April 15 Is Coming…

source: giphy

Tax season is almost over. April 15 is nine days away.

And right now, two things are happening at the same time …

First: Americans are getting bigger refunds than last year — up 10.2% ▲, averaging $3,804 — and quietly pouring that money into retirement accounts at record rates.

IRA contributions are up 30% compared to this time last year.

And the generation leading the charge? Gen Z. The same generation accused of spending their savings on iced coffee and “situationships” is now outcontributing Gen X and Boomers on retirement savings.

(Take a moment. Let that sink in.)

Second: Gold — the asset that’s supposed to go vertical during a Middle East war, an oil shock, and the worst inflation scare since 2022 — is actually down 12% ▼ since the conflict started.

A war broke out. Inflation is running hot. And the “safe haven” asset is having its worst month since 2008.

Both of these things are true at the same time. Both are genuinely surprising. And they’re connected in a way that’s worth understanding before April 15 comes and goes.

Here’s the story ⇩

SPONSOR BREAK presented by AmericanAlternativeAssets* 

Here’s what’s sitting on the books right now: the U.S. holds 8,133 metric tons of gold valued at $42.22 per ounce — a price set in 1973. At today’s market price, that’s a $1.59 trillion gap between the government’s ledger and reality.

Think about that. Every retirement account in America is priced against a dollar that pretends gold is worth $42. When that fiction breaks, the adjustment won’t be gradual.

Show me how to position my retirement before this triggers →

$3,800. And Gen Z is putting it to work.

According to the IRS, the average tax refund this year is $3,804 — a 10.2% jump from the same point last year.

Over $109 billion has already been refunded.

The reason: the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, passed in July 2025, introduced a wave of new deductions — tips, overtime, car loan interest, bigger standard deductions for seniors, a higher child tax credit cap.

And a lot of people have more money coming back than they expected.

Here’s the interesting part: a significant chunk of it is going straight into retirement accounts.

According to Fidelity, IRA contributions are up 30% since January compared to the same period last year. That’s a striking number. But the really surprising part is who’s driving it.

Gen Z accounts for 34% of total IRA contributions at Fidelity so far this year. Boomers? Just 4%.

Read that again. The generation that supposedly doesn’t think about the future is currently out-contributing the retirement generation on retirement accounts. By a lot.

One quick reminder: April 15 is the deadline for a 2025 IRA contribution.
That’s $7,000 if you’re under 50, $8,000 if you’re not. Nine days, lower tax bill.

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Mark this date: May 29th, 2026.

While the media is distracted by the latest headlines out of Iran, a 90-year-old federal law is quietly closing a trap on Wall Street’s biggest bullion banks.

For 55 years, they’ve sold “paper gold” they didn’t actually have.

But on May 29th, the legal “First Notice” deadline hits.

It’s the moment of truth where paper promises must turn into physical bars—bars that the London and Shanghai vaults simply do not have.

When the “Paper Leash” snaps, gold won’t just move… it will teleport.

I’ve identified one “Shadow Miner” sitting on a “King’s Vault” of physical metal that could surge 1,000% as the paper market defaults.

See the 90-year-old law and the ticker symbol here >>>

“The Buck Stops Here,”

Dylan Jovine, CEO & Founder
Behind the Markets

P.S. This isn’t just an exchange rule—it’s federal law. 7 U.S.C. § 13(a)(2) carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison for price manipulation. On May 29th, the bankers have to choose: deliver the physical gold they promised, or admit the vaults are empty.Click here to see the “Shadow Miner” ticker that wins either way. >>
 

The Check-the-Box Problem

You contribute. You feel good. You close the app.

And the money sits there. In cash. In a money market fund. Doing approximately nothing.

Vanguard did the research on this and found that a significant chunk of IRA contributions stay parked in cash long after the contribution is made — sometimes for months.

People separate the “contributing” decision from the “investing” decision.

It’s like packing your gym bag, driving to the gym, sitting in the parking lot, and then driving home.

Meanwhile, something bigger is developing. ⇩

Tomorrow Night.

President Trump’s deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz expires tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET.

Iran’s response? They want a permanent end to the war, sanctions lifted, and reconstruction funding. Not exactly a quick handshake deal.

So what’s the market doing with all of this? ⇩

→ Gold sitting at $4,655 an ounce — down 12% ▼ since the war began in late February

→ CPI data drops this week, with economists forecasting a 1% jump for March — the biggest one-month move since 2022

→ Wells Fargo just scrapped its forecast for two Fed cuts in 2026. Now they expect zero. 

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$2 Gold Stock With Major Discovery

A tiny $2 stock…
Quietly controls the largest gold deposit in the entire world…

Worth almost $1 TRILLION in total…

And I believe on April 15, they’re preparing to announce this historic discovery to the world.

Once that happens, the sky is the limit for early investors who get in now.
Click here to see everything you need to know.

Why Is Gold Down If There’s a War?

Fair question. Shouldn’t war = gold goes up?

Usually, yes. But this war came with a twist.

source: Bloomberg

The Strait of Hormuz closure spiked oil prices. → Spiked oil prices stoked inflation fears.→ Inflation fears pushed the Fed to hold rates higher for longer. → And higher rates make gold less attractive — it pays no interest, so when your money market fund is yielding 4%+, why hold a shiny rock?

On top of that, when markets panic, investors sell everything — including gold — to cover losses elsewhere.

The result: gold is down 12% from where it started when the war began. Down more than 10% in March alone — its worst month since 2008.

Normally inflation is good for gold. But this inflation is being driven by an oil shock and not a structural debasement of the dollar.

→ Markets are treating it as something that ends when the Strait reopens, not something that requires a permanent inflation hedge.

!!! CPI data drops this Friday. Economists are forecasting a 1% monthly increase — the sharpest single-month jump since 2022.
The war has added over $1 per gallon to gas prices. That number is going to get attention.

If it comes in hotter than expected, gold could move.

SPONSOR BREAK presented by StansberryResearch* 

Elon Musk Just Did Something He’s Never Done Before
This February, Elon spent millions to send a message to 125 million Americans. Most people ignored it. But Wall Street veteran Whitney Tilson couldn’t stop thinking about it, and says what Elon was really saying explains everything about what’s unfolding in America’s economy right now.
He’s sharing his full analysis, free, here.

Watch Friday.

Two of the smartest banks on Wall Street looked at gold and gave wildly different answers.

→ Goldman Sachs still has a year-end target of $5,400 on gold.
→ JPMorgan sees a range of $4,000–$6,300.

That $2,300 range is just Wall Street’s polite way of saying “we have absolutely no idea.” Watch Friday.

!!! Not financial advice. The stocks mentioned are for educational purposes only. Do your own research before making investment decisions, please check the disclaimer below.

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