How much time do we have?

If the warning signs are correct, we have several months at most to brace ourselves for the full onslaught of an economic collapse. There is no guarantee it will not happen suddenly, however, before you have made important survival preparations.

Events could cause panic overnight, precipitating a run on the banks that would trigger a bank holiday of indefinite length. Bank accounts and credit cards could be frozen, causing businesses to be unable to buy or sell and employers unable to keep workers employed. In days severe shortages could arise and theft crime could become rampant.

Those who remain indecisive about preparedness run the terrible risk of waiting until suddenly everyone reaches the decision to prepare. Sadly, it will be too late then. The food stores will be mobbed, looters will scuffle over pork chops and snack foods in the aisles, and the shelves will be stripped bare in a matter of hours.

Looters are apt to visit department stores in search of something of value they can trade for food. Police services will be stretched too thinly to offer protection.

The same should be said for those who have taken no steps protect their savings by diversifying into more stable investments such as precious metals.

Will they keep waiting and waiting until their stock portfolio is worth a tenth its former value, then suddenly rush to buy gold when it has doubled or tripled in price?

There is always the chance, and certainly there is the desire, that things will hum along and not get much worse, that it's nothing more than a minor hiccup in the economy like we've all experienced before. But know that there are many very powerful people in the know who are truly alarmed by the unprecedented efforts of the US Federal Reserve and other central banks of the world in attempt to stave off total economic collapse.

These high-placed executives are buying rural retreats and stocking up on food, gold, and guns because they fear what is coming. You should too. Use your imagination as the survival tool it was intended to be. It can help instill an urgency in your preparations. What would you do if you knew everything would collapse tomorrow? Would you draw cash out of your bank? Would you buy extra gas cans and fill them up, topping off your vehicle tank at the same time? Would you buy large quantities of food staples? Would you fill containers with water? Accept that the expected turmoil will begin some day this week. Turn off the TV, shut down the computer, and take action. Once you have made immediate preparations, research and purchase a several-year supply of survival storage foods for you and your family. Buy a gun and ammunition and learn to use it, or buy extra guns and ammo if you are already a gun owner. Visit any local coin shops to see if you can buy some gold and silver. Stay away from collector-grade coins unless you know a lot about them. Buy "junk silver" coins and silver ingots and non-collector gold coins or ingots. If the dollar tanks completely, you will have real money you can spend. Just make sure it is well concealed in several places. Bury it! Devise a retreat plan. Where would you go if things became very ugly and dangerous in your area? Do you want to stock your retreat location ahead of time? Consider buried caches that you can unearth when you arrive. You might find something useful for this purpose at http://www.preparednessequipment.com