Robert Kiyosaki: ‘Everything Bubble’ Is About To Burst — How To Prepare
Written by
Daria Uhlig
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Cory Dudak
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In a series of tweets on Oct. 14, “Rich Dad Poor Dad” author Robert Kiyosaki warned of an impending collapse of the “everything bubble” — his term for the inflation that has not only driven up home price and costs of consumer goods, butassets such as gold, silver, bitcoin and stocks, as well. When the everything bubble bursts, Kiyosaki warned, an “everything crash” will bring suffering on the unprepared.
Kiyosaki’s predictions are rooted in his belief that the dollar is a “fake” store of value, so consumers should invest money in appreciating assets instead of saving it in a bank account. But rather than invest in the stock market — which he also considers a fake store of value — he says physical assets like gold, silver and bitcoin are the way to go. Kiyosaki recommended buying these assets when the markets for them crash so that you can get rich when prices recover and their values appreciate.
Before you sell off your stock and transfer your savings to a cryptocurrency exchange, it’s important to understand Kiyosaki’s track record when it comes to forecasting market crashes. A U.S. News & World Report analysis looked at 11 such predictions from April 2011 to May 2024, when he proclaimed, “BAD News: CRASH has BEGUN,” and found that he was incorrect 100% of the time.
Even economists have trouble predicting market crashes, but there’s no denying the economy undergoes cycles. In its fourth-quarter 2024 update, Fidelity identified the U.S. as being in the latter part of the cycle, where growth slows. Sooner or later, it’ll hit a trough that could trigger a market correction.
While cashing in your stocks is probably a terrible idea that you shouldn’t consider without consulting with a financial planner and/or tax advisor, investing in gold, silver and cryptocurrency might be smart regardless of where you believe the market is headed.
Precious metals like gold and silver diversify your portfolio. Gold is the stronger of the two in that regard, according to Morgan Stanley, because it’s less volatile and less sensitive to global economies. Experts generally recommend, according to CBS News, that gold comprise up to 10% of your portfolio.
Cryptocurrency, and bitcoin in particular, also provide diversification. A Fidelity study found that from Aug. 1, 2010 through March 31, 2024, bitcoin returned 178% per year, on average, which far surpassed annualized returns on stocks. However, bitcoin is less of a hedge than previously thought. Rather than move opposite the market, it has tended to move in the same direction, but reach higher highs and lower lows. For a traditional portfolio with a 60%/40% mix of stocks and bonds, Blackrock recommends allocating no more than 2% to bitcoin[x].Here are more tips for preparing your finances for an “everything crash,” according to Merrill Lynch:
- Avoid panic selling. Your losses are paper losses only until you sell. Once your shares are gone, you have no chance to recoup your investment.
- Rebalance your portfolio. Over time, differences in how assets appreciate can throw your investment mix out of whack. Rebalancing restores the mix to the strategy you intended.
- Keep investing. Regular investing protects your portfolio through dollar-cost averaging. Over time, you’ll buy more shares at lower prices, and fewer shares when prices are up.
- Build an emergency fund. Granted, inflation reduces the purchasing power of cash you hold in a savings account, but the best high-yield savings accounts earn more than 4% annual percentage yield, with no risk to the cash itself. That savings can keep you from having to rely on expensive credit should you lose your job or need an expensive home or car repair.
- Pay down debt. Eliminating debt frees up cash you can save or invest. It also frees up your available credit for use in an emergency your savings can’t cover.
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