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For years, some of the most lucrative corners of the investment world were effectively off-limits to ordinary Americans.

But according to best-selling author and motivational speaker Tony Robbins, that long-standing divide may soon be starting to close.

In a recent appearance on The Iced Coffee Hour podcast, Robbins pointed to a recently passed House bill that he says could open the door to investing strategies once reserved for the country’s “very wealthy.”

“Did you see what they passed in Congress two days ago? It’s really important,” Robbins said (1), referring to the Incentivizing New Ventures and Economic Strength Through Capital Formation (INVEST) Act, which passed the House of Representatives in December 2025 (2).

One of the most consequential changes, Robbins argued, involves who is allowed to invest in private markets.

“It used to have a minimum net worth you have to have, or a minimum income,” he said (1). “They just changed the rules … all you have to do is take a test.”

Under current securities laws, access to many private investments is limited to accredited investors — a designation that generally requires a net worth of at least $1 million (excluding primary residence) or annual income above $200,000 for individuals, or $300,000 for couples (3).

Those thresholds have historically restricted participation in private equity, venture capital and other alternative investments to institutions and high-net-worth households.

The INVEST Act includes a provision titled “Equal opportunity for all investors,” which aims to update that framework.

Instead of qualifying solely through wealth or income, the bill would allow investors to become accredited by passing an exam approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission — potentially expanding access to millions of Americans.

Why does Robbins see access to private markets as such a big deal? Long-term returns.

“Up until now, let’s say you put money in the S&P 500 … So over the last 36 years, it’s had about a 9.5% return [annually] over time. If you had $1 million you put aside and you wake up 36 years later, it’s $26 million,” he said (1).

“Private equity has compounded … basic private equity, like not the great ones, 15.5% — so almost 50% faster per year. What does that mean? Same $1 million. Instead of being worth $26 million, it’s worth $142 million”

Robbins did not cite sources for those return figures, but some research suggests that over the long haul, private equity has outpaced the S&P 500 — albeit with lower liquidity (4).

Ultimately, Robbins applauded the broader idea behind the change, arguing that allowing more Americans to invest in private businesses helps level the playing field.

“I’d prefer to focus on what people can take advantage of if they really want to grow at the same rate as anybody else who’s very wealthy,” he said (1).

“Because the wealthy have had that exclusively for them. You couldn’t get in it before — but that’s changing. And I think that’s one of the good things that Congress is doing.”

To be sure, nothing is set in stone yet.

The INVEST Act still needs to clear the Senate and it remains unclear when a vote will take place — or whether lawmakers will approve the bill in its current form.

Still, Robbins emphasized a broader point that resonates regardless of the bill’s final outcome: Public markets show just one side of how wealth is created. Many of today’s biggest and most successful companies remain privately held for years, growing behind the scenes and building incredible value long before the IPO bell is rung.

Venture capital is where the early bets on future giants are placed. But, for decades, venture capital has been one of the few remaining tables in finance where retail investors can’t get a seat.

Fundrise finally disrupted that dynamic a few years ago by launching a venture capital product with two goals. One: Build a portfolio of the most valuable private tech companies in the world. Two: Make it available to as many people as possible, with investments starting at just $10.

Today, Fundrise manages billions of dollars in private market assets and their venture capital product is designed specifically for investors who want to get in early on transformative technologies like AI.

Check out their venture portfolio today and start investing in minutes.

Read More: Approaching retirement with no savings? Don’t panic, you’re not alone. Here are 6 easy ways you can catch up (and fast)

To explain his investing philosophy, Robbins recalled a conversation he once had with Ray Dalio, founder of the world’s largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates.

Robbins said he asked Dalio a simple question: What’s the single most important investment principle you could teach another human being?

“Tony, you have to understand all investing is risk-reward,” Dalio replied. “So the more you can reduce your risk but have upside reward, the better it is. But there’s only one way to do that consistently without luck.”

Dalio’s answer, Robbins said, was what he calls the “holy grail” of investing: diversification across truly uncorrelated assets.

“If you have eight to 12 uncorrelated investments … you reduce your risk 80% and you gently increase your upside. There’s no loss on your upside,” Robbins recalled Dalio saying.

The idea resonated enough that Robbins eventually decided to write a book centered on that principle. Still, he acknowledged that putting it into practice has become more challenging over time, because “many things are aligned across markets today.”

The good news? Dalio has continued to emphasize the importance of one particular diversifier in building a resilient portfolio — an asset that still stands out: gold.

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

Long viewed 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.

Over the past 12 months, gold prices have surged by more than 60%.

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

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

To learn more, you can get a free information guide that includes details on how to get up to $20,000 in free metals on qualifying purchases.

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 over the long term.

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 (5).

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.

We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.

The Iced Coffee Hour (1); Congress (2); U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (3); McKinsey & Company (4); Christie’s (5)

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.