Fighting Inflation by Investing in These Three Asset Classes

It seems that we've reached the eye of the inflation storm. The Fed repeatedly raising interest rates in response to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) going off the charts is certainly hurting most investors. However disconcerting, high inflation was inevitable following global uncertainty in recent years—and investors must be prepared.

Inflation is when there's too much money chasing too few goods. This could be interpreted as the value of money deteriorating and consumer prices rising, but it can also be seen as goods becoming worth more money. Because inflation makes money less scarce, investors become more inclined to hold alternative assets that better preserve their wealth.

Why inflation hurts stocks

Stocks are good investments in times of economic growth, but they don't do well when facing inflation. When inflation rises, central banks react by raising interest rates, which makes it more expensive for banks and companies to borrow money. The result is stunting the growth of public companies, bringing stock prices down, and ultimately hurting you as a shareholder.

Not even pre-IPO companies are immune to economic stress since it can ultimately bring down their valuations. That's why investors hedge against those risks with asset classes like commodities, real estate, and even fine liquors. That last one may surprise you, but the scarcer the assets, the better they are at preserving value and the more likely they are to stay stable when interest rates increase and purchasing power declines. 

Hedging inflation with bonds

The traditional wisdom for fighting inflation is to hold bonds, but this method of preserving purchasing power is out of vogue. Treasury bonds were long considered the safest investment one could make, but even economist Ray Dalio said they're "stupid to own." And don't just take his word for it—the recent inversion of the bond yield curve is a familiar presage of a recession.

Most importantly, bonds are highly impacted by rising inflation, second only to cash. Bond ETFs can be good for short-term speculation and hedging against riskier investments, but they don't offer great inflation protection. A better investment option for fighting inflation is treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS) or bonds with a principal amount that adjusts to inflation.

Treasury inflation-protected securities are probably the safest inflation hedge, but you won't profit from inflation if you're just shopping public markets. Let's look at the best assets for dunking on high inflation like Michael Jordan.

Commodity prices rise when inflation rises, making them a quintessential part of a resilient investment portfolio. The problem with commodities like grain and oil is that they're volatile and riskier to invest in than gold and other precious metals. However, food and energy commodities do fall into the category of essentials along with farmland, fertilizer, and other crucial materials—essentials are inherently high-demand commodities.

Gold

When it comes to investing in an inflation hedge, gold is a classic choice. This precious metal has a long history as both a luxury commodity and a store of value. The price of gold has been extremely stable during both good and bad times in the economy, and gold investments are easier to access than ever before. It's definitely the gold standard of inflation hedges, pun intended.

Gold is a crucial part of an investment portfolio because it's one of the least volatile assets. While hard to produce and expensive to store and transport, gold benefits investors by being scarcer and more secure since large quantities are difficult to steal. Gold investors do have to deal with some overhead, but this cost is nothing compared to letting the Consumer Price Index gnaw at your purchasing power.

Buying a gold ETF is a way to quickly gain exposure to gold in response to rising inflation. Gold stocks are easy to buy and sell on platforms like Public, but the problem is that holding stocks has extraneous costs that regular gold doesn't. Though this is the cost of doing business, some investors prefer more direct exposure to gold than an exchange-traded derivative.

If that's the case, then a gold investment platform like Hard Assets Alliance may suit you better. Hard Assets Alliance lets you invest in gold bullions directly on their 24/7 exchange. You can use their platform to invest with a retirement account and even request to have your precious metals shipped to you. Platforms like HAA make it easier than ever to invest in gold and silver, but they don't offer access to other precious metals like platinum or palladium.

HAA is a great way to customize your gold investments with low fees, but other platforms require a lower minimum to start investing. For instance, Vaulted is a gold investing platform that gives you direct exposure to gold bullions with no investment minimum but charges higher fees. Gold is one of the best inflation hedges to invest in and investing platforms have made the asset class more accessible than ever.