Oh man, that's a bit of a tricky question. I am by no means anywhere near qualified to give advice, but I'll give you my opinion. As an investment, precious metals are not the best in terms of growth. The way I look at it, is that it is a hedge against inflation and will help you keep what you have when the market crashes. The price of gold and silver are not exactly low, but they also appear to be under valued compared to the dollar due to spot price manipulation by the big banks. There is so much happening right now in regards to the spot prices, trying to learn about what is happening is like drinking from a fire hose. I would personally suggest you get as much as you can comfortably afford right now, both gold and silver. Even if the spot prices crash, the loss wouldn't be too terrible compared to an investment account or 401k. I personally have made a big bet on silver (physical silver) and I have come to peace with the possibility I'll lose some.