Editorial

In the face of inflation, market volatility and pension uncertainties, it has become strategic for young people to build up their assets. Studies by the AMF and the ACPR show that young people want to invest, but lack a sense of direction and often prefer risky investments, while seeking capital security above all. Precious metals, especially physical gold and silver, offer a complementary alternative: protection of purchasing power, independence from the financial system, simplicity, liquidity and ease of transmission. They provide a stable foundation for the search for higher performance. How do you build a solid, transferable and resilient estate when you're young?

Building wealth when you're young has never been so strategic. Between persistent inflation, volatile financial markets, uncertainties about retirement and growing mistrust of financial institutions, the traditional benchmarks of savings have been turned upside down.

According to several recent studies by the AMF and the ACPR, young working people express both a strong desire to invest and a marked fear of losing their capital, particularly after the episodes of stock market and crypto volatility of recent years.

Against this backdrop, a central question arises: how do you build a solid, transferable and resilient asset base when you're young?

While equities, ETFs and life insurance are often presented as must-have solutions, precious metals, and in particular physical gold and silver, offer a singular approach to wealth management, often underestimated by the younger generation, and yet offering very solid performance potential.

1) Young people and investment: facts and figures

Data published by the AMF and relayed by several survey institutes show a clear shift in the behavior of young investors:

• Over 60% of 18-35 year-olds say they want to invest to prepare for the future, but fewer than 30% feel they have the necessary skills.

A majority prefer investment vehicles perceived as accessible (ETFs, cryptoactives), often without any real vision of their assets.

However, the notion of capital security tops the list of concerns, ahead of the search for performance.

The ACPR also highlights growing concern about the sustainability of pension systems and the ability of traditional savings products to protect purchasing power over the long term.

These factors explain why more and more young people are looking for assets that are tangible, understandable and independent of the financial system.

2) Precious metals vs. equities, ETFs and life insurance: a different logic

The point is not to pit precious metals head-on against other investments, but to understand their specific role.

Equities and ETFs seek performance, but are exposed to volatility and economic cycles.

Life insurance remains an attractive tax and inheritance tool, but is highly dependent on financial markets and interest rates.

Precious metals, on the other hand, do not aim for immediate returns, but for asset stability.

For a young investor, the common mistake is to seek maximum performance too early. Behavioural studies show that early losses often lead to long-term abandonment of the investment.

Gold, on the other hand, provides a secure base from which to take risks elsewhere.

3) Why precious metals meet the wealth needs of young people

Contrary to popular belief, investing in precious metals is not just for the wealthy or older generations. For young investors, physical gold and silver meet several fundamental objectives.

Capital protection first and foremost

Admittedly, gold does not promise an annual return. But it does protect value over time.

Over several decades, it has demonstrated its ability to preserve purchasing power, even in times of inflation or currency crisis.

For a young person, this logic is essential: securing an asset base before seeking performance.

An asset outside the system

Unlike equities, ETFs or life insurance policies, physical gold is not dependent on :

• A financial intermediary,
• an open stock market,
• a bank counterparty.

This independence appeals to a generation marked by financial crises, historic bank failures and mistrust of institutions.

Immediate understanding

A gold bullion bar or coin is a simple asset:

• A weight,
• One metal,
• A universal value.

This clarity contrasts with the growing complexity of many financial products, often misunderstood by novice investors.

4) Gold, silver, platinum: which metals should you choose when you're young?

Gold: the cornerstone

When it comes to wealth management, physical gold is the cornerstone. It offers :

• Global liquidity,
• Universal recognition,
• Controlled volatility over the long term.

Accessible formats (ingots, fractional coins) enable you to invest gradually, without tying up excessive sums.

Silver: complementary leverage

Silver metal is more attractive to young investors, as it is more affordable to buy. It also has a strong industrial dimension, which can amplify its price movements.

In a wealth strategy, silver plays a dynamic diversification role, without replacing gold.

Platinum: a long-term option

Rarer and more cyclical, platinum can complete an allocation, but remains more volatile.

For a young investor, it should remain marginal and integrated only into an advanced diversification logic.

5) A gradual, realistic approach: investing without becoming unbalanced

One of the major obstacles to wealth investing for young people is the fear of "doing it wrong", or of entering the market at the wrong time. Precious metals offer just such a gradual approach.

Invest in stages

Rather than investing a large sum of money, it's better to :

• Invest regularly,
• Smooth out entry prices,
• Build up a stock of assets over time.

This method is particularly suited to young working people, whose savings capacity increases with age.

Allocate a consistent share of assets

AMF reports show that young investors often overexpose their savings to a single type of asset (equities or crypto).

An allocation of 5-15% in precious metals can balance overall risk without blocking the liquidity needed for day-to-day living.

6) An intergenerational and transferable dimension

Another often overlooked advantage of precious metals is their ease of transmission.

Younger generations attach increasing importance to the notion of transferable assets, particularly in a context of tax and inheritance uncertainty.

Physical gold can be passed on simply, kept out of the banking circuit and integrated into a long-term family vision.

Conclusion

Building wealth when you're young doesn't mean making a lot of financial bets, but laying solid foundations. Recent reports from the AMF and the ACPR show a generation that is aware of the risks, but still in search of lasting reference points.

Precious metals offer a wealth management solution that is particularly well-suited to young investors. Physical gold and silver can be used to secure savings, protect against inflation and crises, and build wealth independent of the vagaries of the financial system.

In an uncertain world, starting early with tangible, understandable and universal assets is not a conservative choice: it's a strategic and common-sense one.