June 2009 Comment: One of the more debilitating aspects of the seemingly never-ending financial crisis has been the ongoing erosion in the value of most savers' retirement accounts. Some estimates show retirement planners losing between 30% and 60% of their retirment savings over the past few years. It wasn't so long ago that Wall Street was touting the 401K invested in stocks and bonds as the golden road to retirement. Now we are told it was never meant to be anything more than a supplement to a well-planned retirement. However you view what's happened to the American dream of a happy retirement, those who purchased gold as a healthy hedge and alternative to the Wall Street pallette, are substantially better off than those who didn't. What's more, given the depth of the problems projected for the dollar and the U.S. economy in the future, it would be foolhardy to believe that it all ends here and now, and even more foolhardy to neglect taking the steps necessary to better secure your financial future.