Realcent.org

everything wrote:Over time gold will more or less follow inflation, gold earns it's keep, always has. A readily available cash reserve is a must, also comes in handy for those dips in metal prices, then you can just replenish it again.

To expand on this slightly (though with nothing that hasn't been said here before) - gold keeps pace with *real*inflation, not the bogus number manipulated by the government to minimize expenses and justify policies. So, on average, it can be relied on to backstop a retirement in a high inflation market (that doesn't mean care isn't required or that you shouldn't remain diversified).

Also, in the manipulated markets we've got now (markets as a whole are being manipulating in one form or another - or perhaps many ways - even if we don't know or agree precisely how) if you are buying the dips only, converting FRNs to gold, then you are - in effect - getting an investment return out of an asset that under normal conditions (all of history up to 1933) really shouldn't be able to be considered an investment, because you can now buy below the average, while converting a risky asset (fiat paper) to hard currency. (To do this, obviously some judgement and ability to read a trend chart is required to make sure you aren't buying during a "high" period.)

SO back to the "Gold as an emergency fund?"

Yes, I have done it...specifically 2004 when I was out of money from my wife's cancer treatments. I had bought a half dozen oz's of gold just before Y2K...that stuff was cheap then. 4.5 years later I need the cash to pay for living expenses....liquidated just like that....at a handsome increase in value I will add!

Yes, it works...I have the three metals again in my emergency fund along with some cash.

fasteddy wrote:SO back to the "Gold as an emergency fund?"

Yes, I have done it...specifically 2004 when I was out of money from my wife's cancer treatments. I had bought a half dozen oz's of gold just before Y2K...that stuff was cheap then. 4.5 years later I need the cash to pay for living expenses....liquidated just like that....at a handsome increase in value I will add!

Thx for that real world story fasteddy. Glad it worked out for you.

Yes, it works...I have the three metals again in my emergency fund along with some cash.

I'm planning on doing the same.