Some analysts and advisors think investing in gold is a bad idea because it doesn't pay any income or interest. But gold bullion is more widely seen as a good alternative investment, hedging against risk, as part of a balanced portfolio. Historically, the value of gold has repeatedly increased when domestic currencies, stocks and bonds have performed badly over extended periods of time. This 'see-saw' performance isn't guaranteed however, and gold can fall alongside stocks and bonds during short-term crises. Over longer periods, gold prices show a similar volatility to the stock market, and most investors using gold to balance risk from other portfolio assets should expect gold to underperform when the economy is growing and wider investment sentiment is positive.