re: Can someone explain the pros and cons of gold?

Pros would be diversification, serving as a hedge against inflation and economic uncertainty given that its purchasing power tends to hold up over time (e.g. high inflation or market downturns). Cons: lower returns and can lose value more frequently than stocks in ordinary economic conditions. It doesn’t generate passive income like stocks do, and you have to worry about keeping it safe & can come with additional costs for storage and insurance. Also, liquidity can be a concern, as selling physical gold may not be as quick as selling stocks. Investing in gold doesn’t necessarily mean owning physical bars, though (you can buy gold ETFs, mutual funds, mining stocks, etc.).