How to invest in silver

This article explains the value of silver as an investment opportunity—and explains the different ways you can invest in the asset. It also outlines the pros and cons of silver as an investment. To learn more about investing in silver, read this article.

The world's biggest silver producers, mapped

Mexico, with its deep history of silver mining, is the dominant leader in silver production, with over 200 million ounces (as of 2023), with China and Peru in second and third place. The precious metal is increasingly important for the electronics industry, and its price is expected to keep rising. See a chart of the biggest silver miners here.

The value of a 400 oz gold bar hit $1M for the first time in 2024

On Aug. 16, 2024, the gold bar size often seen in movies hit $1M in value for the first time when the price of gold reached $2,500 per troy ounce. A data visualization shows what other gold bar sizes are worth and compares them to the size of an iPhone.

Since its introduction, the price of bitcoin has experienced significant volatility

Driven in large part by speculation and intense social media attention during the pandemic, along with the availability of capital during near-zero interest rate periods, the price has seen at least three major crashes despite steadily increasing over the long run since 2014.

Check the real-time price of bitcoin

Bitcoin has gone through several boom and bust cycles. Those peaks and valleys sit on top of a steadily rising value, growing as the currency gains wider adoption. As of 2024, bitcoin’s total market value was over $1.3T, with more than 19.6 million coins in circulation. Still, the value fluctuates.

You can find the value of a dollar dating back to 1635

The value of a dollar hasn’t been consistent throughout history. An inflation calculator lets you compare the value of dollars from any two years over the past four centuries.

Throughout most of the 1800s, US currency was backed by silver and gold

In post-Civil War America, the government moved to use only the gold standard. This was how US currency was backed for decades in the US. You can read a comprehensive explainer on the gold standard and its history in the US to learn more.

Markets have always recovered and hit new highs following crashes

The crash that preceded the Great Depression was the most severe the US has ever experienced. It was 28 times worse than the downturn that followed the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The US dollar became the world's reserve currency, backed by gold, after 44 nations gathered in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, in 1944 with the intention of rebuilding the global economy.

See a timeline that shows how volatile oil prices have been for decades, from OPEC-led embargoes in the 1970s and shale surges in the 2000s to the US flipping to become a net oil exporter in 2020.

Since its inception in 1938, Congress has raised the federal minimum wage 22 times

If you want all the details about when and why these rate increases happened check out this resource from the US Department of Labor.

Prices can still feel high even if inflation is slowing

This is partly because a recent spike in inflation raised prices permanently, so even though the pace of price growth has slowed, prices have still gone up for good.

Inflation is a monetary phenomenon in which consumers see a broad rise in the prices of goods and services across the economy over time

Sustained periods of inflation are often caused by central bank policies including low interest rates or increased money supply. With more money chasing the same number of goods and services, prices tend to rise and the value of a single dollar drops.

The US dollar has served as the world's reserve currency for 80 years—but is its dominance coming to an end?

Since the establishment of the Bretton Woods economic system, about 90% of global foreign exchange transactions have involved USD. Although no viable alternative exists yet, the dollar's share of central bank reserves has decreased from 73% to 58% from 2001 to 2024, and President Trump's 2025 tariffs have sped up this trend.

The global economy runs on US dollars, with nearly 90% of international trade in 2019 being processed in US dollars.

Relive the biggest swings in the Dow’s history

From the 1929 crash to the Coronavirus Pandemic in 2020, this piece spotlights five of the most dramatic single-day moves in the Dow’s 125-year history.

Stablecoins' market cap surged during 2021's crypto bull market

In 2020, the value of all stablecoins was equivalent to just 1% of all physical US dollars. Roughly five years later in August 2025, that value had jumped to roughly 11% of all US cash in circulation.

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.

The widespread need for rechargeable batteries has fueled surging lithium demand

As of 2025, the average person uses 27 times more mined lithium than they did in the 1990s, with the US ranking second globally in consumption despite producing less than 1% of global supply. However, potential alternative materials and boom-and-bust cycles have challenged the profitability of mines and future demand for the mineral.

See a chart showing how US tariff revenue has grown in recent years.

Visualizing decades of stock market performance

Stock markets and the indexes that track their biggest companies tend to ebb and flow, with long growth periods punctuated by shorter recessions. Track the 60-year history of one of the most common stock market indexes, the S&P 500, with this data visualization. The chart highlights the long-term durability of markets despite appearance of short-term volatility.

From 1991 to 2024, lithium-ion battery cell prices have fallen by 99%

The decrease from about $10,000 to $50 per kilowatt-hour has been driven by innovations in battery chemistry, improvements in manufacturing and supply chains, and increases in global cumulative production, which have caused average price declines of 19% each time it has doubled.

The stock market has crashed many times throughout history

Have you ever wondered how long it takes the market to recover after a crash? This chart outlines major stock market dips throughout history and tracks how many days it took for the market to recover.

Why coffee prices have reached record highs in 2026

Coffee beans reached $9.46 per pound in February 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the highest price since the Bureau began tracking the price in 1980. Experts blame bad weather in Brazil and Vietnam (the world's largest producers) and heightened US tariffs.

Learn about what causes economic bubbles, including how forces like cheap credit, soaring optimism, and feedback loops push asset prices far beyond fundamentals—until a single shock triggers panic, selling, and a rapid collapse.

Read about the evolution of the S&P 500 and its recession recovery

Since the S&P 500 is considered a bellwether index (meaning it represents the health of the US economy), its value is important for investors in both bull and bear markets. The S&P 500 has been impacted by recessions and downturns, from the 1970s oil crisis to the dot-com crash of the early 2000s.

A stock market timeline

The stock market has come a long way since the 1600s, when the first version of a stock exchange was created in Amsterdam. Mile markers along the way include everything from the Dow Jones Industrial Average's creation in 1896 to the stock market woes during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Some argue that the rising US national debt has become more important in recent months.

In 2023, the US money supply fell at its fastest rate since the 1930s

The money supply tracks how much cash, as well as electronic funds like savings accounts, is circulating through the economy. And a downward turn can be a bad sign.

Arguments for returning to a gold standard reappear from time to time

However, critics argue that globalization has made the gold standard impractical for modern economies, as it limits a nation’s ability to have a flexible monetary policy—hence, none of today's governments have a gold standard.

Indicators of economic bubbles include euphoric narratives and extreme valuations.

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.

How much money you'd have now if you bought bitcoin years ago

Do you ever wonder how much money you'd have now if you bought bitcoin in 2019? 2018? 2017? This calculator provides the answer. Plug in the amount of bitcoin you would have purchased, plus the year and the currency.

How key commodities have performed since 2019, visualized

Due in part to factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic and global supply chain issues, commodities experienced significant volatility from 2019 to 2025. For instance, coffee bean prices saw major swings in recent years due to climate challenges in countries including Brazil and Vietnam.

Nixon's 1971 decision to untether the dollar from gold ended the Bretton Woods exchange rate system

The Bretton Woods system initially pegged all major currencies to the US dollar, which could be exchanged for gold at a fixed rate of $35 per ounce. Growing deficits and decreasing gold reserves prompted Nixon to end that guarantee in 1971, marking the end of the fixed exchange rate era.