[snislarne]

dear kac527 (sorry i misread enkidu as the original poster)

although the advice given by other in this thread has been very sound, i'm not sure how many here are actual financial experts

projectcamelot.org, a sister site to this one, often hosts financial talks with george green, i think this is a great launching off step for you. ( if this name or links are censored, please feel free to private message me for information).

i want to briefly touch on what ewhaz was talking about, independent subsistence. the reality of the situation if/when our banks collapse is hard cash on hand is great and will help your position in barter quite a bit, but it will not guarantee that you eat everyday. briefly consider all the crime in america and from where criminality is rooted - the lack of knowledge of subsistence.

as demonstrated throughout our country, looting and violence is a typical outcome in times of anarchy. would you be able to keep your funds hidden and safe? would you be able to stay in the location where your treasure is stored?

hard cash is typically most useful when being converted to a safer international denominations. i think the issue with this is americans, if an economic crash does occur, will scramble for shelter in other countries ~ and a good portion will be turned away.

if you're talking about a substantial life savings, then yes i would change savings into hard cash, the gentleman i mention above prefers junk silver to gold as the market is relatively low at his time of reporting, and will net better money over time as it is largely needed for many things.

good luck