September 2009 Comment: This is less of an exaggeration than it might seem when the average 401(K) lost 27% of its value during 2008 - as denominated in dollars, a currency increasingly uncertain as a store of value.

Losses were often even more catastophic. Contributions weren't properly diversified and the participants correspondingly suffered for the trust they put in the entities they were invested in.

Among the primary asset classes most often used in retirement planning -- stocks, bonds, annuities and savings accounts -- gold stands out as the only one that does not rely on the performance of another individual or institution for value. More on Physical Gold IRAs