Reply #44: What do you need?

[muriel_volestrangler]

If you have a mortgage, and expect the property ownership system to stay intact, then consider using the money to help pay off your mortgage.

If you feel like you might want to move to another country, and want security, consider converting it to that currency and opening an interest-bearing account with it.

If the money isn't needed now, and you want to stay in the US, and think the financial system is going to keep going, but that the US will go into recession, consider investing it in a mutual fund holding overseas stocks - in developing countries if you can take a larger risk, somewhere else (eg Europe, Japan) if you want a smaller risk, and think they won't follwo the US into recession.

If you really think the financial system is doomed, then put it in durable goods that can be traded at a later date - or that will give you a skill you can barter with (or pay for a course to teach you a skill). If you're thinking this way, then try and imagine the society you'll end up in without a functioning government (eg you may need guns to defend or attack other people, since there'll be no police or military to help you). If you think that people will accept payment for services in precious metal, then you could try that too, I suppose. Personally, if I were in a anarchy like that, I wouldn't give a toss for a bit of yellow metal that's no good for mechanical engineering purposes.