<prompt> Human: Basically the title. I dont ever hear much of people buying gold or using it to increase wealth. Its always stocks or things like that. Is it still a wise financial decision to buy physical gold? What is the appeal to gold as opposed to the stock market? And, if it is a good idea, how do you get started in it?  <response>: Gold is traditionally a hedge against chaos. People who think we are headed for a big collapse will take refuge in gold. As the stock market has been going up for ten years, the price of gold has not risen.This ten-year chart shows gold spiking from 750 ounce to 1,800 ounce, reacting to the 2009 financial meltdown. It peaked in 2011, fell to about 1,100 as the economy recovered, and today is at 1,314.So gold does better when conventional equity investments are doing badly. You dont hear much about it these days because most peoples conventional investments have done OK. 