They're still based on or valued in USD, which is what the OP wanted to avoid. A lot of good those USD-valued mutual funds are going to do for you when they're

They're still based on or valued in USD, which is what the OP wanted to avoid. A lot of good those USD-valued mutual funds are going to do for you when they're worth peanuts due to a devaluation of the currency or its buying power. "I hope you are not suggesting that gold is a better investment than a diverse portfolio of stocks and bonds." There are a lot of people that believe a big government/market crash is coming. And they're absolutely desperate for ways to weather it without eating their own toes off.