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Robert Kiyosaki has made a career out of predicting financial turmoil, but now he’s adding something else to the mix: an accusation.
“We’re being set up,” Kiyosaki said during an appearance on the Minority Mindset podcast (1).
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The Rich Dad Poor Dad author believes the baby boomer generation is on the verge of a retirement crisis fueled by an unconscionable stock market collapse. Although U.S. stocks have surged strongly during President Donald Trump’s second term, they have also been marked by significant turbulence — whether thanks to reciprocal tariffs in 2025 or the Iran War in 2026.
“This is my prediction, okay? It’s not a good prediction. I hope I’m wrong,” Kiyosaki said on the podcast. “They’re going to yank the stock market, and they’re going to crash the stock market. My generation is going to be homeless.”
Kiyosaki didn’t provide evidence for the prediction, nor did he specify how “they” are, but he did argue that many boomers have spent decades accumulating wealth in financial markets. This could leave them vulnerable if stocks experience a severe and prolonged downturn.
“I can see it coming. It’s happened before in history,” he added.
Since then, Kiyosaki has continued to warn of an impending collapse.
“Millions of Boomers may be homeless or moving in with kids and grandkids,” the Rich Dad Poor Dad author wrote in an X post on Sept. 27 (2).
Now, like then, he pointed to the potential collapse of the S&P 500 as a major potential factor for gutting retirement accounts.
While Kiyosaki has issued many such warnings over the years, many haven’t come to pass yet. Nevertheless, he does have a point: Large losses can be much harder for older investors to recover from than they are for younger investors.
Market crashes can be especially painful in retirement
A bear market can permanently impact retirement finances (3). However, workers who are decades away from retirement can often continue investing through market downturns, buying shares at lower prices while waiting for markets to recover.
Retirees don’t have that kind of time.
That’s because those who rely on investment accounts to cover living expenses, like many retirees, may be forced to sell assets after they’ve declined in value.
Financial planners often refer to the danger of poor market performance early in retirement as sequence of returns risk (or just sequence risk), because early withdrawals during a downturn can reduce a portfolio’s ability to recover over time, if it recovers at all (4).
Kiyosaki argues gold belongs in a diversified portfolio
Kiyosaki has consistently encouraged investors to own physical gold and silver, arguing that precious metals can help preserve purchasing power during periods of inflation, economic uncertainty and financial market stress.
In fact, he named Priority Gold as his exclusive precious metals partner (5), largely due to their status as an industry leader in precious metals, offering physical delivery of gold and silver.
If you’d like to convert an existing IRA into a gold IRA, Priority Gold offers 100% free rollover, as well as free shipping and free storage for up to five years. Qualifying purchases can also receive up to $10,000 in free silver.
To learn more about how Priority Gold can help you reduce inflation’s impact on your nest egg, download their free 2026 gold investor bundle.
Keep in mind, gold and silver prices can rise and fall like any other asset, but they can still act as a hedge in your portfolio.
But if you’re not comfortable with the precious yellow metal, gold isn’t the only way to diversify.
Real estate is another route
Real estate has historically followed different market cycles than publicly traded equities, leading some investors to include property investments as part of a diversified portfolio.
Today, platforms allow individuals to invest in professionally managed real estate projects without purchasing or managing an entire property themselves, lowering the barrier to entry for many investors. It’s also a way to introduce some potential income to the equation, further offsetting damage from a volatile market.
Mogul lets you invest in shares of the top 1% single-family rental homes nationwide. This way, you can invest in institutional-quality offerings for a fraction of the usual cost — while receiving monthly rental income, real-time appreciation, and tax benefits.
Each property undergoes a vetting process, requiring a minimum 12% return even in downside scenarios. Across the board, the platform features an average annual IRR of 18.8%. Their cash-on-cash yields, meanwhile, average between 10 to 12% annually. Offerings often sell out in under three hours, with investments typically ranging between $15,000 and $40,000 per property.
Getting started is a quick and easy process. You can sign up for an account and then browse available properties. Once you verify your information with their team, you can invest like a mogul in just a few clicks.
Real estate investing for those with a bigger portfolio
If you’re working with a much bigger portfolio, or you just want to diversify your real estate holdings, you could consider leveraging multifamily real estate investing. In a report prepared by JPMorgan Chase (6), Al Brooks — the firm’s vice chair of Commercial Banking — said, “I think multifamily housing is absolutely where you want to be as an investor.”
Accredited investors can now tap into this opportunity through platforms such as Lightstone DIRECT, which gives accredited investors access to single-asset multifamily and industrial deals.
Lightstone DIRECT lets individual investors tap into the institutional approach of Lightstone, one of the largest privately held real estate investment firms in the U.S., with $12 billion in assets under management.
The platform eliminates middlemen and the extra layers of fees that can add up in traditional real estate investing, usually known as “fee stacking.” This streamlined approach provides more direct access to institutional-quality deals.
Over nearly four decades, Lightstone has delivered strong risk-adjusted performance — including a 27.6% historical net IRR and a 2.54x historical net equity multiple on realized investments since 2004.
Each opportunity requires a $100,000 minimum and undergoes a rigorous review by Lightstone’s principals, including founder David Lichtenstein.
Lightstone also 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.
Future-proof your retirement plan
Whether Kiyosaki’s warning proves accurate or not, market timing is notoriously difficult, even for experienced investors. For ordinary investors, rather than trying to predict the next downturn, you might be better off trying to build a portfolio that can withstand various economic conditions by focusing on diversification, sound risk management and a sustainable withdrawal strategy.
If you’re uncertain where to start, a fiduciary financial advisor can help ensure your retirement plan remains aligned with your goals, risk tolerance and timeline — long before volatility tests your strategy. They can also assist with tax planning and help you optimize for the markets of tomorrow, not just current conditions.
Vanguard research (7) suggests working with a financial advisor can add about 3% in net returns over time, providing investors with more of a cushion against downturns while also helping them manage risk, stay diversified and avoid emotional decisions during periods of market volatility.
This is one reason why working with Advisor.com might be a good idea if you want to truly get ahead.
Advisor.com does the heavy lifting for you, vetting advisors based on track record, client ratios and regulatory background. All you have to do is enter a few details about your finances and goals, and Advisor.com’s AI-powered matching tool will connect you with a qualified expert best suited for your needs based on your unique financial goals and preferences.
Plus, you can schedule a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your retirement goals and long-term financial plan.
Ultimately, whether or not Robert Kiyosaki’s prediction comes true, market downturns are probably inevitable at some point.
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Article Sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our ethics and guidelines.
Minority Mindset Clips/ YouTube (1); @theRealKiyosaki/ X (2); Financial Planning Association (3); Northwestern Mutual (4); Kit Priority Gold (5); JPMorgan Chase (6); Vanguard Canada (7)
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
