The Stacking Benjamins Show — “Gold Prices Hit All-Time Highs (What's That Mean To Us?)” SB1747

Date: October 13, 2025
Hosts: Joe Saul-Sehy, OG, and Doug
Podcast Description: The Stacking Benjamins Show is known for its light, approachable, and humorous take on personal finance, breaking down serious financial news and trends for everyday listeners around "Joe's Mom's Basement" card table.

Episode Overview

In this lively episode, the team tackles the headline-grabbing surge in gold prices, exploring what it means for everyday investors and whether gold—or any “safe haven”—deserves a big spot in your portfolio. With the Wall Street Journal reporting gold hitting $4,000/oz for the first time, Joe, OG, and Doug debate the reality and relevance of gold as an investment, safe havens in volatile markets, the seductive danger of reactionary investing, and what actually works for long-term financial stability.

Expect spirited takes, pointed trivia, a lottery-winner tax lesson, practical investing insight, and the ever-present SB humor and camaraderie.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Gold’s Historic Surge — Investment or Distraction?

[08:05]

• Joe opens with the Wall Street Journal headline: "Gold surpassed $4,000 an ounce for the first time in history, signaling an investor rush into alternative assets at a time of concern about the U.S. economy and its place in the world."
• The team notes gold has doubled in less than a year, far outpacing historical surges, including those during past crises and the inflation shock of 1979.
• OG’s immediate reaction: “Who cares?” [09:39]
  • OG singles out gold as a non-producing, non-compounding asset: "A lump of metal that doesn't do anything ever, ever... it never does a thing."
  • He relates Warren Buffett’s classic take: Had Buffett put $10,000 in gold at the end of WWII, it would be worth ~$1.2 million today. If instead invested in the S&P 500, it would be about $100 million.
• Notable Quote (OG, 13:58):

  “Your $10,000 invested in the greatest, most well capitalized companies… has grown to be worth $100 million. Or it’s grown to be worth a million dollars [in gold]. Which one of these two is going to be a better return over inflation?”

• The hosts highlight that the S&P’s self-cleaning, compounding nature outpaces gold massively over time—even accounting for inflation.
• Joe cites CFTC warnings: “Gold is no safe investment. The truth is, gold and other precious metals are highly volatile and past performance is not a good predictor of future returns.” [21:50]

2. Safe Havens — Misconceptions and Market Timing

[10:00–12:00; 34:38]

• The narrative that gold is a “safe haven” during uncertain times is examined—and debunked.
• OG: The stock market is near all-time highs; panic-driven moves to "safety" are overblown. The real safe haven is sticking with great companies.
• Joe underscores that, per research and government data, gold’s volatility exceeds that of stocks (8x higher on a daily basis).
  • “If I’m worried about the stock market, why am I jumping into something that’s eight times more volatile?” [22:11]
• They warn listeners about the ever-present doom-and-gloom crowd:
  • Reference to Robert Kiyosaki’s many failed crash calls, reminding listeners that following fear-mongers can cost big gains.

3. What Actually Works: Diversification, Asset Allocation & Staying the Course

[34:38; 48:21]

• The hosts review advice from AdvisorPedia on managing volatility and stress-test its recommendations:
  • Diversification: OG and Joe emphasize its value—not for absolute stability, but for smoothing the ride and rebalancing effectively.
    • “Diversification allows you to get the entire return of the world just in a random order.” [36:08]
  • Asset Allocation: It should be based strictly on your personal goals—not market swings or feelings.
    • OG objects to adjusting allocation based on market conditions: “Why would you change your allocation during market conditions?... That’s just asking for it.” [42:55]
  • Rebalancing: Should be done to stay aligned with your goals, not as market timing.
    • Joe explains: “Rebalancing doesn’t mean going to gold. It just means keeping your same stuff but changing the allocations.” [47:06]
  • Dollar-Cost Averaging & Emotional Control: Automatic contributions and “stay the course” behavior are key for most investors.
    • OG: "Why would you try to guess which days to put money in? Just take it out of your paycheck the same two times a month like you do everything else." [48:11]
• Both hosts roundly mock advice that encourages portfolio shifts into gold or defensive assets during uncertainty.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• OG on Gold vs. Stocks (Buffet Parable):

  "So your $10,000 invested [in the S&P] is $100 million vs. $1 million in gold. ... Why would you want to just keep up with inflation? ... Your whole life has proven that's not the way to do it." [14:04]

