The global order is shifting, and according to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the world has entered a fundamentally different geopolitical era — one that will force allies to reassess their roles and priorities.

“The world is changing very fast right in front of us,” Rubio told reporters on Feb. 12, when asked what European leaders were hoping to hear ahead of the Munich Security Conference (1).

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“The old world is gone — frankly, the world that I grew up in — and we live in a new era in geopolitics and it’s going to require all of us to sort of reexamine what that looks like and what our role is going to be.”

Rubio emphasized that the U.S. remains deeply tied to Europe, describing the transatlantic relationship as both strategic and civilizational.

“Europe’s important to us. We’re very tightly linked to Europe,” he added. “I think most people in this country can trace both their cultural or their personal heritage back to Europe.”

At the Munich Security Conference, Rubio expanded on that theme, arguing that the U.S. and Europe are part of “one civilization — Western civilisation” and calling for deeper collaboration to build what he described as a “new Western century (2).”

At the same time, he signaled that Washington does not intend to simply preserve the current geopolitical status quo.

“We in America have no interest in being polite and orderly caretakers of the West’s managed decline,” Rubio said, adding that the U.S. wants to build an alliance “that is not paralyzed into inaction by fear — fear of climate change, fear of war, fear of technology.”

Rubio received a standing ovation after his speech — but some experts quickly urged caution about what his rhetoric really signals.

Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, argued that Rubio’s speech suggests “the US will entirely set the parameters of that partnership and that it will be based on ideas Europe long has abandoned: an embrace of empire and colonization (3).”

Meanwhile, Dutch historian and former E.U. official Luuk van Middelaar described the address as “well-crafted and therefore all the more dangerous for the Europeans, offering a new pact on the basis of a shared civilization, but omitting the Vance part of a year ago, which comes with U.S. alignment with MAGA allies in Europe (4).”

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For investors, Rubio’s message could also be a wake-up call: When global power shifts, it pays to have something solid in your corner.

A time-tested safe haven

With global tensions rising and major powers reassessing their geopolitical ties, investors are turning to assets that can hold up in turbulent times. One that continues to stand out, according to legendary hedge fund manager Ray Dalio, is gold.

“People don’t have, typically, an adequate amount of gold in their portfolio,” Dalio told CNBC last year. “When bad times come, gold is a very effective diversifier.”

Long seen as the ultimate safe haven, gold isn’t tied to any single country, currency or economy. It can’t be printed out of thin air like fiat money and in times of economic turmoil or geopolitical uncertainty, investors tend to pile in — driving up its value.

Despite a recent pullback, gold prices have climbed more than 70% over the past 12 months.

Other prominent voices see further potential.

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon recently said that in this environment, gold can “easily” rise to $10,000 an ounce.

One way to invest in gold that also provides significant tax advantages is to open a gold IRA with the help of Priority Gold.

Gold IRAs allow investors to hold physical gold or gold-related assets within a retirement account, thereby combining the tax advantages of an IRA with the protective benefits of investing in gold, making it an option for those looking to help shield their retirement funds against economic uncertainties.

When you make a qualifying purchase with Priority Gold, you can receive up to $10,000 in precious metals for free.

Read More: I’m almost 50 years old and don’t have retirement savings. Is it too late to catch up?

Read More: Non-millionaires can now invest in this $1B private real estate fund starting at just $10

The asset that made Trump rich

If gold is the common go-to hedge for moments of chaos, real estate is the long game — and no one knows that better than U.S. President Donald Trump himself.

Before politics, Trump made his fortune in real estate — and the asset class remains a powerful tool for building and preserving wealth, especially during inflationary times. That’s because property values and rental income tend to rise along with the cost of living.

Unlike some other investments, real estate doesn’t need a roaring stock market to deliver returns. Even during downturns, high-quality properties can generate rental income — offering a dependable stream of passive cash flow.

As Trump told Steve Forbes back in 2011, “I just notice that when you have that right piece of property, whatever it might be, including location, it tends to work well in good times and in bad times (5).”

Today, you don’t need to buy a property outright to benefit from real estate investing.

