your guide to
gold, silver & copper

Mid-February 2026. Precious metals prices have been climbing hard. here's where things stand right now.

Gold and silver outperformed nearly every other investment class this year. People are paying attention.

All-Time Highs Reached in January 2026

2025 Full-Year Performance

Precious metals outperformed almost every other type of investment last year:

$1,000 invested in silver last year would be worth $2,480 now. that won't happen every year, but it's hard to ignore.

What Major Institutions Are Predicting For 2026

gold, silver, and copper are all being driven by the same forces right now. understanding why helps you hold steady when prices dip.

A. The World is Shifting

What's happening (simply)

For 80 years, the US dollar was the world's #1 currency. Every country kept dollars in their bank vaults. but starting around 2022, countries began saying: "we don't want to depend on the US dollar anymore." they started buying gold instead. a LOT of gold.

Central banks are buying record amounts of gold

Who's buying the most gold?

When central banks all buy gold at the same time, it puts a floor under the price. if gold dips, these buyers step in and buy more. they're now consuming about 26% of all newly mined gold every year. less supply available for everyone else means prices stay supported.

The shift away from the US dollar is real

On December 8, 2025, BRICS launched a digital settlement tool called "The Unit," backed 40% by physical gold and 60% by national currencies. Over 90% of trade between Russia, India, and China already happens without US dollars. this isn't theoretical anymore.

When governments print more money, gold prices go up

The US government owes an enormous amount of money. when it gets into debt, it prints more money to pay the bills. as the government owes more money, gold price tends to go up. this happens 90% reliably. why? because when the government prints more money, each dollar becomes less valuable. gold's price usually rises when this happens, so it protects your purchasing power.

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B. Silver as early bitcoin the bull case

i think silver right now is where bitcoin was in 2013. obvious in hindsight, easy to dismiss in the moment.

Silver's run so far

Silver went from ~$12/oz in 2020 to $82/oz today, a 580% gain. the bull case says $150-$309 by 2027. similar trajectory to bitcoin going from $1,000 to $20,000 in 2017.

the difference: silver has 5,000 years of proven value and real industrial use. factories need it. solar panels need it. phones need it.

The technical breakout

Silver just completed a 50-year cup-and-handle pattern. this is a chart formation that has historically preceded large price moves. pair that with the supply numbers below and it gets interesting.

The supply crisis is real (and can't be fixed fast)

there's a supply deficit that physically cannot be fixed for 5+ years. here's why:

even if silver prices triple tomorrow, supply won't increase for a decade. that's the supply/demand mismatch at work.

Physical market stress signals

You know things are getting tight when:

• Royal Mint had 4-8 week delivery delays in 2025 they couldn't get physical silver fast enough
• Silver lease rates rocketed from near-zero to 33% that's the cost of borrowing silver. when it spikes, it means supply is tight
• Emergency air shipments from New York to London dealers were flying silver across the Atlantic to meet demand

The gold-silver ratio tells the story

This ratio compressed from 105 to 50 meaning silver is becoming relatively more valuable. historically the ratio averages 60. the current compression signals massive silver momentum.

Industrial demand is accelerating

Retail sentiment

57% of retail investors now expect silver above $100 in 2026, according to a recent survey. that number was around 20% a year ago.

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C. Platinum: the hydrogen catalyst

Platinum is required for hydrogen fuel cells. there is no substitute. the hydrogen fuel cell market is growing 37% per year. 70%+ of platinum comes from South Africa, where mining output has been declining for years. supply is shrinking while demand grows.

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D. Copper: the metal that builds the future

copper might be the most important investment metal of the next decade. it's not technically "precious," but every major trend above runs on copper.

Why copper is exploding right now

The supply math

J.P. Morgan estimates a 330,000-ton copper supply deficit in 2026. opening a new copper mine takes 17 years from discovery to production. even if we started tomorrow, supply can't catch up until the 2040s. BloombergNEF projects a 19-million-ton shortfall over the next 25 years. demand is expected to grow 24% by 2035.

copper hit $5.83/lb in 2025 an all-time record. and major banks see it going higher: J.P. Morgan targets $12,075/ton, Citi says $15,000, and Bank of America projects $13,501 by 2027.

