Simply put, investors in those countries who have parked their savings in cash and low-yielding investments, such as Treasury bills and money market accounts in the U.S., are actually losing money due to inflation.

FORBES: Central Bank Appetite And The Monetary Case For $10,000 Gold

This week the government placed three-month treasury bills in the local market at an interest rate of 8.5%, down from 16% in November.

ECONOMIST: Argentina��s distant allies and the fiscal gap

The government made economic advances under the first administration of President YUDHOYONO, introducing significant reforms in the financial sector, including tax and customs reforms, the use of Treasury bills, and capital market development and supervision.

FORBES: India Compares Best to Indonesia

"It is not a bank's job to sit home and get a big spread on treasury bills and make money in the money market, " State Bank Governor Ishrat Husain told reporters in Karachi.

BBC: Pakistan banks' strategy under fire

Whereas most market participants expect a resolution before the Treasury can no longer pay its bills, there is nevertheless a growing uneasiness with protracted political maneuvering that sets up the potential for a U.S. default and credit-rating downgrade, analysts say.

FORBES: U.S. Impasse Keeps Adding To Gold's Luster; Correction Would Temporarily Dull The Shine