Stocks
Stocks represent ownership in real businesses. Over long periods, stocks have provided some of the strongest inflation adjusted growth available to families. They help build wealth by sharing in the profits of companies that innovate, grow, and expand. Although stocks can fall sharply during downturns, they remain a core building block in most portfolios because of their strong long term return history.
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Cash and Short Term Treasuries
Cash provides stability, liquidity, and flexibility during uncertain market periods. Short term United States Treasury bills add safety and interest income without locking money away for long periods. Together, they act as a family’s financial shock absorber and opportunity fund, giving you the power to buy other assets at attractive prices when the Unified Compass signals a Buy Zone.
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Money Market Funds
Money market funds are conservative investment vehicles that hold very short term, high quality debt. They aim to maintain a stable value while paying interest that often exceeds bank savings accounts. These funds are excellent for storing cash temporarily while waiting for better opportunities. They keep money productive without taking meaningful risk and are central to a disciplined rules based investment system.
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Gold
Gold has served as a store of value for thousands of years. It helps protect a portfolio during inflationary periods, currency instability, and financial stress. Gold does not generate income, but it often rises when confidence in financial markets weakens. Adding a modest amount of gold can help smooth out volatility and reduce overall risk in a family portfolio.
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Silver
Silver is both an industrial metal and a traditional store of value. It tends to be more volatile than gold and often experiences sharper swings upward and downward. Silver can provide meaningful gains during periods of inflation, industrial expansion, or strong precious metal demand. When held in moderation, it helps diversify precious metal exposure and can serve as a hedge during uncertain times.
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Gold Mining ETFs
Gold mining exchange traded funds hold a basket of companies that mine gold. Their profits rise and fall with the price of gold, which means mining shares often rise more than gold during strong precious metal markets and fall more during downturns. They can offer higher growth potential than physical gold but carry higher risk. When used wisely, they add a growth oriented precious metal component to a diversified portfolio.
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Currency Pairs
Currency investing involves trading one national currency for another. Movements in exchange rates are influenced by interest rates, economic strength, and global capital flows. While most families do not need large currency positions, small and disciplined exposure can diversify portfolio behavior. The Unified Compass only highlights currency opportunities when conditions show unusually favorable odds.
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Digital Assets
Digital assets are speculative, high volatility holdings that rely on blockchain technology. They can rise quickly during periods of enthusiasm and fall just as quickly during periods of fear. Because of their nature, they should remain a very small allocation for most families. When sized correctly, digital assets can add a growth oriented complement to traditional investments without risking core financial security.
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Put Options
Put options are advanced financial tools that increase in value when markets fall. They serve as crash insurance rather than speculation. When used sparingly and sized properly, they help protect a portfolio during sudden downturns. Most of the time they quietly expire without being used, much like a fire insurance policy. The Unified Compass highlights when put options are unusually inexpensive relative to market risk.
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