True, but I'm not referring to my own shelter, i mean it as buying rental properties for an income stream or other holdings likely to appreciate. The rate of appreciation doesn't keep up with inflation and with tenants, the list of potential liabilities is as long as my arm, plus taxes, maintenance. Maintaining buying power is nigh impossible in this environment, forget about things like government seizing puysical property, cash, metals. I'd value your insight into your assertion of a "crooked dealer," none of my time researching the technology has borne such a thing out. Quite to the contrary, in fact.