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The U.S. dollar has fallen roughly 10% against major global currencies since Donald Trump returned to office, marking one of the steepest six-month declines in over 50 years (1).

Economist and research fellow of the American Institute for Economic Research, Thomas Savidge, told ABC News, "It's kind of a hidden tax. What your dollar is going to be able to buy is going to shrink."

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It's no surprise that life is getting more expensive in America, and the impacts have already been felt in meaningful ways across the country, from grocery bills to travel costs.

A weaker dollar makes imports more expensive, which pushes up the prices of everything imported. Food, fuel and so on. This compounds with affordability issues that've already been felt, such as the inflationary effects of rising oil costs.

The greenback has fallen in recent history as well, with a "strange sell-off" that saw the U.S. dollar drop by 9% at the beginning of 2025 (2). The drops could be particularly harmful to investors, especially those whose assets are tied to the dollar's value (3).

First and foremost, imported goods will become more expensive for American consumers and businesses. That will directly contribute to higher prices and inflation.

This could benefit domestic products by making foreign imports less competitive, but it will also raise costs for consumers traveling abroad and for companies that rely on raw materials or components (4).

Additionally, for Americans traveling overseas, money won't stretch as far. With the dollar down as much as 10% to 17% against the Euro or the Swiss Franc, travelers in those regions will feel the pinch in their wallets.

But the impacts don't stop at vacations.

Many everyday goods, like coffee, will rise in price. Coffee alone jumped nearly 19% (5) over the past year, as reported by ABC News, with currency fluctuations and supply pressures contributing to the increase.

But for certain businesses, a weak dollar can have some benefits.

For larger multinational companies, overseas earnings become more valuable when converted back into U.S. currency — companies like Coca-Cola and Philip Morris have already pointed to "favorable currency" impacts (6).

That said, not all businesses are multinational. Smaller, domestically-focused businesses are going to feel this as a squeeze, especially if they need to import goods for their products.

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Some economists believe the dollar decline is permanent. Harvard economist Kenneth Rogoff argues that the currency has been on a prolonged "bull run" and could fall further over the next several years — potentially by another 15%.

If that plays out, Americans could face a prolonged period where their money is steadily losing purchasing power.

So how do you protect yourself from the fall of the greenback?

If the dollar continues to lose ground, simply holding cash or assets tied to its value could weaken your purchasing power. That's why some investors look beyond traditional portfolios to assets that can hedge against currency value drops.

Here are some alternative assets to consider instead.

Gold can enhance portfolio stability primarily through low correlation with traditional assets like stocks and bonds, so it behaves a bit differently during market volatility.

A study by Flexible Plan Investments even found that adding just 5% allocation to gold improved risk-adjusted returns in a traditional 60/40 portfolio, resulting in lower volatility over 3-, 5- and 10–year periods (7).

One way to get gold exposure while also reaping tax benefits is through a gold IRA with Priority Gold.

Gold IRAs allow investors to hold physical gold or gold-related assets within a retirement account, combining the tax advantages of an IRA with the potential stability of precious metals.

For those concerned about long-term currency weakness or economic uncertainty, it can be one way to diversify retirement savings beyond traditional assets.

To learn more, you can request a free information guide that also outlines how qualifying purchases get up to $10,000 in free silver.

While gold is often seen as a way to preserve wealth during periods of currency weakness, it doesn't generate income. That's why some investors also look to real estate — an asset class that can offer both potential appreciation and steady cash flow.

Real estate even outperformed the S&P 500 over a 25-year period, particularly in the commercial sector (8) — with annualized returns of 10.3%.

You can tap into this market by investing in shares of vacation homes or rental properties through Arrived.

Backed by world-class investors, including Jeff Bezos, Arrived allows you to invest in shares of vacation and rental properties, earning a passive income stream without the extra work that comes with being a landlord of your own rental property.

To get started, simply browse through their selection of vetted properties, each picked for their potential appreciation and income generation. Once you choose a property, you can start investing with as little as $100 and potentially earn monthly dividends.

For investors who want to go beyond entry-level real estate and tap into more curated opportunities, there are also platforms focused on higher-end rental properties.

Rental real estate has long been a cornerstone of wealth-building portfolios, accounting for a significant share of holdings among high-net-worth investors. But the time, capital and operational demands of owning property outright have traditionally kept many on the sidelines.

That's where mogul comes in.

Founded by former Goldman Sachs real estate professionals, mogul focuses on the top tier of single-family rental properties across the U.S., selecting roughly the top 1% of opportunities. The goal is to provide access to institutional-quality real estate at a fraction of the typical cost.

Each property undergoes a rigorous vetting process to target strong returns, even in more conservative scenarios.

The platform reports average annual IRRs of 18.8%, with cash-on-cash yields typically ranging between 10% and 12%. Offerings often sell out in under three hours, with investments typically ranging between $15,000 and $40,000 per property.

For those looking to take a more hands-off approach, getting started is relatively straightforward. Investors can browse available properties, complete verification, and begin building a real estate position in just a few steps.

Unlike equities or fixed income, blue-chip artwork tends to derive its value from scarcity and demand, not currency strength.

According to Artprice, an international database of art valuations, blue chip art has delivered an annual return of 8.9% over the past 20 years (9).

One approach gaining traction combines blue-chip art with other scarce assets, such as gold and bitcoin — categories that have historically moved independent of equities and, in many cases, of one another.

Platforms like Masterworks are helping make that kind of exposure more accessible, offering investors a way to tap into museum-quality artwork alongside other uncorrelated assets.

The goal is to build a more balanced, "all-weather" portfolio. In fact, this type of model would have outperformed the S&P 500 by 3.1x from 2017 to 2025, according to backtested data.*

By blending assets with different drivers of return, the strategy aims to enhance diversification while still pursuing meaningful appreciation.

If you're looking to go beyond traditional investments, you can explore how this approach may help strengthen your portfolio for the years ahead.

*Investing involves risk. Past performance is not indicative of future returns. The 3.1x figure reflects a model backtest, not actual fund performance.

And if you want to take diversification one step further, you could consider crypto. While it is more volatile than traditional assets, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin have delivered long-term returns — Bitcoin's annualized return has averaged 170% over the past decade, despite multiple major drawdowns (10).

With Kraken, buying and trading cryptocurrencies is relatively easy, whether on a desktop or through a mobile app.

You can invest in 600+ cryptocurrencies*, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP and more, or set up recurring buys to invest automatically. There's also the option to add price conditions, allowing trades to execute only when the market hits a target level.

Kraken also offers guides on popular coins, helping you understand what you're buying and how to navigate the process from start to finish. And if you have questions, 24/7 support is available via live chat, phone or email.

For those who want greater control, Kraken PRO offers a more advanced trading experience.

Designed for active traders, it features a highly customizable interface with real-time market data, advanced tools and detailed order types like stop-loss and take-profit to help manage trades more precisely.

You can also trade across spot, margin and derivatives markets, monitor performance in one unified portfolio and tailor your dashboard with multiple data widgets to suit your strategy.

Opening an account is quick, with a simple sign-up, verification, and short investor profile to get started.

** Not investment advice. Crypto trading involves risk of loss. View legal disclosures at kraken.com/legal/disclosures. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of Kraken or its management.*

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We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our ethics and guidelines.

ABC News (1); Associated Press (2); U.S. Bank (3); Ripple Treasury (4); TikTok (5); Philip Morris International (6); Proactive Advisor Magazine (7); Investopedia (8); Maddox Gallery (9); CoinLedger (10)

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.