In 2026, as gold prices continue to rise, many investors struggle between chasing gains and waiting. However, Nguyen Van Tuan, an ordinary white-collar worker in Hanoi, Vietnam, turned his monthly savings of 5,000 RMB (about 17 million VND) into gold assets worth over one million RMB in just three years using a seemingly simple gold DCA strategy. His story may offer a replicable path to wealth for ordinary salary earners.
Starting Gold DCA from Scratch
Nguyen Van Tuan is an IT engineer at a tech company in Hanoi. He started investing only in 2023. At that time, gold prices were at historic highs, so he dared not buy in a lump sum and chose DCA - investing 1,000 RMB monthly in gold ETFs. In the first six months, gold prices fluctuated downward, and his DCA account once lost 10%. But Tuan persisted and, when gold prices fell below $1,800 per ounce in early 2024, he added extra funds.
"I thought, since I'm bullish on the long-term trend, short-term declines are opportunities to accumulate shares," Tuan recalled. This contrarian courage allowed him to catch the gold price rebound in the second half of 2024. By 2025, his DCA account had doubled. In 2026, as international gold prices exceeded $3,000 per ounce, his total gold assets surpassed one million RMB.
Core Practical Strategy: Regular Fixed Amount + Buying Dips
Tuan's strategy is not mysterious; the key lies in discipline and market rhythm. He mainly uses the following methods:
- Regular Fixed Amount: Invest 1,000 RMB monthly in gold ETFs without fail, regardless of market ups and downs. This strategy effectively smooths the cost base and avoids timing issues.
- Buying Dips: Whenever gold prices drop more than 5%, he invests extra funds. He set up a "reserve account" specifically for such opportunities. Over the past three years, he successfully captured three declines of over 10%, significantly lowering his average cost.
- Portfolio Allocation: Besides gold ETFs, he allocates 30% of funds to physical gold bars as family reserves. Physical gold bars have no premium and are easy to liquidate, suitable for long-term holding. The combination ensures liquidity while preserving hard-asset value.
Mental Game and Risk Control
DCA may seem simple, but the biggest enemy in execution is one's own emotions. Tuan shares three insights:
- Ignore Short-Term Fluctuations: He never checks gold prices daily, only on the monthly DCA date. This avoids emotional decisions. When gold prices plunged 4% in a single day in March 2024, he did not panic but increased positions the next day.
- Set Profit Targets: He set a 15% annual return target. Once achieved, he partially redeems profits and reinvests into the reserve fund. When gold surged in 2025, he sold 20% of his holdings in batches, successfully locking in profits.
- Insist on Diversification: Although gold has a high proportion, he holds a small amount of bonds and cash to ensure liquidity in extreme markets. He recommends gold DCA not exceed 40% of personal investable assets.
Industry Expert Comment: DCA Suits Most Investors
Gold analyst Le Thi Phuong said in an interview that Tuan's case is very representative. Against the long-term bullish backdrop for gold, DCA is a low-risk, high-probability strategy. She points out: "The biggest problem for ordinary investors is chasing highs and selling lows. DCA forces you to go against the crowd. As long as global inflationary pressures persist and geopolitical turmoil continues, gold's safe-haven demand will not disappear. DCA can smooth risk and enjoy compounding effects."
She also reminds that DCA is not guaranteed profits. Gold prices may also experience prolonged declines in certain periods, such as the bear market of 2013-2015. Therefore, DCA requires a sufficiently long investment horizon (usually over 5 years) and low-cost instruments like gold ETFs or bank accumulation gold to avoid high fees eating into profits.
How to Start Your Gold DCA?
If you also want to accumulate gold assets starting from a monthly salary of 5,000 RMB like Tuan, here are the steps:
- Step 1: Open a gold account. You can choose domestic bank accumulation gold services or open a securities account to trade gold ETFs (e.g., ticker GLD). Vietnamese investors can buy gold trust products through local brokers or banks.
- Step 2: Set a monthly DCA amount. It is recommended to start with 10%-20% of your salary. For a monthly salary of 5,000 RMB, invest 500-1,000 RMB each month.
- Step 3: Set up automatic deduction. Schedule a fixed monthly date with your bank or broker for automatic purchase to avoid forgetfulness and emotional interference.
- Step 4: Build a reserve fund for additional buying. Prepare an extra pool of liquid savings (e.g., 3 months' salary). Whenever gold prices drop more than 5% in a single month, use this money to increase positions.
- Step 5: Persist for at least three years. Review once at the end of each year and adjust the DCA amount and allocation ratio.
Conclusion
Gold DCA is not a magic trick for getting rich overnight, but a marathon of accumulating small amounts. Tuan's success comes not from precise predictions, but from simple, repeated correct actions. In an era full of uncertainty, perhaps this "slow" strategy is the one that can truly help you beat inflation and preserve wealth. If you also want to embark on a gold investment journey, why not start next month by setting aside a small portion of your salary to begin your gold DCA journey.
