Moneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below.

It wasn’t from the Fed’s podium or a formal press briefing. Instead, it was in front of a group of Harvard undergraduates that Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell delivered a market-moving message.

Powell visited Harvard University on Monday, spending about an hour speaking to students in an introductory macroeconomics class.

Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how

New 2026 IRA rules are here. See how to protect your nest egg from inflation before the next tax deadline with physical gold. Get your free guide from Priority Gold

Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake — here’s what it is and the simple steps to fix it ASAP

Amid escalating geopolitical tensions and rising oil prices, markets had been on edge over the Fed’s next move. After all, $4 gas has been making headlines and reigniting inflation fears. Would the central bank raise rates to tame a potential surge in inflation?

On that front, Powell offered a simple take: “We do think our policy is in a good place for us to wait and see (1).”

The reasoning behind that wait-and-see approach, according to Powell, comes down to the lag in monetary policy.

“By the time the effects of a tightening in monetary policy take effect, the oil price shock is probably long gone and you're weighing on the economy at a time when it's not appropriate,” he explained.

Powell, whose term as Fed chair ends in mid-May, also pointed to another key factor: inflation expectations.

“Inflation expectations do appear to be well anchored beyond the short term, but nonetheless, it's something we will eventually maybe face the question of what to do here,” he said.

“We’re not really facing it yet, because we don’t know what the economic effects will be, but we’ll certainly be mindful of that broader context when we make that decision.”

The Fed kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 3.50%–3.75% at its March meeting. But Powell’s remarks injected a fresh dose of reassurance into markets.

According to CNBC, at the end of last week, markets were pricing in better than a 50% chance of a quarter-point rate hike amid expectations the Fed would respond to rising energy costs (2). By the time Powell left the Harvard stage, that probability had dropped to just 2.2%.

Stocks have also rebounded, with the S&P 500 gaining 3.2% and the Nasdaq Composite up 4.1% so far this week.

If the Fed is in no rush to raise rates, that could provide a supportive backdrop for investors. Here are a few ways to take advantage.

Read More: I’m almost 50 years old and don’t have retirement savings. Is it too late?

The U.S. stock market has long been a powerful engine of wealth creation — a point that investing legend Warren Buffett frequently emphasizes.

As he wrote in 2017, “American business — and consequently a basket of stocks — is virtually certain to be worth far more in the years ahead (3).”

And crucially, investors don’t need to be expert stock pickers to participate.

“In my view, for most people, the best thing to do is own the S&P 500 index fund,” Buffett has famously stated (4). This approach gives investors exposure to 500 of America’s largest companies across a wide range of industries, providing instant diversification without the need for constant monitoring or active trading.

The beauty of this approach is its accessibility — anyone, regardless of wealth, can take advantage of it. Even small amounts can grow over time with tools like Acorns, a popular app that automatically invests your spare change.

Signing up for Acorns takes just minutes: Link your cards and Acorns will round up each purchase to the nearest dollar, investing the difference — your spare change — into a diversified portfolio.

With Acorns, you can invest in an S&P 500 ETF with as little as $5 — and, if you sign up today with a recurring investment, Acorns will add a $20 bonus to help you begin your investment journey.

For investors interested in individual stocks, research tools like Moby can come in handy. Their team of former hedge fund analysts does the heavy lifting — breaking down the market, flagging quality stocks and making the research easy to digest.

In fact, across nearly 400 stock picks over the past four years, Moby’s recommendations have beaten the S&P 500 by almost 12% on average. Their research keeps you up-to-the-minute on market shifts and takes the guesswork out of choosing investments.

Plus, their reports are easy to understand for beginners, so you can become a smarter investor in just five minutes.

Beyond stocks, real estate has long been another cornerstone of wealth-building in America — and a Fed that’s in no rush to raise rates could provide a tailwind.

In fact, Buffett often points to real estate when explaining what a productive, income-generating asset looks like. In 2022, Buffett stated that if you offered him “1% of all the apartment houses in the country” for $25 billion, he would “write you a check” (5).

