More than half of working Americans now expect to outlive their retirement savings. That fear, once held by a worried few, has become the majority view. Yet the fix may be simpler than saving even more. In fact, it often comes down to how a portfolio is built — and that includes a role for gold and silver that retirees once took for granted.

Key Takeaways

The Fear Is Now the Majority Opinion

For decades, the worry that savings might run dry belonged to a small minority. Today, that is no longer the case. The shift shows up clearly in Goldman Sachs Asset Management’s 2025 Retirement Survey & Insights Report, which polled 3,600 workers and 1,500 retirees. In that survey, 58% of working respondents said they expect to outlive their retirement savings. Researchers call this longevity risk. As a result, it has quietly become the default expectation rather than the exception.

What makes the finding striking is that it sits alongside optimism. Indeed, roughly 68% of those same workers said they felt on track or ahead. Even so, a clear majority still expect to outlast their money. Goldman calls this contradiction the “optimism gap.” Put simply, day-to-day cash flow feels manageable. The long-horizon math of a 25- to 30-year retirement, however, does not add up for many households.

The pressure is largely structural. Since 2000, several core household costs have grown as a share of income. For example, housing climbed from roughly 21% to 36%, while healthcare rose from about 12% to 33%. Meanwhile, childcare jumped from 10% to 25%, and college costs landed in a 16%–33% band depending on the school. Consequently, when fixed costs expand, the margin left for retirement contributions shrinks — even when wages rise.

How Much Is “Enough”?

There is no single number that guarantees security. Still, a widely cited benchmark is to plan for income equal to 70% to 80% of your pre-retirement earnings. Take someone earning $100,000 a year as an example. At the low end, that works out to roughly $5,833 a month. At the high end, the target rises to about $6,666 a month.

Social Security certainly helps. However, it was never designed to do the heavy lifting. In practice, benefits are intended to replace only about 40% of pre-retirement income. To estimate your own figure, you can use the Social Security Administration’s benefits calculator. That still leaves a sizable gap. As a result, most people must close it through personal savings and investments. The table below shows the monthly target at common income levels.

Figures are illustrative monthly income targets before taxes and Social Security offsets.

Why Diversification Is the Word That Keeps Coming Up

When researchers and advisors discuss closing the longevity gap, the recurring theme is not heroic saving. Instead, it is portfolio construction. After all, a plan concentrated in a single asset class rises and falls with that one market. A diversified plan, by contrast, spreads risk across assets that behave differently from one another. That way, a downturn in one area does not flatten the whole.

Each asset class plays a distinct role. Stocks, for instance, supply long-term growth. Bonds and cash, on the other hand, supply stability and liquidity. Hard assets such as gold and silver add a third quality the others lack: historically, they have held purchasing power when paper assets and the dollar weaken. Notably, that is exactly the scenario many near-retirees fear when they imagine outliving their money. To see how metals can fit, explore a Gold and Silver IRA with GoldenCrest Metals.

This is not a fringe view. Consider the world’s central banks — the institutions with the deepest resources and the longest horizons. According to the World Gold Council, they have accumulated gold for 16 consecutive years. In 2025 alone, they added roughly 850 tonnes. So when the largest reserve managers on earth shift toward gold, they follow the same logic that applies to any individual account: reduce concentration, hold a non-counterparty asset, and prepare for currency and geopolitical risk.

Annual Central Bank Gold Purchases (Net Tonnes)

Sources: World Gold Council; J.P. Morgan Global Research. 2026 figure is a projection.

Gold and Silver as a Hedge Against Inflation and Market Shocks

The case for precious metals rests on a simple observation. First, they tend to move independently of stocks and bonds. Second, they have historically gained when confidence in paper assets erodes. The past two years offered a clear demonstration. In 2025, gold set 53 record highs and crossed $4,000 an ounce for the first time. Silver, meanwhile, rose more than 130% on strong industrial and investment demand. As a result, global gold demand topped 5,000 tonnes for the first time on record.

As of early June 2026, gold trades near $4,500 an ounce and silver around $75. Both sit below the January peaks of roughly $5,600 and $116. Even so, both remain far above where the rally began. This pullback reflects shifting Federal Reserve expectations and easing inflation fears, rather than a change in the long-term thesis. Major banks, in fact, remain constructive. Goldman Sachs has reaffirmed a $4,900–$5,400 target for gold by year-end 2026, while J.P. Morgan sees a path toward $6,000.

For a retirement saver, the relevant question is not whether to chase the next record. Rather, it is whether part of the portfolio should hold an asset built to perform when equities fall and inflation bites. Those two events, after all, most threaten a 30-year retirement. In short, that is the role gold and silver are designed to play.

How Asset Classes Tend to Behave

How a Gold or Silver IRA Fits the Plan

A Gold or Silver IRA is a self-directed individual retirement account. Notably, it holds physical precious metals instead of, or alongside, paper assets. Better still, it carries the same tax treatment as a traditional or Roth IRA. So for savers who already max out a 401(k) and an IRA, it offers a way to add diversification without giving up tax advantages.

Existing retirement funds can often move into a precious metals IRA without triggering a taxable event, provided the rollover is handled correctly. Once transferred, the metals are held in an IRS-approved depository. Meanwhile, the account follows the same contribution and distribution rules savers already know. The practical effect, therefore, is a retirement plan that no longer depends entirely on the direction of one market.

Of course, precious metals are not a substitute for a balanced plan. Like any asset, they carry risk, and prices move in both directions. The real point is balance. By holding a measured allocation, you anchor part of a 30-year retirement to an asset with a centuries-long record of preserving purchasing power.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do most Americans think they’ll outlive their retirement savings?

Goldman Sachs’ 2025 survey found 58% of workers hold this fear, driven largely by structural cost increases in housing, healthcare, childcare, and college since 2000, which leave less room to save even as wages rise.

How much money do I need to retire comfortably?

A common guideline is income equal to 70%–80% of your pre-retirement salary. Social Security typically replaces only about 40%, so the remainder must come from savings and investments.

How do gold and silver protect a retirement portfolio?

Precious metals tend to move independently of stocks and bonds. Moreover, they have historically held value during inflation and market declines — the two risks that most threaten a long retirement. For that reason, they work as a diversification tool rather than a growth engine.

What is a Gold or Silver IRA?

It is a self-directed IRA that holds physical, IRS-approved precious metals with the same tax advantages as a traditional or Roth IRA. Existing retirement funds can often be rolled over without a taxable event when handled correctly.

Is now a good time to consider precious metals?

As of June 2026, gold trades near $4,500 and silver near $75. While that is below the January highs, it remains well above where the rally started. In addition, central banks continue to accumulate gold, and major banks project further gains. Ultimately, a specialist can help assess whether an allocation fits your timeline and goals.

Sources & References

Goldman Sachs Asset Management, 2025 Retirement Survey & Insights Report (October 2025). •
World Gold Council, Gold Demand Trends (January–February 2026). •
J.P. Morgan Global Research, gold and silver price outlooks (2026). •
CBS News, gold and silver price coverage (May 2026). •
USAGOLD daily price report (June 1, 2026). •
Social Security Administration, benefits calculator. •
CNBC Select, retirement savings benchmarks.

GoldenCrest Metals provides educational information and is not a licensed investment, tax, or legal advisor. Precious metals carry risk and prices fluctuate. Consult a qualified professional regarding your individual situation.