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With a whopping $348 billion in cash on Berkshire Hathaway’s balance sheet, it’s easy to assume Warren Buffett has no worries at all.
But in a recent meeting with shareholders, the legendary investor admitted he’s worried about the eroding value of the U.S. dollar. What’s more, on May 3, Buffett announced he plans to retire as Berkshire Hathaway CEO by the end of 2025.
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“We wouldn’t want to be owning anything that we thought was in a currency that was really going to hell, and that’s the big thing we worry about with the United States currency,” he said.
Here’s why the Oracle of Omaha is anxious about the future of the greenback.
Dollar’s decline
Buffett’s concerns over the dollar’s value stem from increased government spending and proposed tax cuts under President Donald Trump.
Despite the rhetoric about spending cuts, government expenditures rose by $200 billion during Trump’s first 100 days compared to the previous year. Buffett cautioned that such fiscal policies could pose significant economic risks.
The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the dollar’s value against a group of major foreign currencies, has declined by more than 8% since the beginning of the year.
Analysts warn that rising debt and reduced revenue could further devalue the currency and undermine U.S. creditworthiness. In fact, Moody’s downgraded the U.S.’s credit rating from Aaa to Aa1 on May 16.
Any further erosion in the dollar’s value could impact your purchasing power. Here are three ways to protect yourself.
3 ways to protect yourself
If you’re worried about the U.S. dollar’s value and how it might affect your portfolio, certain assets can help protect your wealth.
1. Gold is a good option
During periods of uncertainty — tariff-driven or otherwise — investors often turn to gold. The precious metal is seen as a store of value against market volatility.
The price of gold has jumped by more than 40% since 2023. JP Morgan projects that it will hit the $4,000 mark by 2026.
If you’re optimistic about gold, you don’t have to go to a bullion shop to buy precious metals. You can opt for a gold IRA to hedge against market volatility by investing directly in precious metals
Priority Gold is an industry leader in precious metals, offering physical delivery of gold and silver. Plus, they have an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
If you want to convert an existing IRA into a gold IRA, Priority Gold offers a 100% free rollover, as well as free shipping and free storage for up to five years. Qualifying purchases can also receive up to $10,000 in free silver.
Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan ‘works every single time’ to kill debt, get rich in America — and that ‘anyone’ can do it
To learn more about how Priority Gold can help you reduce inflation’s impact on your nest egg, you can download their free 2025 gold investor bundle.
2. Consider alternative assets
As gold surges to historic highs, the stock market has been on a roller coaster ride. In March 2025, a major sell-off erased $4 trillion from the S&P 500 before a rebound, hitting even blue-chip stocks like Apple, Nvidia and Microsoft.
That’s why experts often caution against putting all your eggs in one basket. It pays to diversify into new asset classes. Art is one such investment that has captured the attention of savvy investors.
After all, art represents a massive asset class. The global art market size was valued at $552.03 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $585.98 billion in 2025, according to Straits Research.
In the past, you had to be ultra-wealthy to invest in art, but now services like Masterworks have opened the door to art investing. So far, over one million members have joined the platform.
Here’s how it works: Instead of buying a single painting for millions of dollars, you invest in fractional shares of blue-chip paintings by renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso, Basquiat and Banksy. Blue-chip paintings are pieces of art that tend to only increase in value over time, much like blue-chip companies.
From here, all you have to do is select how many shares you want to buy and Masterworks will take care of the rest.
See important Regulation A disclosures at Masterworks.com/cd.
3. Add exposure to real estate
Investors gravitate toward real estate for good reason. Well-chosen properties can generate passive income through rent while potentially appreciating in value over time. Real estate can also serve as a hedge against inflation.
The best part? These days, you don’t need to be an ultra-wealthy investor like Buffet to take advantage of this strategy.
With the help of First National Realty Partners (FNRP), you can invest in needs-based commercial properties.
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 leases, accredited investors can invest in these properties without worrying as much about tenant costs cutting into their potential returns.
Another way to invest in real estate is by leveraging home equity. This $34.9 trillion market has historically been the domain of large institutions. But now Homeshares is changing the game by helping accredited investors gain direct access to hundreds of owner-occupied homes in top U.S. cities through their U.S. Home Equity Fund.
The fund focuses on homes with substantial equity and utilizes Home Equity Agreements to help homeowners access liquidity without incurring debt or additional interest payments.
This hands-off approach lets accredited investors access high-quality residential properties with a minimum investment of $25,000 — without the headaches of being a landlord.
With risk-adjusted target returns ranging from 14% to 17%, the U.S. Home Equity Fund could unlock lucrative real estate opportunities, offering accredited investors a low-maintenance alternative to traditional property ownership.
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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
