Digital Money, Cash, Silver, and Gold as of 2015

A practical, non‑speculative review compares digital money, cash, silver and gold as ways to preserve purchasing power, explicitly refusing to rely on predictive models or insider claims. It lays out advantages and disadvantages so readers can choose without forecasts. Digital money provides convenience, internet purchasing and modest interest but carries risks: identity theft, corporate hacking, temporary point‑of‑sale outages and bank‑imposed withdrawal limits; recommended holding enough digital funds to pay monthly necessities. Cash offers immediate accessibility and universal acceptability during digital outages, but earns no interest, is vulnerable to theft and fire, requires secure storage for large amounts, and can lose real value if the currency is devalued.

Silver is treated as a tangible, longer‑term store of value: buyers pay a premium above spot while sellers typically offer around spot, so silver is generally unsuitable for short‑term trading but cannot fall to zero. It tarnishes and needs proper storage or periodic cleaning. Practical vehicles include one‑ounce government Silver Eagles, pre‑1965 U.S. silver coins (“junk silver”) that originally contained about 0.723 ounces of silver per dollar (roughly 0.715 oz if worn), and sterling items marked .925 (92.5% silver). Silver’s lower cost and portability versus gold are strengths; premiums, bid/ask spreads and maintenance are the main drawbacks.