A ‘gold bug’ is a person who is bullish on gold as an investment

A gold standard is a system in which a country’s currency is pegged to, and can be converted into, a fixed amount of gold

In principle, this provides price stability as the amount of gold (and therefore the value of the currency) is limited, but also restricts the ability to modulate the money supply during economic downturns.

Many bitcoin enthusiasts have compared the cryptocurrency to digital gold

Gold is valued for its stability and reliability, serving as a hedge against inflation and economic uncertainty. Bitcoin shares both of these characteristics, but also provides near-instant liquidity and isn’t subject to government regulation.

Bullion is either gold or silver that has at least 99.5% or 99.9% purity, respectively

It’s typically kept in the form of bars or ingots. Governments and central banks often keep bullion reserves on hand; they can use it as a hedge against inflation. One can invest in bullion via ETFs, among other financial vehicles.

Fiat money is a currency with no intrinsic, tangible value

Unlike the gold standard, where a nation's currency is linked to the value of gold, fiat money gets its power from the public's trust in its value.

Gold has no nutritional value or flavor—but edible gold is still popular

Gold is a pretty expensive topping. Nonetheless, luxury menus around the world are offering food staples—think bagels, chocolate, and burgers—wrapped or dusted with gold. What's the deal with this fascination?

Fort Knox was built to be a secure facility for the US Treasury's gold reserves

The gold reserves were previously used to back the US dollar under the gold standard. Although the US went off the gold standard in 1971, Fort Knox continues to store a large portion of the nation's gold reserves.

Costco's bullion program offers an attractive option for retail investors, experts say

Although Costco's gold bars often sell out, experts caution that the Costco gold rush was more "mob mentality" than sound investment. The bullion program is one way for retail investors to get exposure to the commodities market.

22 fascinating discoveries of massive gold coin hoards

The gallery highlights major gold coin treasures from ancient to modern times, from the Saddle Ridge hoard in California in the 1800s (now worth $10M) to finds in Baltimore, Kentucky, and more. Each discovery reveals something about the period, with some buried and others left in vaults.

The term ‘Black Friday’ originally referred to a 1869 US gold market crash

After financiers Jay Gould and James Fisk attempted to corner the US gold market, the market crashed on September 24, 1869, bankrupting thousands of investors and sending stock prices plummeting by 18%. That day became known as “Black Friday” long before the unofficial retail holiday emerged.

How goldfish cause significant environmental damage when released

Researchers have found that goldfish cause "regime shifts" in habitats as they search for food in places like lake beds, kicking up sediment that muddies the water and disrupts small invertebrates. They can also outcompete native species to further destabilize existing food webs.

Value investing is the strategy of buying assets you believe are worth more than their current price

Famed investor Warren Buffett is known for building his empire with this strategy, which he learned from his mentor Benjamin Graham.

American Express was the first company to offer 'gold' cards to borrowers

American Express began offering gold cards to affluent consumers in 1966. However, other credit card companies began offering similar, premium cards in the 1980s, which quickly became a status symbol for wealthy Americans.

Because of their size, sovereign wealth funds create anxiety about foreign undermining of financial systems

Across the board, sovereign wealth funds have an immense amount of capital, and, therefore, influence in global financial markets. Critics argue that this influence could enable a foreign country to harm another country's financial market by either investing adversely in competitive markets or by withholding critical capital.

Herd behavior is one cause of economic bubbles

A video breaks down the core forces behind economic bubbles, illustrating how forces including cheap credit, soaring optimism, and feedback loops push asset prices far beyond fundamentals—until a single shock triggers panic, selling and a rapid collapse.

Hear a finance professor answer questions about investing

From stocks and index funds to gold, a business professor at Duke University answers questions from the internet about investing.

Are I-Bonds a good investment?

I-Bonds are savings bonds issued by the US government that can help protect savings from inflation. While that sounds positive, I-Bonds have a few disadvantages, too—for instance, these bonds have to be held for at least a year before you can cash out.

Warren Buffett's former professor Benjamin Graham is known as the 'father of value investing,' a strategy in which investors seek to buy stocks trading below their intrinsic worth.

The 'Goldilocks zone' is the region around a star where liquid water can exist

Also referred to as the habitable zone, this region varies based on the properties of a planetary system's host star, including its size and luminosity, which measure the rate at which the star radiates energy per unit area.

Author John Green explains the Gilded Age

The Gilded Age was a time period that stretched from the 1870s until the turn of the 20th century that was colored by rapid industrialization, economic change, and widespread financial inequality. It was named as such because the widespread poverty during this era is often overshadowed by the fact that it was also a golden age for wealthy individuals.

A 'position' in financial markets refers to the amount of a security or asset that an investor owns or sells short

A "long" position gains from an increase in a security's price, whereas a "short" position profits from a price drop. This article includes a detailed explanation of the term "position" as it relates to investing and financial markets.

