I think economy balance will come overtime/ after full release anyways but yeah currently there's way too much gold and not enough things to spend it on. Like in every game that ever existed, to be honest ^^.
Thinking of it I have no idea how any game could solve that problem without becoming the most hardcore game for try hards. Can you imagine this moment when you go out of your house and see this gigantic building with 50 floors, security guards in front of it, and only few well-guarded entrances? If you go on the top there must be something there, right?! But no. You get on the roof after a lot of struggle, there's nothing there apart from pigeons and the police is after you for intrusion on Empire States Building rooftop so you're basically fucked by now. And you can't quickload.
And you only wanted to find a barrel with gold on top of it.
Finding gold and items is the biggest incentive for exploring every part of the map. So you have to keep it, it's the most straightforward reward. But what should you be spending your money on? More rewards? How do you balance such a rich gentleman?
