5 years in, is my Gold IRA doing what it's supposed to?

• •Hard to believe it's been five years already since I rolled over a chunk of my old 401k into a Gold IRA.
• •That’s why I decided to put about $500,000 into physical gold and silver allocated in my IRA back in 2019.
• •My portfolio is substantial – I’m in that $1-5M range – and this gold allocation feels like the bedrock.

Hard to believe it's been five years already since I rolled over a chunk of my old 401k into a Gold IRA. As a retiree from the energy sector here in Houston, I’ve seen enough market volatility to make your hair stand on end, especially in the last few decades. That’s why I decided to put about $500,000 into physical gold and silver allocated in my IRA back in 2019. The idea was always to have a solid hedge against inflation and general market uncertainty, which, let's be honest, has been pretty non-stop since then.

My portfolio is substantial – I’m in that $1-5M range – and this gold allocation feels like the bedrock. Looking at the numbers now, the initial $500k is sitting at around $700k. That’s roughly a 40% gain in five years, which isn't exactly blowing the doors off compared to some tech stocks, but it feels incredibly stable. When the S&P was having its dips, knowing that a significant portion of my retirement was insulated by precious metals provided a level of calm I truly appreciate now that I'm not actively working. I remember when oil prices tanked in 2020 – a lot of my old colleagues were white-knuckling it, but my gold holdings were actually doing pretty well.

The whole process with the custodian has been smooth, which was a big concern initially. I chose one with a good reputation for storage and transparency, and I haven't had any issues. For those of you considering it, definitely do your homework on that front. It’s not just about the gold; it’s about who’s holding your gold. My main goal was wealth preservation and diversification, and it seems to be achieving that. I’m not really looking for crazy growth from this part of my portfolio; it's more about stability and maintaining purchasing power long-term.

So, for those of you who have had a Gold IRA for a similar or longer period, how are you feeling about your returns? Are your expectations aligned with what you're seeing? I’m curious if others in a similar boat feel like their decision to allocate to precious metals has paid off in the ways they hoped, not just in dollar figures but in peace of mind. What are your thoughts on holding versus maybe taking some gains at this point?