> high risk of losing 1/2 of your savings at an inopportune moment Operative word being moment. The volatility is irrelevant if you wait it out long enough, he

> high risk of losing 1/2 of your savings at an inopportune moment Operative word being moment. The volatility is irrelevant if you wait it out long enough, hence "long term". If you need a shorter term low-risk investment vehicle, that's what treasury bills/notes are for. > watch it all decay away thanks to our inherently inflationary regime Any alternative investment strategy is equally affected by inflation.