<prompt> Human: Emergency funds deal with a sudden loss of job or a high expense. I can have some that in the form of CDs. If say there is a disaster that broke the US financial system, then it would all be worthless. Should I store silver,gold, and barter items?  <response>: Why do you think silver and gold would have value after a disaster which wipes out the banking system? Why do you think you would have access to your silver and gold after a disaster which wipes out the banking system? What is the probability of that kind of disaster, and how much are you willing to pay to mitigate that kind of disaster? It probably doesnt add up to the cost of gold acquisition and storage for even a year. 