For a little while now, I have been suggesting that investors maintain some exposure to precious metals as a hedge against the potential negative consequences of the very poor financial condition of the United States Federal Government. Unfortunately, the latest Treasury data indicates that this financial condition is somewhat worse than even I thought. This only strengthens my conviction that investors should have some exposure to precious metals in order to protect the wealth that they have worked hard to acquire. There are a few ways to achieve this precious metals exposure, including owning the