Earn Your Leisure: "Where Will Gold & Silver Peak in 2026?"

Podcast: Earn Your Leisure
Hosts: Rashad Bilal & Troy Millings (iHeartPodcasts)
Date: January 20, 2026
Episode Theme:
A sharp, insightful conversation about where gold and silver prices could peak by 2026, set against the backdrop of global economic uncertainty, U.S. debt, geopolitical tensions, and evolving market trends.

Overview of the Episode

In this episode, the Earn Your Leisure team unpacks the dramatic rise in gold and silver prices, sharing both economic analysis and big-picture commentary. They discuss historical precedents, analyst predictions, the impact of U.S. fiscal policy, the weakening dollar, and the increasing appeal of precious metals and other "store of value" assets. The conversation ties market trends to political leadership, the state of American brands, and the broader implications for investors.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Historical Context and Current Surge in Precious Metals

• Past precedents: Gold and silver last ran in tandem during the periods before COVID, the European debt crisis, and the 2008 crash.
  • ["The last time gold and silver went up this much in tandem was pre-Covid, the European debt crisis, and the 2008 crash." — Financial Commentator, 04:57]
• Recent demand: An unprecedented number of conversations around gold and silver indicate heightened investor anxiety.

2. 2026 Peak Price Predictions for Gold & Silver

• Range of projections:
  • Worst-case scenario for gold is $5,480 per ounce; analyst consensus averages closely at $4,800–$5,000 by Q4 2026.
    • ["JP Morgan has it at $5,000/ounce by Q4 of ’26. HSBC has it at $5,000. Morgan Stanley has $4,800. The average price is $4,800." — Tara Davis Woodhull, 06:53]
  • For silver, estimates range up to $153 or $105.47 per ounce.
  • The rise is attributed to economic instability, geopolitical threats, and loss of faith in U.S. leadership.

3. What Drives and Stops the Rally?

• Drivers:
  • Weakening U.S. dollar
  • Persistent geopolitical tensions (Greenland, Iran, etc.)
    • ["A weaker dollar, geopolitical tension. And it looks like we're headed into more uncertainty..." — Tara Davis Woodhull, 06:41]
  • Growing distrust in the American economic system and leadership.
• Possible brakes:
  • Only a reduction in economic and geopolitical threats, better leadership, or stabilization in the dollar.

4. Comparisons to Other Cycles and Assets

• Crossover with Crypto:
  • The crypto market is also reflecting the same stresses seen in gold and silver.
  • ["...it's also reflected in the crypto market." — Financial Commentator, 05:23]
• Memory lane: Robert Kiyosaki’s early advocacy for silver in 2005 is acknowledged as prescient, underlining the market’s long-term evolution.
  • ["Last time I was talking about silver ... it was $12." — Tara Davis Woodhull, 07:38]

5. Economic Realities vs. Market Performance

• Divergence between perception and reality:
  • Tech stocks have become more concentrated; only Nvidia and Google of the "Magnificent 7" performed well last year.
  • Many companies languish below their 200- or 400-day moving averages, signaling market fragility despite pockets of growth.

6. Debt, Dollar Weakness, and Policy

• Ever-growing U.S. debt:
  • The rate of American debt accumulation, especially under Trump, is historic and directly weakens the dollar.
    • ["In the first 10 months of Donald Trump’s presidency, he added $4 trillion to the debt." — Economic Analyst, 13:14]
  • Predictions that more deficit spending and military outlays under current leadership will drive further precious metals gains.

7. Political Leadership & Future Instability

• Trump’s influence and instability:
  • Spending patterns, international relations (especially the "Greenland situation"), and erratic leadership are spotlighted as risk factors.
  • ["This Greenland situation is going to be a humiliating defeat for him ... just very unhinged, uncouth behavior." — Economic Analyst, 17:14]
• Impact on American brands:
  • Key brands like Netflix, Meta, Microsoft, Starbucks, and Nike are faltering—a sign of wider economic malaise.
    • ["All in this tenure ... Netflix is down 34%, Meta down 22%, Microsoft is down 17%." — Financial Commentator, 18:48]

8. Investment Outlook and Alternative Assets

• Gold and silver as primary “store of value” assets.
• Bitcoin: Predicted as the next domino to fall upward in price as gold and silver run.
  • ["...it’s just a matter of time before bitcoin ... has to follow suit at some point." — Economic Analyst, 20:03]
• Platinum and rare earths: Briefly mentioned as new areas for growth and exploration.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I don’t know about you guys but I’ve never had these many conversations about gold and silver as we’ve had the past six months.”
  — Financial Commentator, 05:12

• “The average price is $4,800. All right, so there’s still some growth.”
  — Tara Davis Woodhull, 06:53

• “A weaker dollar, geopolitical tension … Those are the conditions when you see commodities rise.”
  — Tara Davis Woodhull, 06:41

• “If you look at spending across the board in budgets for the first quarter… things are not going as well as people suspect.”
  — Financial Commentator, 06:12

• “Only two of the Max 7 outperformed the S&P last year … they really have consolidated whether it was Microsoft.”
  — Tara Davis Woodhull, 07:45

• “As long as the national debt keeps growing, then [gold] really has no other option [but to rise].”
  — Economic Analyst, 13:08

• “Trump, only thing he knows how to do is spend money. He did that the last time he was in office … gold is going to continue to go up.”
  — Economic Analyst, 14:51

• "I prefer my presidential leadership to not act like King Von and Dirk personally. Yeah. But this is like, this is too much."
  — Financial Commentator, 18:48

• “We used to be a proper country. But ... If this erratic behavior continues, gold will continue to go up.”
  — Economic Analyst, 19:48, 20:03

Important Timestamps

• Historical Context and Peak Drivers: [04:46–06:37]
• Predictions and Analyst Consensus: [06:41–07:45]
• Current Market Consolidation & Tech Insights: [12:36–13:05]
• Debt, Policy & Dollar Weakness: [13:05–15:45]
• Banking System Vulnerabilities: [15:50–16:13]
• Bitcoin’s Future: [16:13–16:50], [20:03]
• Trump & Geopolitical Risks: [16:50–18:48]
• State of U.S. Brands and Equity Markets: [18:48–19:28]
• Investment Implications for Listeners: [20:03–20:23]
• Tease for Next Week on Rare Earth Metals: [20:23–20:33]

Conclusion

Tone of the Conversation:
Conversational, candid, sometimes irreverent, blending financial analysis with real-world skepticism and humor.

For Listeners:
The episode offers actionable takeaways for investors—expect further precious metals growth, heed the signals from currency and debt markets, and don’t be distracted by pockets of equity strength in a structurally fragile environment.

Final Thought:
Gold and silver’s bull run is positioned as both symptom and symbol of systemic risk. With continued uncertainty in both geopolitics and leadership, and with U.S. debt surging, the hosts see little to slow the climb of “store of value” assets in the coming 18–24 months.
Keep an eye on platinum, rare earths, and especially on what comes next for bitcoin.

This summary covers core themes, forecasts, and notable moments for anyone who missed the episode and wants to understand the economic case for gold and silver in 2026.