Looking at the cover of this recent issue of Newsweek, you might get the impression that the world as we know it is coming to an end.
There is no doubt that the last few months have been extraordinary.
Massive earthquakes, tsunamis, nuclear accidents, revolution and civil war in the Middle East and in North Africa, ongoing debt crises in Europe, and more.
There are many here in North America who see these events as a sign that things are unravelling, and there is worse to come.
One sign of this new pessimism is the huge increase in the number of orders for disaster shelters.
“We are getting more calls every day from people who are terrified the end of the world is upon us and want to know if there’s something they can do to survive,” says Green Eye owner George Welhaf. “While we can’t predict the future,” Welhaf concedes, “we can protect people so they feel more in control of their future.”
Welhaf’s company is one of many which are cashing in on people’s fear, and their desire to protect themselves and their families in the event of disaster, be it natural or man-made.
How much do these underground shelters cost? For a family of six I have seen quotes from different companies ranging from anywhere between $40,000 and over $100,000.
That’s a heck of an investment to protect yourself from a “what if” scenario.
And, of course, only a very small proportion of the population has either the cash or the land they need to build and own such a shelter.
But even for those of us with more limited means, and less pessimistic outlooks for the future, there are still some simple precautions we can take.
First, we can keep a supply of fresh water and freeze-dried and canned foods stored in our homes. These won’t help in the face of apocalyptic disasters, but are essential in the face of lesser disasters that disrupt local or regional transportation and power supplies.
Also, we can buy and own more gold.
Whatever the level of the disaster, we may be faced either with not being able to access cash money, or the devaluation of the cash assets we hold.
If you are concerned about the future, and want to protect your wealth, and your family, it is now more important than ever to hold some of those assets in the form of gold.
You may not be able to spend $100,000 on an underground shelter, but you can put aside enough gold to feed and protect your family in the event of truly hard times.
Further reading…