When we sat down with Paul Andre Huet, CEO of America’s Gold and Silver, for our latest Payne Points of Wealth episode, one theme became clear:

The demand story for silver is evolving and expanding.

Let’s break it down in simple terms.

1. Electrification of the Economy

Silver is one of the best electrical conductors in the world.

That makes it critical for:

• electric vehicles
• charging infrastructure
• transmission systems

As more of the global economy moves from fossil fuels to electricity, the need for efficient conductive materials rises, and silver plays a central role.

2. Electronics & Connectivity

Virtually every modern electronic device contains silver:

• smartphones
• laptops
• semiconductors
• circuit boards

As the world becomes more connected, the baseline demand here isn’t shrinking, it’s steadily expanding.

3. Solar Energy

Solar panels use silver in their photovoltaic cells.

Every installation: from residential rooftops to utility-scale solar farms requires it.

As countries continue:

• reducing carbon emissions
• investing in renewable energy
• building out grid capacity

Silver demand increases alongside that transition.

4. Automotive (Beyond EVs)

Even traditional vehicles rely on silver in:

• electronics
• safety systems
• sensors

Modern cars, especially higher-end models are increasingly electronic systems on wheels.

The Supply Reality

While use cases are expanding, supply isn’t as flexible.

• Many silver mines don’t produce silver as their primary output
• Production is often tied to other metals like copper or lead
• Opening new mines takes years, often a decade or more

This creates a dynamic where:

• demand can rise quickly
• supply responds slowly

That imbalance tends to matter over time.

Where Investors Often Get It Wrong

Investors tend to focus on what’s obvious.

Today, that means:

• The Magnificent Seven: Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta and Tesla
• Widely discussed semiconductor stocks
• Big IPOs like SpaceX, OpenAI & Anthropic

But in markets, leadership rotates.

Yesterday’s winners aren’t usually tomorrow’s leaders.

Most of the best opportunities don’t come from chasing what’s already worked, but where the underlying drivers are changing.

Silver may be one of those areas.

Not because of a single headline. But because of a broad, overlapping set of use cases that continue to grow.

A Financial Planning Perspective

Now, this is where discipline becomes important.

A compelling story does not automatically mean it should be in a portfolio.

When we think about building a portfolio, we’re NOT asking: “Is this interesting?”

We’re asking:

• Do I have all my bases covered when building a diversified allocation?
• If commodities like silver rise, does my portfolio benefit?
• How can owning different asset classes in my portfolio reduce volatility?
• Does my portfolio align with my long-term financial goals?

Because a stand-alone commodity like silver can:

• be cyclical
• experience sharp price swings
• move on sentiment as much as fundamentals

Instead, owing a diversified basket of commodities that includes silver, can potentially lower overall portfolio risk, not increase it

The Bigger Takeaway

One of the most valuable insights from our conversation wasn’t about predicting silver prices.

It was about something more fundamental:

where demand is quietly growing in the real economy.

We’re seeing:

• more electrification
• more energy transformation
• more connectivity
• more industrial complexity

And silver sits at the intersection of all of it.

Final Thought

Over the long term, markets rarely reward investors for buying what’s hot today, they reward allocating capital to sectors and asset classes before they become widely popular among investors.

Right now, silver is becoming more embedded in how the world operates:

• how we produce energy
• how we move
• how we communicate
• how we build

That doesn’t mean it’s definitely going higher. And it doesn’t replace the need for a diversified, disciplined plan.

But it does mean it’s worth paying attention to.

If you haven’t yet, we encourage you to listen to Episode 245 of Payne Points of Wealth, it’s a great discussion on how evolving real-world demand, operational execution, and long-term investing intersect.

