that too.
Most clients who call us have three things in common:
- They’ve been thinking about this for a while but weren’t sure where to start.
- They have an existing 401(k) or IRA they’ve never been fully satisfied with.
- They want the peace of mind that comes from owning something real — something that can’t be printed, inflated away, or wiped out by a market crash.
If that sounds like you, the next step is simple.
Your Retirement Deserves More Than Just Stocks and Bonds.
Call us today and find out in plain English whether a Gold or Silver IRA is right for you. No pressure. No commitment. Just straight answers.
Mon–Fri · 9AM–6PM PT · Calabasas, CA · sales@goldencrestmetals.com
Common Questions We Hear
Do I have to sell my existing retirement accounts to open a Gold IRA?
No — and this surprises a lot of people. You can roll over an existing 401(k), 403(b), 457, TSP, or traditional IRA into a Gold IRA without selling anything, paying taxes, or triggering any penalties. The rollover process is handled on your behalf and typically takes 2 to 4 weeks from start to finish.
Is it too late to invest in gold at $4,500 per ounce?
Investors have asked this question at every major price milestone over the past five years — at $2,000, at $3,000, at $4,000 — and the answer has consistently been no. More importantly, the purpose of gold in a retirement portfolio isn’t just growth — it’s protection. Even if prices were to pull back temporarily, the structural case for gold as an inflation hedge and safe-haven asset remains strong. Our specialists can help you think through the right allocation for your specific situation.
What’s the difference between a Gold IRA and just buying gold?
When you buy gold through a Gold IRA, you get all the same tax advantages as a traditional or Roth IRA — tax-deferred or tax-free growth depending on the account type. Buying gold outside of an IRA means you don’t get those tax benefits. For most retirement savers, holding gold inside an IRA is the more efficient and strategic choice.
Can I hold silver in a Gold IRA too?
Yes. The account is sometimes called a Precious Metals IRA, and it can hold IRS-approved gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. Many of our clients choose to hold both gold and silver — gold for stability, silver for its higher growth potential during bull markets.
How much of my retirement savings should I put into gold and silver?
Most financial advisors suggest somewhere between 5% and 15% of your retirement portfolio. That’s enough to provide meaningful protection and diversification without over-concentrating. The right number for you depends on your age, risk tolerance, and how much of your savings is currently tied to the stock market. Call us and we’ll help you think it through.
Where is the gold physically stored?
IRS rules require that gold held in an IRA be stored at an approved third-party depository — not at your home. These are highly secure, insured facilities. You can choose segregated storage (your metals stored separately) or commingled storage. Your GoldenCrest Metals specialist will walk you through the options.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute personalized financial, tax, or investment advice. Past performance of gold and other precious metals is not a guarantee of future results. Precious metals investing involves risk and prices can fluctuate. Consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Price data sourced from JM Bullion, APMEX, the World Gold Council, BullionVault, and Trading Economics.
Sources & References
- JM Bullion — 5-Year Gold Price Chart
- JM Bullion — 20-Year Gold Price Chart
- APMEX — Gold Price History & All-Time Milestones
- BullionVault — Live Gold Price Chart & Historical Data
- Trading Economics — Gold Price — Current & Historical
- USAGOLD — Daily Gold Price History
- World Gold Council — Gold Price Data & Market History
- IRA Financial — How to Invest in IRA-Eligible Gold
- Gainesville Coins — Gold Retirement Guide 2025
- American IRA — Five Hidden Benefits of a Gold IRA
GoldenCrest Metals LLC
23901 Calabasas Rd Suite 2002, Calabasas, CA 91302
833-426-3825 · sales@goldencrestmetals.com · goldencrestmetals.com
© 2025 GoldenCrest Metals LLC. All rights reserved. For informational purposes only. Not investment advice.