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E. Forget "Retirement" build freedom NOW

every other investing guide tells you to "save for retirement." i'm not going to do that.

elon musk said it directly on the moonshots podcast (episode 220, december 2025):

his vision: AGI (artificial general intelligence) by 2026-2030. humanoid robots replacing most labor within 3-7 years. what he calls "universal you-can-have-whatever-you-want income." a world where scarcity itself starts disappearing.

i'm not saying bet your future on elon being right. but the world your grandparents lived in work 40 years, retire at 65, collect a pension that's already gone. pensions barely exist. social security is shaky. AI is reshaping every industry. planning around "retirement at 65" doesn't make the same sense it used to.

so why are we investing?

not for some distant future that may never arrive the way we were told it would. we're building wealth for FREEDOM NOW.

• freedom to quit the job that drains you and actually pursue what God put on your heart
• freedom from financial stress so you can think clearly, pray clearly, and hear God clearly
• freedom to be radically generous because you can't pour from an empty cup
• freedom to serve God's purposes TODAY not in 40 years when you're "finally retired"

your healthiest, most energetic years should go toward your calling, not just a paycheck. precious metals let you build physical wealth that holds value regardless of what happens with the dollar, AI, or the job market. that's stewardship with your eyes open.

If you're brand new to all of this, let's get on the same page before going further.

Precious metals are rare metals that humans have valued for thousands of years. In investing, they're their own category alongside stocks and bonds. Each behaves differently depending on world events. Here are the five you need to know:

Key terms you need to know

Lots of ways to do this, from totally hands-off to actively managed. ranked from easiest to most advanced so you can find what fits.

A. ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds) EASIEST

An ETF is a fund that buys real gold and lets you own a small piece of it without storing anything yourself. you can start with $50.

Top ETFs for beginners (February 2026)

How to buy a gold ETF (step by step)

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B. Mining stocks & royalty companies MODERATE

Instead of owning gold directly, you own a piece of the companies that dig it up. When gold prices rise, these companies make more money and your shares go up. they can outperform gold itself, but they also carry company-specific risk.

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C. Physical metals MODERATE

You buy actual gold or silver coins and bars. there's something about holding a gold coin in your hand that makes it feel real in a way a brokerage account doesn't. costs more because of premiums and storage, though. more detail in Section VI.

Quick premium overview (February 2026)

Why the difference? Gold bars are cheapest because they're plain. Coins are more expensive because they're recognizable and easier to sell. Fractional gold is tiny and costs most because dealers lose money on small sizes.

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D. Tax-smart strategies with IRAs MODERATE

An IRA is a special account where investments grow tax-free or tax-deferred. you can hold physical gold and silver in one. think of it as a tax shield. best if you have an old 401(k) sitting around from a previous job.

Top IRA companies (February 2026)

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E. Digital / tokenized gold EASY

Companies like Vaulted, GoldMoney, or Kinesis let you buy gold digitally while they hold physical gold in vaults for you. starts at $10, trades 24/7, lower storage fees. still relatively new, though. if it feels confusing, stick with ETFs.

about active trading

i'm going to be straight with you: day trading can change your life, but only if you actually know what you're doing.

this is the path i've taken. i trade every day and it changed my life. but it's NOT for beginners, and i'm not going to pretend otherwise.

when to consider active trading

active trading makes sense AFTER you've got some initial positions going (ETFs, physical metals, mining stocks). once you have a foundation, here's the realistic progression:

the real talk

once you have a foundation, active trading lets you grow faster. the rewards are real. but i need you to hear me: this is NOT for everyone. it requires discipline, emotional control, and the ability to watch money disappear temporarily without losing your mind.

if you're not already successful at investing the basics, skip this section entirely and focus on Section IV instead. stewardship means being honest about what you're getting into.

