After decades working with investors, David Moore, co-founder of IRA Advantage, has learned that value becomes much easier to understand when you can hold it in your hand. One example he often comes back to is a gold bar his father received in the 1960s. At the time, the bar was believed to have been part of the gold held at Fort Knox, and it had a printed value of only a few hundred dollars.
That same bar weighs a little over fourteen ounces today, and its value now sits in a completely different range.
The gold did not change. The measuring stick did.
What Time Does to Tangible Assets
When David ran the numbers on that gold bar, it became clear how differently tangible assets behave over long stretches of time compared to paper value. A bar once labeled at roughly five hundred dollars would now be worth tens of thousands, landing north of sixty thousand depending on pricing.
Nothing fancy happened along the way. There was no strategy, no leverage, and no attempt to outsmart the market. The result came from owning something real and letting time work on it.
That is a pattern David has seen repeatedly. Real assets tend to do their job quietly, without requiring constant attention or decision-making, while paper value shifts as systems, currencies, and priorities change.
Why Silver Keeps Showing Up
Gold is not the only metal David pays attention to. Silver continues to matter because it serves a practical purpose in today’s economy, particularly in electronics and advancing technology. As industries push toward faster, smaller, and more efficient systems, silver remains essential to that progress.
That demand helps explain why silver has been enjoying a strong run. David does not view this as speculation. He sees it as the natural outcome of real-world use layered on top of a long history as a store of value.
Metals like gold and silver did not become relevant recently. They have been relied on for centuries because they solve real problems.
Control Is Part of the Appeal
Another thing David often sees investors focus on is control. With structures like a checkbook IRA, investors can have physical custody of certain assets rather than sending money to a distant depository run by people they have never met.
Instead, those assets can be held in a bank or safe deposit box the investor chooses. For many people, that matters because it removes uncertainty. They know where their assets are and how they are being held.
When markets feel unstable or systems feel stretched, that kind of clarity becomes especially important. Investors tend to trust what they can see and verify.
Why “Alternative” Is a Misleading Label
One thing that consistently frustrates David is how assets like real estate and metals are described. They are often labeled as alternative investments, even though they are among the oldest investments in existence.
It is difficult to name investments with longer track records than real estate or precious metals. They have been used across centuries and economic systems, yet the word alternative can make them sound risky or unfamiliar.
To David, that label misses the point. These assets are not on the fringe. They are foundational.
Real Assets Stand on Their Own
From David’s perspective, real estate and metals are not alternatives at all. They are real investments with intrinsic value that does not depend solely on digital records or financial promises.
That does not mean prices never move. Markets always move. What matters is that these assets continue to hold their place over time.
The gold bar story is not about nostalgia. It is a reminder of what happens when value is tied to something tangible and allowed to exist outside short-term thinking.
If you are evaluating how real estate or other tangible assets fit into your financial planning, reach out to IRA Advantage today to speak with an expert who can help you assess your options with clarity and confidence.
The Guys With All The Answers…
David and Thomas Moore, the co-founders of Equity Advantage & IRA Advantage
Whether working through a 1031 Exchange with Equity Advantage, acquiring real estate with an IRA through IRA Advantage or listing investment property through our Post 1031 property listing site, we are here to help Investors get where they want to be. Call them today! 503-635-1031.