• Joe on Media Fearmongering:

  "There’s so many people that profit off the doom and gloom. I got a piece here from the Motley Fool: Rich Dad, Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki predicts a stock market crash. ... He’s called 28 of the last two downturns." [23:12]

• OG on Alternative Assets:

  "Alternative investments, while they sound enticing, for the vast majority … it’s more the liquidity. … There’s plenty of people who’ve been wildly successful with real estate, but it’s illiquid." [37:32]

• On Rebalancing:

  "Rebalancing means keeping your same stuff you were using but changing the allocations ... It can smooth out the bumps in the road a little bit." [47:06]

• On Market Timing:

  "You don’t know that you’re in a bear market until you’re in the bear market … we won’t know until a year down the road and go, remember October 15th? That was a good day." (OG, [44:51])

• Summary, OG:

  "All of today [about gold] is … Who cares?" [50:31]

Special Segments

TikTok Minute: The Lottery Winner Dilemma

[51:41]

• Featuring lottery lawyer/CPA on lump-sum jackpots.
  • Advice: Take the lump sum (instead of annuity). Careful with advisors who pitch annuities or mutual funds—they can be tax-inefficient.
  • After-tax, a hypothetical $605 million win nets about $160 million.
  • Lawyer says: Invest for ~3.5% tax-free income, “a little over $5 million you can use and live off of” without touching principal.
  • OG objects: If you’ve done the hard work to amass wealth, don’t just let it sit in munis for tax reasons; aim for growth and be willing to pay a little tax.
    • "Wouldn't you rather make $16 million and pay a little tax, than $5 million tax-free and never have it grow?" [55:06]
  • Joe: Be cautious with annuities—good for the advisor, not for investors. Average listeners still need their money to grow.

Math Story: From Stacker Gene

[60:01]

• Retired math teacher Gene uses permutations at Olive Garden to win a pasta pass; illustrates to students how real-life math can yield tangible rewards (and free food).
  • Joe: “How about being able to brag about that with your class?”

Additional Fun & Listener Engagement

• Doug’s trivia is unusually macabre, referencing the “Alive” plane crash movie and cannibal survival (as an HR hazard).
• Light-hearted asides include Kroger self checkout rants, the merits/drawbacks of real estate, and poking fun at “the two millionaires’ secrets.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Gold Surges and OG’s Rant: [08:05 – 18:58]
• Gold vs. Stocks (Buffett story): [11:28 – 14:26]
• Historical returns: gold, CPI, S&P: [15:00 – 16:33]
• Volatility and safe havens debunked: [21:50 – 22:11]
• Doom-and-gloom predictions & reality: [23:12 – 24:00]
• What to do instead: Diversification & asset allocation: [34:38 – 38:49]
• Advice review: Why you shouldn't adjust for the market: [41:44 – 43:51]
• Correct rebalancing explained: [46:45 – 47:06]
• Dollar cost averaging & emotion management: [48:11 – 48:21]
• Lottery lawyer TikTok, OG/JOE reactions: [51:41 – 57:44]
• Listener Math Story – Olive Garden: [60:01 – 62:36]
• Classic SB close and laughter: [63:26–END]

Episode Takeaways

• Gold’s surge is headline fodder, not a call to action. Its long-term returns pale beside equities and don’t outpace inflation meaningfully.
• Beware advice urging dramatic portfolio changes for “safety”—especially moving to gold or “defensive assets.” Portfolio stability comes from broad diversification and sticking to a plan.
• Embrace asset allocation aligned with your goals. Avoid attempts to time the market or chase past performance, no matter how compelling the headline.
• Stay the course: Use dollar cost averaging, rebalance for your goals, and resist emotional decisions during volatility.
• Skeptical about gold, annuities, and doom-mongering headlines? Good. Your wealth will thank you.

The Stacking Benjamins Tone: Fun, Relatable, Unfiltered

With their signature blend of wisdom and wit—“Who cares?” (OG), “I don't get it” (Joe), plus Doug’s offbeat trivia and lawyer jokes—the team makes the week’s hottest finance topic feel approachable, and sometimes, downright silly.

For listeners: If you’re worried about market volatility and lured by headlines about gold (or other “safe havens”), this episode offers clarity, a bit of tough love, and some real laughs. Keep stacking—just not gold bars.