I think it helps to think of things as simply a trade rather than putting money into something. If you buy $10k worth of gold, the money doesn't "go into" gold, it goes into the pocket of the guy who sold it to you (or more likely his bank increases some numbers in a database). Exactly what you'll get for it when you want to divest yourself of it is another question. So, as you imply, the problem is that there is simply too much money out there and it's just a question of which asset's (or assets') price will become a bubble and burst to destroy the excess.