Gold’s outperformed most major assets since the U.S Federal Reserve last month raised interest rates -- even bitcoin.

The combination of fundamental, technical and geopolitical factors is converging in 2018 in a way we have not seen since the late 1970s. The new bull market in gold will be even more powerful than the 1971–1980 bull market and the 1999–2011 bull market.

Many investors in gold say the price of the precious metal is artificially curbed because of the paper gold trading on Western exchanges.

In this list you will find the many time-tested reasons (along with several new ones) why 2018 is the time to add gold bullion, or add more of it, to your holdings.

As predicted by virtually everybody, even itself, the United States Federal Reserve lifted its benchmark interest rate by 0.25 to a maximum 1.5% at its December meeting.

That's right: as of this moment it is official that bitcoin is now the biggest bubble in history, having surpassed the Tulip Mania of 1634-1637.