Yuyutsu,
Actually I do not think there is any safe place for money.
My asset are three shares Telstra, Origin and Aus Pipeline.
Note two of them are energy related.
The majority is just sitting in three banks as deposits.
Now there is a risk, since Wayne Swan signed Australia up to the
IMF/G20 Financial Stability Board at the G20 St Petersburg meeting last year.
That board now has the power to seize bank depositors funds if a bank
gets into trouble and use the funds to pay off the banks debtors.

They gave it a trial run in Cyprus in 2012 and it was such a success
that they made it apply to all G20 countries.

So the upshot is that the only safe place is to buy some arable land.

I reckon the only safe place is back in the ground, where it came from. That is of course after you have converted it into the solid heavy yellow stuff.

Gold is useful as well as sort after, & so far has always maintained it's value. It does so even better in times of turmoil.

Diamonds are also just as useful, & would probably be as good long term, but may be hard to realise on at times.

Money is a dead loss. My father had a 1000 pound life insurance policy, in the days when a house cost less than that. When he died. it was not enough to bury him.

....Gold is useful as well as sort after, & so far has always maintained it's value. It does so even better in times of turmoil.

Not really Hasbeen, if you recall, gold was $190 an once at the time 911 happened. Several years earlier, it peaked at about $750.

In recent years it topped just below $2000. I would suggest not too many investments fluctuate quite as much as gold.

I hold shares, property and cash, as I have always gone by the old, don't have all your eggs in one basket.

Who sez, rehctub?

>>Pericles, not even close, as most aged pensioners have worked all their lives and paid taxes. To deny them of their right to put the feet up is plain wrong is plain wrong<<

A "right to put the feet up"? Really?

Is there any significant difference between being unable to work because you are sick, being unable to work because the manufacturing industry is now offshore, being unable to work because you need to look after a handicapped child, or being unable to work because you are old?

The "retirement age" is just an artificial device to manage when another form of welfare clicks in. To keep it separate from unemployment payments is just another way to keep a few thousand public servants "busy".

rehctub - Gold price is being manipulated, just like Libor.

The amount of paper gold owners is very high, unless you hold it in your hand you have nothing if everyone wants to exchange there paper gold for real gold.

When like now the price is artificially low but if there is a major conflict somewhere or they stop the manipulation the cost will rapidly rise.

You are right with "don't have all your eggs in one basket"

Perhaps build up a stock of Tim Tams !
Even land is a problem, the government can resume it for its own purposes.
Or in a real breakdown, just the nasties can get you.
Actually Hasbeen, I think you might have the right idea, Get a boat !