There’s a massive story unfolding right now that almost nobody is talking about, and it has nothing to do with AI stocks, semiconductors, or the Magnificent 7. It’s about the raw materials underneath everything. In our latest episode of Payne Points of Wealth, I sat down with Gary Evans, CEO of United States Antimony Corporation (NYSE: UAMY) and what he laid out feels like a throwback to the early days of the shale revolution… but this time, it’s critical minerals. And the numbers are almost hard to believe. Gary walks through how his company acquired a tungsten asset for roughly $5 million… that today could be worth over $9 billion based on current resource estimates and pricing. That’s not a typo. What makes the story even more compelling isn’t just the valuation, it’s the timeline. This isn’t a “maybe in 10 years” type of project. He believes it could be generating cash flow within the next 12–18 months. At a time when investors are focused almost exclusively on AI, this is a reminder that there’s an entire layer of the global economy that actually enables that growth. Because without critical minerals like antimony and tungsten… AI infrastructure doesn’t get built. The Bigger Story: A Supply Chain Reset Right now, China dominates roughly 90% of the world’s refining capacity for critical minerals. That’s not just an economic issue; it’s a national security issue. And the U.S. government knows it. Gary’s company recently secured a $240 million government contract and is rapidly expanding its domestic refining capabilities in Montana. The goal? Rebuild supply chains that have been hollowed out for decades. What’s striking is the speed. The U.S. mining industry has been dormant for 20–30 years, and yet companies like Gary’s are trying to compress what historically took decades into just a couple of years. By 2027–2028, he believes his company alone could supply up to 50% of the U.S. antimony market. If that happens, it will represent a dramatic shift away from foreign dependence and a massive tailwind for the companies positioned correctly. Not Just a Mining Story One of the most interesting parts of our conversation was how technology is starting to reshape even the most “old economy” industries. Gary is now using AI to analyze decades worth of geological data—compressing what used to take years of exploration into a matter of weeks. Think about that for a second. AI isn’t just driving the companies at the top of the market, it’s unlocking value in industries most investors have completely ignored. And in Gary’s words, it’s turning assets that are effectively worth zero on the balance sheet into something potentially worth millions. What This Means for Investors We spend a lot of time talking about diversification, and moments like this are a great reminder of what that really means. It’s not just owning more stocks. It’s understanding where the next wave of opportunity might come from and more importantly, where the market isn’t looking right now. Because while everyone is focused on the software layer of the economy… There is an entire hard asset, supply chain, and industrial renaissance happening underneath the surface. And it’s moving fast. If you want to better understand one of the most overlooked opportunities in today’s market—and how it connects to everything from national security to AI infrastructure, I highly recommend listening to this conversation.

What does it really take to rise from humble beginnings to representing some of the wealthiest buyers and sellers in the world?

In Episode 242 of Payne Points of Wealth, Ryan and Chris sit down with Noble Black, one of the nation’s top real estate professionals as recognized by The Wall Street Journal, to unpack his journey from small-town Mississippi to dominating New York City’s ultra-luxury real estate market.

Noble shares:

• How his upbringing shaped his perspective on money, success, and happiness
• The bold career pivot from corporate law to high-stakes real estate
• What truly separates top performers in a brutally competitive industry
• The psychology of working with ultra-high-net-worth clients
• Why listening—not selling—is the ultimate competitive advantage
• The truth about NYC real estate vs. the media narrative
• The hidden forces driving prices higher (despite rising rates)
• How politics, taxes, and supply shortages could shape the future of the market

Plus, Noble pulls back the curtain on:

• The surprising habits of billionaires
• What luxury buyers actually value (hint: not always what you think)
• Why reality TV has distorted the real estate profession

This is a masterclass in sales, strategy, and understanding human behavior at the highest levels.

In Episode 241 of Payne Points of Wealth, Ryan, Chris, and Bob Payne sit down with Ashley Davis, partner at S‑3 Group and former White House insider, to unpack a remarkable career at the highest levels of government.

Ashley shares how she went from a young staffer to employee #1 of the White House Office of Homeland Security in the wake of 9/11, offering a firsthand account of that pivotal day, the chaos that followed, and the creation of one of the most important agencies in modern U.S. history.

