If you want a balanced portfolio, gold should be part of your 2013 investment strategy. Government-created currencies like dollars, pounds, euros, etc. are paper currencies. Their value is controlled, and often manipulated, by the government issuing them. Gold will never be worth nothing. It has a value based on its own rarity. The value of gold is not set by any government. In the 1970's Countries got away from the gold standard. Many Countries print money when there is an economic crisis or their currency becomes weak. All this does is create inflation. Eventually it will lead to collapse and they will have to go back to gold, silver or other precious metals. Gold investments are a way to ensure long-term wealth protection.