Stocks (both gold and otherwise) are suitable only for trading these days, but junk bonds continue to do very nicely thank you. Warren Buffett sure knew what he was doing (doesn't he always) when he invested $8 billion in this sector some months ago.
“The things that will destroy us are: politics without principle; pleasure without conscience; wealth without work; knowledge without character; business without morality; science without humanity; and worship without sacrifice.” Mahatma Gandhi