With the world continuing to deal with an array of troubling economic and geopolitical issues, experts continue pointing to Gold’s tremendous upside potential. Many, in fact, predict that in the not so distant future, the precious metal could skyrocket to as much as $3,000-$5,000 an ounce. From the declining dollar to the spectres of inflation and bank failures, many wise people are deciding to protect their money by moving up tp 30% of their assets into Gold. Below are some of the major factors currently influencing the Gold Market.

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  THE DECLINE OF THE U.S. DOLLAR

  
  Traditionally, Gold and the U.S. dollar move in opposite directions. While the U.S. dollar has hit a number of record lows against other world currencies, Gold has continued climbing toward new record-high prices. With some experts concerned that the dollar could lose more of its value in the not so distant future, many are moving money into the safe-haven of Gold.
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  GOLD OUTPERFORMS STOCKS

  
  While the Dow, NASDAQ and S&P 500 are all down since January 2000, Gold has risen in value by as much as 321%. Consider that if in January 2000 you had bought $50,000 worth of Gold, by December 2009 that wise purchase would have become worth as much as a whopping $210,500!
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  HOUSING MARKET DISASTER

  
  The collapse of the subprime lending industry has now created the worst downturn in the U.S. housing market in many years. With foreclosures already hitting record highs this year, experts are voicing concern that the housing crisis may continue to have serious effects on other sectors of the economy.
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  WORRIES OVER INFLATION

  
  The Federal Reserve has battled the effects of the credit crisis by lowering interest rates and injecting dollars into the financial system, but those practices can also serve to spur inflation. When prices rise many people seek the refuge in Gold as a trusted inflation hedge.
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  BANK FAILURES

  
  The 2008-2009 failures of many financial institutions have rocked the banking industry. At the same time, it is reported the FDIC has many additional banks on its “problem” list. With this kind of uncertainty looming, many people are transferring a portion of their assets into U.S. Gov’t Gold.
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  THREATS OF TERRORISM

  
  The events of September 11, 2001 caused the longest stock market closure since The Great Depression. In the aftermath, The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by $1.2 trillion, its largest one-week margin in history. Another attack could have a similar effect and send Gold prices racing upward.
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  CONFLICT WITH IRAN

  
  As the world’s fourth largest producer of oil, Iran’s escalating nuclear ambitions continue to have a negative affect on world financial markets. Many worry that a clash between Iran and the U.S. would drive oil prices to record highs, which, in turn, could potentially send Gold skyrocketing.
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  WAR IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN

  
  Conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost U.S. taxpayers hundreds of billion dollars. With the U.S. economy already burdened with a national debt of more than $12 trillion, many people are deciding that the safest place for their money is in Gold.
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  GOLD SUPPLIES DRYING UP

  
  With demand for Gold reaching record numbers, experts are warning that, in as little as a decade, the world supply of mined Gold could completely dry up. If that prediction were to come true, the price of Gold could explode to a price in the thousands of dollars per ounce range.
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  EXPERTS PREDICT $3,000-$5,000/oz.

  
  While no one can predict with absolute accuracy whether a Gold Coin’s future value will go up or down, troubling economic and world conditions have many experts pointing to Gold’s tremendous upside potential and the possibility of it reaching as high as $3,000-$5,000/oz. in the future.