There's a debate over whether or not Hermes Birkin bags are good investments

Hermes often requires would-be buyers of its luxury Birkin purses (which can cost as little as $10K or more than $100K, depending on the bag) to have a relationship with a sales associate before getting off the company’s Birkin “wish list” and being granted the opportunity to purchase one.

Why America is obsessed with the stories of scammers

A "grifter" is someone who exploits systems at a high level. Notable cases like fake heiress Anna Delvey, Fyre Festival creator Billy McFarland, and startup faker Elizabeth Holmes, who deceived their way to success, captivate our culture. These...

'All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost.'

- "The Lord of the Rings" author JRR Tolkien (1892-1973)

One financial planner says FIRE is a bad idea

Some financial professionals argue that those following the FIRE (financial independence, retire early) movement might be basing their math on too short of a timeline, leaving them without enough money if they live further into old age than expected.

How to save money with 'loud budgeting'

"Loud budgeting" is when you announce to your friends that something—a restaurant, an activity, and so on—is too expensive and you can't afford it. The term, which opposes the social pressure of keeping up wealthy appearances, was coined by comedian Lukas Battle in 2024 as a joke, but it caught on with TikTokers amid inflation.

Hedge funds, the private investment firms that trade a wide swath of financial assets, make money by imposing steep fees on investors and from the fund's investment performance.

Are you a digital hoarder? There are four types, actually

Digital hoarding: the phenomenon where people accumulate excessive digital clutter, like thousands of emails, hundreds of open browser tabs, and unused apps on their devices. This behavior has been associated with increased stress levels and potential negative impacts on mental well-being. Are you a digital hoarder? Find out the four types here.

The US dollar is the most widely circulated currency in the world, and is involved in nearly 90% of global transactions

The idea for the Federal Reserve was conceived in secret in 1910—with bankers donning duck hunt gear for disguise while traveling to a remote country club on Georgia's Jekyll Island

US housing costs have risen by roughly 175% between 1991 and 2026—but a growing number of Gen Zers are becoming homeowners anyway. In 2025, 4% of homebuyers were Gen Z, up from 3% the year before.

Some coin denominations have ridges etched on their sides, partly to prevent counterfeiting, in a practice called 'reeding.'

Doctors differentiate between a phobia and fear by asking patients whether their fear interferes with their day-to-day activities.

Double world record holder Hunter Ewen helped conquer his fear of balloons, called globophobia, by training to win Guinness World Record titles for balloon inflation.

Memecoins are a type of cryptocurrency—a form of digital currency with a wide variety of uses—created around popular 'memes,' or viral internet jokes.

The rivalry between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson centered on federalism—the question of how much power the federal government should hold relative to the states.

In 1939, baseball star Lou Gehrig delivered his inspirational 'Luckiest Man' speech after retiring due to the health condition that now bears his name.

Calculate how much of your tax dollars go to each federal program based on your income, filing status, and number of children

Up to a million Girl Scouts sell about 200 million cookie boxes every spring, generating $800 million, largely because refusing a child is frowned upon

See how fireworks are made and learn how metals like magnesium and copper are responsible for different colors.

See how Budweiser's famous Clydesdales spend their days at Warm Springs Ranch, where roughly 70 to 80 of the beer brand's giant horses can be found at any given time.

Hotels in Cannes, the glamorous city on the French Riviera, hire hawks to ward off seagulls during the city's famous film festival.

Ebola species have historically been named after where they were discovered, stigmatizing residents who live there, including Bundibugyo, in Uganda.

Georgia O'Keeffe's flower paintings are often assumed to be sexual, though the artist claimed she was simply interested in highlighting the beauty of flowers that most people neglect

A researcher recently discovered an interview from 1967 between groundbreaking journalist Joan Didion and the Grateful Dead, years before the band became an institution.

In 2026, Finland was named the world's happiest country for the ninth consecutive year based on its wealth, social safety network, and high life expectancy, among other factors.

A 2019 Facebook event called on attendees to "Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us," resulting in countless memes, the creation of a music festival, and eventually the arrests of those who did try to approach the area.

Gerrymandering works through two techniques: cracking opposing voters across districts to dilute their power, and packing them into a few to waste their votes in lopsided majorities.

Existentialist writer Jean-Paul Sartre coined the famous phrase 'Hell is—other people' in his play 'No Exit'

Planarian flatworms are small, aquatic worms with exceptional regenerative capabilities. When cut, the worms can regenerate multiple bodies in a matter of weeks.

While the sun's gravity keeps the planets in orbit, their gravity also pulls on the sun, causing it and everything else in the solar system to orbit around a mutual balance point called the barycenter—the true center of the solar system.