From the inner workings of the West Wing to today’s political climate, Ashley delivers candid insights on leadership, policy, polarization, and what it really takes to navigate Washington. This is a powerful conversation about resilience, decision-making under pressure, and the lessons that still apply far beyond politics.

What do discipline, delayed gratification, and a few well-worn undershirts have to do with success?

This week on Payne Points of Wealth, Ryan and Chris Payne sit down with Todd Piro, co-host of FOX & Friends First, for a real conversation about his journey growing up in New Jersey to national television.

Todd shares how his upbringing shaped his mindset around money and life, growing up in a household that valued function over flash. His parents instilled a simple but powerful philosophy: buy things for a purpose, not for appearances. It’s a mindset Todd still lives by today (yes, right down to hanging onto the same undershirts for years).

But Todd’s perspective goes beyond money. He reflects on one of his core beliefs: treating everyone equally, regardless of title or position. Whether it’s someone behind the scenes or at the top of the organization, Todd credits this approach as a guiding principle in both his career and personal life.

The conversation traces Todd’s impressive path:

• High school valedictorian
• Dartmouth College
• Law school
• A leap into uncertainty as a local TV reporter in California
• And ultimately, landing on one of the biggest stages in media as a FOX News anchor

Along the way, Ryan, Chris, and Todd dive into:

• How early financial habits shape long-term success
• The difference between looking wealthy vs. building wealth
• The advantages of discipline and consistency
• Having the courage to take risks and bet on your future

This episode is packed with insights on resilience, humility, and staying grounded, even when your career takes off!

If you’ve ever wondered what it really takes to go from ordinary beginnings to extraordinary success, without losing your values, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

What if the next global power struggle isn’t about oil—but about the elements inside your smartphone, electric vehicle, and AI infrastructure?

In this episode, we sit down with Barbara Humpton, CEO of USA Rare Earth, former CEO of Siemens USA, to break down one of the most overlooked—and critical—battles shaping the global economy.

We dive into:

• Why rare earth elements are the backbone of AI, clean energy, and defense
• How China came to dominate the supply chain—and why the U.S. is scrambling to catch up
• The massive push to rebuild domestic production, including a $1.6B U.S. government investment
• What “super magnets” are—and why they power everything from EVs to jet engines
• How USA Rare Earth plans to go from startup to strategic powerhouse by 2028
• Why this is one of the most bipartisan—and urgent—issues in Washington today

Barbara also shares her personal journey from leading global industrial giants to tackling what she calls “the business issue of our moment.”

Bottom line: This isn’t just a mining story, it’s a national security story, an AI story, and a once-in-a-generation investment theme.

In this episode of Payne Points of Wealth, we sit down with veteran journalist Justin Baer, Deputy Markets Editor for The Wall Street Journal and author of the new book House of Fidelity: The Rise of the Johnson Dynasty and the Company That Changed American Investing.

Justin takes us deep inside the remarkable, largely private story of Fidelity Investments — from its origins in 1940s Boston to becoming a financial giant serving nearly one in five American adults. We explore the Johnson family’s three‑generation leadership, the cultural tension between active stock pickers and passive investing, and how Fidelity quietly reinvented itself through retirement plans, brokerage platforms, and advisor custody while the rest of Wall Street was focused elsewhere.

We discuss:

• Why Fidelity missed (and later adapted to) the indexing and ETF revolutions
• How the 401(k), brokerage, and custody businesses became Fidelity’s true growth engines
• The contrasting leadership styles of Ted Johnson, Ned Johnson, and Abigail Johnson
• Cultural clashes, succession battles, and pivotal moments inside a private financial empire
• What Fidelity’s story reveals about family businesses, long‑term thinking, and organic growth

This conversation is part financial history, part business strategy, and part leadership study, essential listening for investors, advisors, and anyone interested in how American investing really evolved.

Plus: Justin shares the album that changed his worldview — and why Talking Heads still matter.