There's a reason people like holding their gold. it feels different from a number on a screen. here's how to buy physical metals without getting ripped off.

Reputable dealers (February 2026)

Your first gold purchase (step by step)

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Storage & insurance

When to use each: Home safe if you have under $5,000. Bank box if $5,000-$20,000. Vault if over $20,000. The vault's yearly fee becomes worth it for large amounts.

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How to spot fakes

Instead of investing everything at once and agonizing over timing, invest a fixed amount each month. you'll naturally buy more when prices are low and less when they're high. this is called dollar-cost averaging, and it's the most boring, most effective strategy there is.

Budget examples

Auto-buy services

• ETF auto-invest: Fidelity, Schwab, and Robinhood all offer automatic monthly investment plans. $0 fees. Simplest option: ETF auto-investing at Fidelity. You fund your account once, set it to auto-invest every month, and forget about it. No thinking required.
• Physical auto-buy: Money Metals Exchange ships you gold/silver monthly on autopilot.
• Digital auto-buy: Vaulted and OWNx allow automatic monthly purchases held in vaults.

i spent time in the Reddit communities where people actually talk about buying gold and silver. not analysts or banks regular people investing their own money. here's what they're saying.

Key communities

Top beginner mistakes (according to the community)

1. Overpaying premiums Always compare total cost across 2-3 dealers
2. Trying to time the market Dollar-cost averaging beats timing. Always.
3. Overconcentration Going 30-50% in metals then panicking during corrections. Keep it at 5-15%.
4. Buying collector coins 40-60% premiums on "special" coins that resell for melt value only.
5. Telling people about your stack Privacy matters. Nobody needs to know.

This section protects your money. please actually read it. knowing the risks is just as important as knowing the upside.

Tax rules (the surprise most beginners don't know)

Example: you buy $10,000 in gold, it grows to $15,000 over two years. your $5,000 profit gets taxed at 28% = $1,400 owed. in a Roth IRA, you'd owe $0. that's why IRAs matter.

State sales tax

Some states charge sales tax on precious metals. Washington eliminated its exemption on Jan 1, 2026. check your state before buying. it can add real cost.

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Common scams (real examples)

Red flags checklist

• Unsolicited phone call or email about gold investing
• "Guaranteed profits" or "gold only goes up"
• "This offer expires today" or pressure to decide immediately
• Vague pricing won't clearly state their markup
• Pressure to wire money or send via courier
• Suggesting you store IRA metals at home
• No clear buyback policy
• Prices significantly below spot (too good to be true)

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Investment risks to understand

• Volatility: Price swings. 54.8% volatility means gold's price jumped around a lot. Higher volatility = scarier for your emotions but also potential for bigger gains or losses. Be prepared.
• Opportunity cost: Gold produces zero income (no dividends). When interest rates are high, you miss out on bond yields.
• Counterparty risk: With ETFs, you trust a company to really hold the gold. With unallocated vaults, they mix everyone's gold together, and if the company fails, you might not get your gold back. Always choose "allocated" storage where YOUR specific bars are set aside.
• High entry/exit costs: Premiums, storage, insurance, dealer spreads these eat into returns. Be aware of total costs before you invest.

i'd be doing you a disservice if i only gave you the bull case. here are the strongest arguments against precious metals.

Okay. you've read the research. now pick a path based on where you actually are, not where you wish you were. God honors faithfulness over perfection.

Before you begin check yourself

• I have an emergency fund (6 months expenses) separate from investments
• I'm only investing money I won't need for 5-10+ years
• This is long-term investing, not gambling. I'm not trying to get rich in 6 months. I'm protecting my money over 10+ years.
• I've decided my allocation (5-10% of portfolio recommended)
• I know the tax implications (28% collectibles rate)
• I've identified my path above
• I will dollar-cost average rather than invest everything at once. You'll invest the same amount every month automatically. This takes the guesswork out of timing.
• I accept that prices WILL fluctuate I won't panic-sell during corrections
• I will only buy from reputable, A+-rated dealers