Gold recently surpassed $3,000 an ounce, reflecting accelerating fiat currency devaluation as central banks shift to bullion reserves over bonds. Both gold and silver have outperformed dividend-reinvested stock indices this century, despite financial education largely ignoring precious metals since the 1970s. Rising precious metal prices correlate with concerning US budget deficits, higher interest expenses, and dollar weakness, validating physical bullion as protection against fiscal irresponsibility.