Mario Cazombo

If you have a side hustle, you’re not alone: 72% of workers in the U.S. have a side hustle or are considering pursuing one, according to SurveyMonkey’s 2025 study on workplace culture and trends. Survey respondents listed saving for a specific goal and needing the extra income to survive as main drivers for finding a side gig. If you’ve headed to the grocery store recently, you’ve likely felt the sting of high prices — and probably see why extra income would be appealing. Read on why more people are turning to side hustles, and how to start your search for one. Must Read Experts are Bullish on Gold — Here’s How to Get In Warren Buffett on Market Volatility — and 3 Ways You Can Take Advantage Side Hustles You Can Do In Your Spare Time Why side hustles are the new normal Rising living costs are a main driver for people finding side hustles. Especially for people not yet in their peak earning years, the extra money can help cover living costs, and allow for early saving and investing. But older adults can also benefit from part-time side gigs amid rising costs. While most Americans plan to rely on Social Security as their main source of retirement income, side hustles are also among the top three expected sources of income across generations (39% for Gen Z, 41% for millennials, 42% for Gen X and 38% for baby boomers), according to a survey from Western & Southern Financial Group. Gold Investor Kit Offer: Sign up with American Hartford Gold today and get a free investor kit, plus receive up to $20,000 in free silver on qualifying purchases Side hustles in retirement Getting a side hustle isn’t just about making some extra cash. It can also provide a sense of purpose for retirees after they walk away from full-time work. Side hustles tend to offer flexible hours, which is why some retirees opt for semi-retirement in the form of part-time work. Low-stress part-time jobs for retirees to pursue could include tutoring, tour or museum guiding, proofreading or serving as a school crossing guard, bus monitor or driver. Some retirees can also earn money via their hobbies, like by selling their crafts or petsitting. Pet Protection: See How Spot Pet Insurance Can Help Your Dog or Cat How to find a side hustle Some side hustles are more profitable than others, and you don’t want to get stuck with an unenjoyable side gig, especially if you are a retiree finally free of your full-time work. That’s why you should start by listing professional skills that you can monetize for just five to 10 hours per week. Then, you can research side hustle opportunities that align with your skillset. This approach allows you to work on side gigs that match up with your area of expertise, which will make it easier to raise your prices over time. Extra Money: Get up to $1,000 in stock when you fund a new active SoFi invest account Websites like Upwork, Fiverr and TaskRabbit can help you find jobs, depending on your skillsets. But you can also check local neighborhood Facebook groups and platforms like Nextdoor to see what people in your area are seeking and advertise your offerings. Must Read Experts are Bullish on Gold — Here’s How to Get In Warren Buffett on Market Volatility — and 3 Ways You Can Take Advantage Side Hustles You Can Do In Your Spare Time

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From ancient civilizations and medieval nobility to modern investors, gold has remained one of the most high-demand assets in human history. The precious metal is considered a store of value with its price stability offering a safe haven for investors and collectors alike. There are numerous ways to add the precious metal to an investment portfolio, from purchasing physical gold to investing in gold-backed securities. As an investor, you need to determine which approach is the best fit for you given your unique financial situation — and whether investing in gold makes sense for you at all. If you’re wondering if gold is a good investment, this comprehensive guide will explain how to invest in physical gold, gold mining stocks, gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs and mutual funds and gold individual retirement accounts (IRAs). We survey the advantages and disadvantages of each, and you’ll gain insight into gold prices and how to choose an appropriate investment strategy tailored to your needs. What is the best way to invest in gold? There are several ways you can invest in gold, each of which has advantages and disadvantages. It is crucial to carefully evaluate your investment goals before determining which option is best for you. Factors like your timeline until retirement, anticipated income needs (keeping in mind that gold typically does not generate income until you sell it) and your overall risk tolerance should be considered. Also, be mindful that investing in gold is typically not a good short-term strategy as the precious metal performs best in a portfolio when it is held as a long-term investment. Investing in physical gold Physical gold includes anything from gold bullion — investment-quality gold with a purity of 99.5% (995) in the shape of bars, ingots, coins or rounds — to jewelry and other collectibles. There are many reputable dealers, custodians and depositories that can help you purchase the physical gold assets and securely store it. To learn more about reputable sellers, read our guide to the best online gold dealers. One advantage to investing in pure gold is that there’s robust global demand and transparent pricing. The spot price of gold is the current price at which gold trades internationally, making it easy for investors to know how much their gold is worth in real time. Furthermore, if you’re not interested in paying recurring fees for custodians and depositories, owning physical gold comes with the option of securing it yourself, thereby allowing you to hold the asset in your hands and even trade it face to face, which is appealing to some investors. On the other hand, purchasing physical gold has its risks and drawbacks. For one, verifying the purity of the precious metal can be difficult, so it’s crucial to ensure you buy from reputable dealers, whether you’re purchasing coins or jewelry in person or via an online metals broker. Additionally, you may have to pay other fees like transaction, processing, insurance and storage costs, which could reduce your overall return on investment. Read our comprehensive guide on how to buy gold to learn more. If you’d prefer investing in gold through securities — rather than owning the physical metal itself — the following section discusses the various ways investors can add gold to their investment portfolios. Investing in gold stocks Stocks of companies focused on mining gold or licensing the rights to the gold at a mining site are another option for investors who want to invest in the precious metal without buying physical assets. These stocks include shares of companies that extract gold through mining — senior miners (well-established companies) or junior miners (startups) — or that finance gold production and/or secure the rights to gold at a mining site (gold streaming companies). Although these companies should theoretically benefit from an increase in gold prices, some are better positioned to take advantage of higher prices, while others may weather downturns in gold prices more effectively. However, gold mining stocks experience greater volatility than physical assets; therefore, investing in gold stocks can make your portfolio subject to significant price fluctuations. Additionally, unlike physical gold, which always retains some level of value, there’s a non-zero possibility that an investment in a gold mining company could become worthless if the company goes bankrupt or its mine ceases production. The latter is a valid concern as gold is a finite resource and peak gold — the date at which maximum gold extraction has occurred — is a future reality. Pros and cons of investing in gold mining stocks Pros Some pay dividends, which you can’t earn with physical gold. Some brokerages and investment apps make fractional shares available to customers. The price appreciation of shares can be considerably higher than that of the underlying metal. Cons The price of gold stocks tend to be more volatile than gold itself. Stock prices are susceptible to factors outside of the price of gold, like management decisions and broad market trends. Shares of junior gold mining companies may not provide high liquidity. Ways to invest in gold stocks Buying gold stocks is relatively simple and can be done via a brokerage account with an online broker or an investment app. Once you add funds to your account, you can pick a gold mining stock and place a limit or market order. Some of the major gold companies include: Barrick Gold Corp. (GOLD) Newmont Corp. (NEM) Newcrest Mining Ltd. (NCM) Kinross Gold Corp. (K.TO) B2Gold Corp. (BTO.TO) AngloGold Ashanti Ltd. (AU) Karora Resources Inc. (KRR.TO) Sibanye-Stillwater Ltd. (SBSW) Dundee Precious Metals Inc. (DPM.TO) It’s important to conduct thorough research by looking into each company’s financial strengths and weaknesses, and understanding the potential risks of investing in any particular gold stock before purchasing shares. Investing in gold ETFs and mutual funds For investors who don’t feel comfortable picking individual stocks, gold ETFs and mutual funds provide a way to invest in the gold with greater diversification than you could get by investing in individual gold stocks or by owning the