Why? Because regardless of what’s happening in the broader economy, people still need a place to live and apartments can consistently produce rent money.

Real estate also offers a built-in hedge against inflation. When inflation rises, property values often increase as well, reflecting the higher costs of materials, labor and land. At the same time, rental income tends to go up, providing landlords with a revenue stream that adjusts with inflation.

Of course, you don’t need $25 billion — or even to buy a single property outright — to invest in real estate. Mogul, a crowdfunding platform, offers an easier way to get exposure to this income-generating asset class.

The real estate investment platform offers fractional ownership in blue-chip rental properties, which gives investors monthly rental income, real-time appreciation and tax benefits — without the need for a hefty down payment or 3 a.m. tenant calls.

Founded by former Goldman Sachs real estate investors, the team hand-picks the top 1% of single-family rental homes nationwide for you. In other words, you gain access to institutional-quality offerings for a fraction of the usual cost.

Each property undergoes a rigorous vetting process, requiring a minimum 12% return even in downside scenarios. Across the board, the platform features an average annual IRR of 18.8%. Offerings often sell out in under three hours, with investments typically ranging between $15,000 and $40,000 per property.

You can sign up for an account and then browse available properties here.

Another option is Lightstone DIRECT, which offers accredited investors access to institutional-quality multifamily and industrial real estate — with a minimum investment of $100,000.

Founded in 1986 by David Lichtenstein, Lightstone Group is one of the largest privately held real estate investment firms in the U.S., with more than $12 billion in assets under management.

Over nearly four decades, their team has delivered strong, risk-adjusted performance across multiple market cycles — including a 27.6% historical net IRR and a 2.54x historical net equity multiple on realized investments since 2004.

With Lightstone DIRECT, you gain access to the same multifamily and industrial deals Lightstone pursues with its own capital.

Here’s the kicker: Lightstone 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.

Of course, if the Fed’s wait-and-see approach doesn’t go as planned, the outlook could shift quickly.

Inflation has cooled from its recent highs, but it hasn’t fully returned to the Fed’s 2% target — and energy prices remain a key wildcard. If price pressures reaccelerate or persist longer than expected, investors could once again find themselves playing defense.

That’s where gold comes in.

When it comes to preserving wealth and fighting inflation, few assets have stood the test of time like gold. Its appeal is simple: Unlike fiat currencies, the yellow metal can’t be printed at will by central banks.

Gold is also considered the ultimate safe haven. It’s not tied to any one country, currency or economy and in times of economic turmoil or geopolitical uncertainty, investors often flock to it — driving prices higher.

Ray Dalio, founder of the world’s largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, told CNBC last year: “People don't have, typically, an adequate amount of gold in their portfolio,” adding, “When bad times come, gold is a very effective diversifier (6).”

Despite a recent pullback, gold prices have surged by more than 40% over the last 12 months.

Other prominent voices see further potential. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon recently said that in this environment, gold can “easily” rise to $10,000 an ounce (7).

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

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

When you make a qualifying purchase with Priority Gold, you can receive up to $10,000 in precious metals for free.

Most Americans earn a dismal 0.39% APY on their cash at big banks. Unlock 4.05% APY and pay $0 in account fees instead with a Wealthfront Cash Account

Vanguard reveals what could be coming for U.S. stocks, and it’s raising alarm bells for retirees. Here’s why and how to protect yourself

Robert Kiyosaki begs investors not to miss this ‘explosion’ — says this 1 asset will surge 400% in a year

Taxes are going to change for retirees under Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ — here are 4 reasons you can’t afford to waste time

Join 250,000+ readers and get Moneywise’s best stories and exclusive interviews first — clear insights curated and delivered weekly. Subscribe now.

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

CNBC Television (1); CNBC (2, 4, 5, 6); Berkshire Hathaway (3) Moneywise (7)

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