Tools
Gold Allocation Calculator
Find your recommended precious metals allocation based on portfolio size, age, and risk tolerance. Outputs gold, silver, and platinum splits in both dollar terms and approximate ounces.
Allocations are educational guidelines based on commonly cited frameworks (5-15% precious metals, with gold as the core). Your actual allocation should reflect your specific tax situation, time horizon, income needs, and existing exposures. Not investment advice.
How the Allocation Is Calculated
Total precious metals percentage is anchored on commonly cited mainstream frameworks (5-15% allocation), then adjusted for age and risk profile. Younger investors get smaller allocations because they have longer to compound equities. Pre-retirement and retirement-stage investors get higher allocations for capital preservation.
Gold/silver/platinum splitshifts with risk profile. Conservative profiles weight gold most heavily (90/10/0). Balanced profiles add meaningful silver and a small platinum sleeve (70/25/5). Aggressive profiles tilt further toward silver's industrial-demand leverage and a larger platinum position (60/30/10).
This is not investment advice. Your real allocation should reflect your tax situation (especially the 28% collectibles tax outside IRAs), existing exposures (e.g., large home equity may already provide inflation hedging), and income needs. Consult a fiduciary financial advisor.
For deeper guidance on sizing, see how much gold should I own? and is gold a good investment?
Frequently Asked Questions
What percentage of my portfolio should be in gold?
Most mainstream financial frameworks suggest 5-15% in precious metals, with gold as the core holding. Conservative investors typically hold 5-8%; balanced investors 8-12%; aggressive investors who view gold as a crisis hedge may hold 12-20%. The right number depends on your time horizon, tax situation, and existing portfolio exposures.
Should I include gold in my retirement account?
Yes — gold can be held tax-efficiently inside a Roth IRA or 401(k) via gold ETFs (GLD, IAU, GLDM) without paying the 28% collectibles tax that applies to physical gold gains outside an IRA. For physical gold ownership inside an IRA, see our Gold IRA pros and cons guide.
How does age change my gold allocation?
Younger investors (under 35) typically hold smaller precious metals allocations (3-8%) because they have decades to recover from equity volatility. Pre-retirement investors (50-65) often increase to 10-15% as capital preservation matters more. Retirees benefit from inflation hedging but should stay moderate (8-12%) to preserve liquidity for income.
Should silver and platinum be part of the precious metals allocation?
Gold should be the core (60-90% of your precious metals). Silver adds industrial-demand exposure and higher upside potential but with 2-3x the volatility. Platinum is rarer than gold but heavily industrial — best as a small contrarian position. A common balanced split is 70% gold / 25% silver / 5% platinum.
Is the allocation in dollars or ounces?
Both. The calculator shows your allocation in dollar terms, then converts to approximate troy ounces using the current spot price. Ounce counts shift as prices move; dollar allocations should be rebalanced periodically (annually is typical).
Related Tools & Resources
Allocations are educational guidelines and do not constitute personalized investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Consult a qualified fiduciary financial advisor before making allocation decisions.