Mogul is one option. It’s a real estate investment platform offering fractional ownership in blue-chip rental properties, which gives investors monthly rental income, real-time appreciation and tax benefits — without the need for a hefty down payment or 3 a.m. tenant calls.

Founded by former Goldman Sachs real estate investors, the team hand-picks the top 1% of single-family rental homes nationwide for you. In other words, you gain access to institutional-quality offerings for a fraction of the usual cost.

Each property undergoes a rigorous vetting process, requiring a minimum 12% return even in downside scenarios. Across the board, the platform features an average annual IRR of 18.8%. Offerings often sell out in under three hours, with investments typically ranging between $15,000 and $40,000 per property.

You can sign up for an account and then browse available properties here.

Another option is Lightstone DIRECT, which offers accredited investors access to institutional-quality multifamily and industrial real estate — with a minimum investment of $100,000.

Founded in 1986 by David Lichtenstein, Lightstone Group is one of the largest privately held real estate investment firms in the U.S., with more than $12 billion in assets under management.

Over nearly-four decades, their team has delivered strong, risk-adjusted performance across multiple market cycles — including a 27.6% historical net IRR and a 2.54x historical net equity multiple on realized investments since 2004.

With Lightstone DIRECT, you gain access to the same multifamily and industrial deals Lightstone pursues with its own capital .

Here’s the kicker: Lightstone invests at least 20% of its own capital in every deal — roughly four times the industry average. With skin in the game, the firm ensures its interests are directly aligned with those of its investors.

An overlooked alternative

Prominent investors like Dalio often stress the importance of diversification — and for good reason. Many traditional assets tend to move in tandem, especially during periods of market stress.

That message feels especially relevant today. Nearly 40% of the S&P 500’s weight is concentrated in its ten largest stocks and the index’s CAPE ratio hasn’t been this high since the dot-com boom.

This is where, for many investors, alternative assets come into play. These can include everything from real estate and precious metals to private equity and collectibles.

But there’s one store of value that routinely flies under the radar: It’s scarce by design, coveted worldwide and frequently locked away by institutions.

We’re talking about post-war and contemporary art — a category that has outpaced the S&P 500 with low correlation since 1995.

It’s easy to see why art pieces often fetch new highs at auctions: The supply of the best works of art is limited and many of the most desirable pieces have already been snatched up by museums and collectors. That scarcity can also make art an attractive option for investors looking to diversify and preserve wealth during periods of high inflation.

Until recently, purchasing art has been a domain reserved for the ultra-wealthy — like in 2022, when a collection of art owned by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen sold for $1.5 billion at Christie’s New York, making it the most valuable collection in auction history (6).

Now, Masterworks — a platform for investing in shares of blue-chip artwork by renowned artists, including Pablo Picasso, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Banksy — can help you get started with this asset class. It’s easy to use and, with 25 successful exits to date, Masterworks has distributed more than $65 million in total proceeds (including principal).

Simply browse their impressive portfolio of paintings and choose how many shares you’d like to buy. Masterworks can handle all the details, making high-end art investments both accessible and effortless.

New offerings have sold out in minutes, but you can skip their waitlist here.

Note that past performance is not indicative of future returns. Investing involves risk. See Reg A disclosures at masterworks.com/cd.

Get expert guidance

At the end of the day, everyone’s financial situation is different — from income levels and investment goals to debt obligations and risk tolerance — which means the best move for someone else might not be the best move for you.

If you’re unsure where to start, it might be the right time to get in touch with a financial advisor through Advisor.com.

Advisor.com is an online platform that matches you with vetted financial advisors suited to your unique needs. They can help tailor a strategy to your particular financial situation, whether you’re looking to grow wealth, diversify beyond stocks or plan for long-term financial security.

Once you’re matched with an advisor, you can book a free consultation with no obligation to hire.

Marco Rubio flags ‘managed decline’ in the West, says America will not be ‘paralyzed’ by fear. Protect your wealth now

Marco Rubio flags ‘managed decline’ in the West, says America will not be ‘paralyzed’ by fear. Protect your wealth now

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A time-tested safe haven

The asset that made Trump rich

An overlooked alternative

Get expert guidance

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