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America has long been the world’s dominant economic power. Yet, Ray Dalio, founder of the world’s largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, is sounding an unmistakable alarm about the country’s future.
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In a recent episode of “The Diary of a CEO” podcast, host Steven Bartlett asked Dalio if he felt optimistic about the future of the U.S. Dalio’s reply was blunt: “No.”
He pointed first to America’s swelling national debt — now hovering around $37.47 trillion and climbing [2]. Dalio has warned before of a looming “debt death spiral,” where the government must borrow simply to service existing obligations — a dynamic that accelerates over time.
Next, he highlighted deepening internal rifts in the U.S. “There’s a fight between the left and the right due to wealth and value gaps and people not believing that the system will work for them,” Dalio said. “And so democracy is at risk.”
He also flagged an intensifying “great power conflict” with China, marked by high-stakes competition in technology. “We have a great technology war, which can be used to create great advances but at the same time could be used for great conflicts,” he cautioned, adding, “the winner of the technology war is going to win all wars.”
For historical context, Dalio reached back to World War II: “Nuclear. Nuclear won World War II.”
His message seems to have struck a chord. The podcast — titled “Ray Dalio: We’re Heading Into Very, Very Dark Times! America & The UK’s Decline Is Coming!” — has racked up nearly four million views on YouTube [1].
Dalio’s plan for ‘bad times’
For investors, Dalio’s outlook is sobering: mounting debt, widening political divides and a high-stakes rivalry with China. But he also offered a simple way to guard against those risks — the very principle that helped him build the world’s largest hedge fund.
“I learned how to diversify my bets so that I could dramatically reduce my risk without reducing my returns,” he said. “Following those principles took me to the biggest hedge fund in the world, the most successful and so on.”
Diversifying may sound basic, but Dalio insists it’s powerful. After all, who wouldn’t want to lower risk without giving up returns?
Read more: Robert Kiyosaki warns of a ‘Greater Depression’ coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 ‘easy-money’ assets will bring in ‘great wealth’. How to get in now
While he didn’t list specific assets in this interview, Dalio has consistently emphasized the importance of diversification — and recently, he’s singled out one classic hedge: gold [3].
“People don’t have, typically, an adequate amount of gold in their portfolio,” he told CNBC. “When bad times come, gold is a very effective diversifier.”
Long viewed as the ultimate safe haven, gold isn’t tied to any single country, currency or economy. It can’t be printed out of thin air like fiat money and in times of economic turmoil or geopolitical uncertainty, investors tend to pile in — driving up its value.
Over the past 12 months, gold prices have surged by more than 40%.
For those looking to capitalize on gold’s potential while also securing tax advantages, one option is to open a gold IRA with the help of Goldco.
Gold IRAs allow investors to hold physical gold or gold-related assets within a retirement account, which combines the tax advantages of an IRA with the protective benefits of investing in gold, making it an attractive option for those looking to potentially hedge their retirement funds against economic uncertainties. With a minimum purchase of $10,000, Goldco offers free shipping and access to a library of retirement resources. Plus, the company will match up to 10% of qualified purchases in free silver.
If you’re curious whether this is the right investment to diversify your portfolio, you can download your free gold and silver information guide today.
A tangible, time-tested income play
Gold isn’t the only asset seasoned investors look to as an alternative. Real estate has long been a cornerstone of diversification because it offers something different: a physical, income-producing asset that can keep working even when markets turn volatile.
Property values often rise with inflation, reflecting the increasing costs of land, labor and materials. Rental income typically climbs as well, providing a stream of cash flow that isn’t tied to the daily swings of the stock market.
Real estate has also built fortunes for some of the world’s most prominent figures — including the current U.S. commander in chief, Donald Trump. As Trump told Steve Forbes back in 2011, “I just notice that when you have that right piece of property, whatever it might be, including location, it tends to work well in good times and in bad times [4].”
Today, you don’t need to buy a property outright to benefit from real estate investing. Crowdfunding platforms like Arrived offer an easier way to get exposure to this income-generating asset class.
Backed by world class investors like Jeff Bezos, Arrived allows you to invest in shares of rental homes with as little as $100, all without the hassle of mowing lawns, fixing leaky faucets or handling difficult tenants.
The process is simple: browse a curated selection of homes that have been vetted for their appreciation and income potential. Once you find a property you like, select the number of shares you’d like to purchase and then sit back as you start receiving any positive rental income distributions from your investment.
Another option is First National Realty Partners (FNRP), which allows accredited investors to diversify their portfolio through grocery-anchored commercial properties without taking on the responsibilities of being a landlord.
With a minimum investment of $50,000, investors can own a share of properties leased by national brands like Whole Foods, Kroger and Walmart, which provide essential goods to their communities. Thanks to Triple Net (NNN) leases, accredited investors are able to invest in these properties without worrying about tenant costs cutting into their potential returns.
Simply answer a few questions — including how much you would like to invest — to start browsing their full list of available properties.
Track your wealth
Today’s investment landscape offers endless choices — from stocks and bonds to real estate, precious metals and cryptocurrency. But with so many moving parts, it can be difficult to see exactly how your portfolio is performing or how much risk you’re carrying.
For investors with a diverse mix of assets, a unified view of net worth is essential. The more clearly you understand your total wealth and exposure, the better equipped you are to protect it and position it for growth.
That’s where Kubera comes in: a platform that gives high-net-worth individuals a comprehensive view of their net worth in real-time.
Unlike other wealth-tracking platforms, Kubera’s unified dashboard encompasses everything from real estate to shares in holding companies, crypto wallets and private equity. With Kubera’s “Your Club” feature, you can also see how your portfolio stacks up compared to your peers in net worth.
The platform offers a unified dashboard that can connect thousands of banks, brokerages and crypto exchanges across multiple currencies, providing a complete picture of your financial position. Kubera features bank-level encryption and prioritizes user privacy, so you feel confident about integrating your accounts under one roof.
If you’re interested in seeing the difference Kubera can make for your finances, you can start now with a 14-day free trial.
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[1]. @TheDiaryOfACEO. YouTube post on Sept. 11, 2025
[2]. FiscalData. “What is the national debt?”
[3]. @RayDalio. X post on Sept. 23, 2025
[4]. @Forbes. YouTube post on Jan. 16, 2015
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
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