close retirement fund?

You can never be certain about a gold investment. It may pay off in the short term, but you don't have a retirement fund for the short term---you want to be able to live on that money for at least 20-30 years after retirement, and gold may fall drastically, leaving you with nothing. The other poster has some good advice--don't close out any retirement funds--diversify them and find those funds that don't charge FEES--such as index funds.

If you are absolutely sure that gold will do better than whatever you're invested in now, you could do that. But in my view, that would be either the height of folly, or else you have an infallible crystal ball.

Generally, the best advice it to diversify, so at least part of your portfolio goes up no matter what the economy does. You should be in a mix of market sectors - domestic, overseas, bonds, stocks, cash, emerging markets, solid blue chips, etc. You can vary the mix to take advantage of market trends, but to put everything into one asset class is just asking for a harsh, expensive lesson in economics.

Nobody knows what's going to happen on Thursday.

But, historically, market timing has not worked out well for those who have tried it. And that's exactly what you are trying to do: time the market.

The risk is that you will miss the start of the recovery, when it happens.

one way or another if the finances crash there won't be anyone to buy your gold and if they did have money to pay you it wouldn't be worth anything anyway

just sit on this.

as with the casserole you had last night,,, this soon will also pass.