Gold’s latest price jumps show that interest in it has grown a lot in the past few years, which makes sense. With tariffs on the horizon, changing global politics, and worries that inflation could rise, the economy is unclear and many people are looking for safe havens—investments that will protect their wealth even though markets are always changing.

But how much gold should you really buy to feel safe and secure? Also, should you put money into investments all at once or over the course of a year? The exact amount you should put in depends on your goals and how much risk you are willing to take. However, there are some general rules you should follow. We’ll look at what experts say about how much gold you should buy below.

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How much gold should I buy every year?

Start by figuring out how much risk you are willing to take. Think about how afraid of taking risks you are. Buying more gold might be the best thing to do if you’re afraid about big market drops and want to be extra careful. You can get by with less if you’re ready to take on more risk in other parts of your assets.

A financial planner at True North Advisors named Steve Wlibourn says, “Hold between 5% and 20% if you are more risk-averse or the markets are more volatile.” When it comes to growth, he says, “Hold somewhere between 5% and 20%.”

An awful lot of experts say that gold should make up between 5 and 10% of your whole wealth. This is what it should be limited to overall, instead of getting an extra 5 to 10 percent every year.

Ask yourself this question before you invest: Would you want to put more than 5% of your total assets into gold if the price wasn’t going up the way it has been going up lately?” asks Steven Conners, founder and president of Conners Wealth Management. “If you still would want to add it to your portfolio, perhaps you can have a higher allocation.”

Don’t put too much money into the product, though, because it can be hard to store, cost a lot (you might need insurance), and cause other problems.

Stephan Shipe, a flat-fee financial and investment manager at Scholar Financial Advising, says that allocations materially above 10% start to lose the benefits of diversification. This is because gold doesn’t produce cash flow, so a heavy weight can slow long-term growth and raise opportunity costs. “Large positions can also create liquidity and storage and insurance headaches.”

Today, put the right amount of gold into an investment.

Keep an eye on the market
The best way to reach your goal is to buy it slowly, over a year or several more years. First, Shipe says, “Gold’s price can be volatile, so overbuying at one time creates risk that you buy at a high point.”

You can also keep an eye on the market and plan your purchases more carefully when you buy things slowly.

“Watching trends over longer periods of time will help you understand the factors that contribute to the rise and fall of the gold price,” he says. Interest rates and changes in market instability due to events in other parts of the world are often signs that it’s time to buy. When equities are running, gold will have a tendency to fall in price,” he says.

Look out for rising prices and a dollar that is losing value. These are both possible signs that you should buy more gold.

“Increase buys when real rates are negative, the dollar weakens, or expected inflation or geopolitical stress rises,” Shipe adds. “Trim when those pressures ease.”

Every year, check your assets.
The market changes all the time, and so does the value of your cash and investments. Because of this, experts say you should at least check on your gold holdings once a year.

“Rebalancing and evaluating your asset mix at least annually is recommended,” he says. And purchasing gold on a regular basis should be a plan to keep your diversification in check with your time horizon and goals.”

When you buy gold, Shipe says you should think of it as a “rebalancing exercise.”

Buy enough ounces to lift gold back to your chosen percentage whenever market moves drag it below the band,” he adds. “This keeps the position size aligned with your overall risk profile and liquidity needs.”