Gold and silver are precious metals and can also appreciate and depreciate in value. Bank deposits are definitely safe if they are FDIC insured and you have less than $250,000 in your account. However, it is always good to diversify your wealth in bank deposits, stocks/bonds, and precious metals. Out of all of those investments PMs are definitely the safest since they have a physical value to them that will always be attractive to people. I diversify my wealth to all those places and have recently began buying silver. This is the place I use, they offer me the smallest premiums out of all the dealers I have researched https://bullionexchanges.com/buy-silver