What are the odds that your retirement will be there for you

[DryBones]

We plan on work camping. Trade a campsite with full hookups and a few bucks for hours worked for the campground. A lot of retired RVers are doing it.

[steelheart]

Im 36 and i know i wont be getting social security because it wont exist when i hit that age. Investing is a bad idea cause its not surefire. 401k...is out cause of super high taxes. Im stickin money in mason jars n buryin em!!

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[gunderwood]

Im 36 and i know i wont be getting social security because it wont exist when i hit that age. Investing is a bad idea cause its not surefire. 401k...is out cause of super high taxes. Im stickin money in mason jars n buryin em!!

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You do realize that even assuming the government is right about "low" inflation, the dollars loosing about half its value every 20 years, right? Store your money in a hole for 20 years and it will buy half as much as it does today.

[Kreutz]

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You do realize that even assuming the government is right about "low" inflation, the dollars loosing about half its value every 20 years, right? Store your money in a hole for 20 years and it will buy half as much as it does today.[/quote]

If he loses 50% of his purchasing power thats 50% more than he'd have if he lost it all due to losses or the government seizing his accounts.

50% may be better than nothing.

Its hard to stay ahead of inflation while protecting your principle. I'm sitting on more cash than I like because I really have no idea what to do with it.

Forget stocks, the media tells me everything is OK and people are buying again, which is usually the time to run as fast as you can in the opposite direction.

Bonds are out too. I don't trust precious metals either.

[gunderwood]

If he loses 50% of his purchasing power thats 50% more than he'd have if he lost it all due to losses or the government seizing his accounts.

50% may be better than nothing.

Fair enough. However, I would point out that one is practically a certainty (government inflation) whereas the the other is a much less likely possibility. While the outcome may be the same, the expected value is not.

Its hard to stay ahead of inflation while protecting your principle. I'm sitting on more cash than I like because I really have no idea what to do with it.

Forget stocks, the media tells me everything is OK and people are buying again, which is usually the time to run as fast as you can in the opposite direction.

Bonds are out too. I don't trust precious metals either.

That's why I diversify. I have stocks and a few bonds (mostly held in funds that are primarily stocks). I also have some cash and some physical assets (guns/ammo, food/water, gold/silver, good games/books, etc.). Think outside the box, what is valuable will change during a crisis. Given the likelihood of needing barter-able skills (should a collapse happen) vice the more professional you and I seem to possess (the demand for engineers in the professional workforce is probably going to go down), perhaps you should invest in yourself/equipment.

Consider that in the most likely scenarios life goes on, but isn't like it use to be. We're not talking end of the world, but more like the Great Depression. Having the right "stuff" is only a start or short-term solution, it won't get you through the long term (think decades). The ability to do certain tasks for barter will greatly ease your difficulties. For example, I would like to learn to weld, not only as a matter of interest, but because during a depression the emphasis shifts from buying a new one to making the old last as long as possible. Towards that end I've been doing as much maintenance on my bikes/cars as possible for years.

I realize these things are not going to get your retirement funded, but given that you don't see any viable traditional investment opportunities, I can only presume you expect the system to falter. At that point, none of us will have anything resembling a retirement. I personally don't ever think I'll have one.

[SHMIV]

@Gunderwood: good idea, investing in yourself. I've learned many skills that are useful, mainly because my life has kinda been a long depression, lol. If you want to learn to weld, go buy a welder. Then get some scrap metal, and get to learning. I'll probably get a welder this year, and do just that. I've wanted the same skill for a while.

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[Monkey]

In all honesty, I'm not even banking on military retirement being the same as it is now. Though it's a political "third rail", given our $$ woes, it's not that far of a stretch.

This country is as broke as a joke. In the Defense budget, manpower (to include retirement), is always a huge chunk. As we're seeing right now, something's gotta give. I think it's just a matter of time. That's why I'm paying off my house as rapidly as possible, telling my baby girl to study hard to get scholarships, and trying to live on significantly less than what I bring in.

If I'm wrong, then I'm okay. If I'm right...then I'm more okay than others.

[Reverenddel]

The key to investing it DIVERSITY!

Many here have stated it, and it's the God's truth! Look at investing like a castle, and all those entities such as taxes, fees, inflation, etc, as the enemy at the gates...

The stronger ALL your walls are built, the better you can withstand the attack.

[vonClausewitz]

I haven't had a bank account in years. I have yet to find a bank that I consider to be trustworthy.

If I was going to stockpile anything, gold and silver would not be it.

I'd stockpile things that are immediately useful. For example, offering to trade gold for ammo from a guy who is cold and hungry probably won't get you far. But, a few books of matches for a few rounds might.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

Seriously, booze...

Alcohol will become seriously good trading material...and you can enjoy it too...

When I need a bottle of whiskey, or gin...I buy two...one for me and one for the stockpile...

And remember the basic rule of survival..."He Who has the lead, gets the Gold"...

[SHMIV]

@VonC: Most definately booze. Cheap liquor will rise in value in the event of a collapse. And, you can get a good amount for less than $100, in various sizes.

Cigarettes and loose tobacco would be good to keep, too. It should be vacuum sealed, though.

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[dorminWS]

@VonC: Most definately booze. Cheap liquor will rise in value in the event of a collapse. And, you can get a good amount for less than $100, in various sizes.

Cigarettes and loose tobacco would be good to keep, too. It should be vacuum sealed, though.

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Due to an overestimate on the bar requirements for #2 son's wedding, I've got several cases of half-gallon-sized Bowman's Vodka in storage. So I am an inadvertant prepper when it comes to booze. But there's a problem. It's in plastic bottles. Don't know how long it will last in plastic, but I do know it ain't forever. The Stoly is in glass, but wouldn't you know they drank most of it.

[Palladin]

After working up over 900 pounds of the heavenly meat that the - - don't eat, this past Christmas... salt and pink salt is majickal stuff!

Just sayin'...

[dorminWS]

After working up over 900 pounds of the heavenly meat that the - - don't eat, this past Christmas... salt and pink salt is majickal stuff!

Just sayin'...

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I know not to eat yellow snow, but what the heck is this about pink salt?

[Palladin]

After working up over 900 pounds of the heavenly meat that the - - don't eat, this past Christmas... salt and pink salt is majickal stuff!

Just sayin'...

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I know not to eat yellow snow, but what the heck is this about pink salt?

Good stuff to have on hand, and know how to use should the SHTF.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prague_Powder#1