5 years in: My thoughts on Gold IRAs, returns, and future plans (Richmond, VA)

Michelle Collins

Back to forum

🧱 Silver Bars

5 years in: My thoughts on Gold IRAs, returns, and future plans (Richmond, VA)

michelle_collins🏆Advanced (250-500k)

about 1 month ago

Key Takeaways

•Been seeing a lot of chatter lately on gold and silver, especially with the inflation numbers and everything going on globally.
•Figure it's a good time to share my own experience.
•I started my Gold IRA about five years ago, right around when I got tenure at VCU and finally had a bit more breathing room financially.

Download the free rollover checklist

Been seeing a lot of chatter lately on gold and silver, especially with the inflation numbers and everything going on globally. Figure it's a good time to share my own experience. I started my Gold IRA about five years ago, right around when I got tenure at VCU and finally had a bit more breathing room financially. Decided to diversify beyond the usual stocks and bonds, and after a lot of research (comes with the territory as a professor, I guess), settled on gold for a portion of my retirement portfolio. Initially, I rolled over about $150k from an old 401k into a self-directed Gold IRA, focusing solely on American Gold Eagles. No silver for me, decided to keep it simple and focused on the tried-and-true.

My reasoning back then was pretty straightforward: hedge against inflation, store of value during market volatility, and frankly, a bit of a "doom and gloom" parachute. I’m not gonna lie, the thought of holding something tangible when the rest of the market goes sideways was appealing. It’s been an interesting ride. I track my overall portfolio pretty closely, which hovers around the $400k mark right now, and the gold portion has definitely seen its ups and downs. Not going to post exact figures, but let's just say it's performed solidly, especially compared to some of my more volatile tech stocks (ouch!). I'd estimate my gold holdings have appreciated somewhere in the mid-double digits percentage-wise over these five years. Not beating the S&P, but that wasn't the goal. It was about stability and protection.

What I've learned is that it's crucial to understand the fees involved with these types of IRAs – storage, administration, etc. They can eat into your returns if you're not careful. I also realized early on that this isn't a "get rich quick" play. It's a long-term hold, a foundation. I live in Richmond, and while there aren't many local options for physical gold IRA storage (it's all handled by my custodian in Delaware), I do keep an eye on local coin shops for market sentiment, just out of curiosity.

Looking ahead, I’m actually contemplating adding a small percentage of silver to the mix next year, maybe about 10-15% of my current gold position, if the macro environment continues on this trajectory. The industrial demand for silver has always interested me, and it feels like it could be a good complementary asset. Anyone here diversified into both gold and silver within their IRAs? What are your thoughts on the performance differences and the pros/cons of each? Always keen to hear other perspectives from fellow investors, especially those with more experience in the silver market.

189

5 comments

12,000+ investors requested this guide last month

Find out why retirees are moving savings into gold. Free kit, no obligation.

Under $100k? Compare options →

613 people viewed this today80 members requested a free kit this week121 investors bookmarked this

Best Answer▲ 11 upvotes

susan_clark💰Established (100-250k)

Interesting breakdown, especially the point about rebalancing. I'm in Minneapolis and started my Gold IRA around the same time with a similar portfolio size (~$180k initially), and I've been thinking about the same thing. You mentioned waiting for certain price points to rebalance with silver – are you looking at a specific gold/silver ratio, or more a percentage of your overall precious metals allocation?

Comments (5)

daniel_wright💎Premium (500k-1m)Real Investor✓ Verified•about 1 month ago

Glad I'm not the only one! I'm coming up on my 4-year mark with a Gold IRA and have been pretty happy with my decision, especially seeing the past couple of years unfold. Definitely feeling more secure than I would with a solely paper-asset portfolio. Curious to hear more about your future plans!

gary_stewart📊Growing (50-100k)•about 1 month ago

Hey, cool post! Really interesting to hear your long-term perspective. You mentioned starting your Gold IRA "about five" years ago... was that five years exactly, or more like 5.5, or closer to 4.5? Just curious about the exact timeframe you're basing your returns on. Thanks for sharing!

michelle_collins🏆Advanced (250-500k)Real Investor•about 1 month ago

Interesting read! Glad to hear your experience has been positive. I totally get the appeal of gold as a hedge, especially with all the economic uncertainty. But sometimes I wonder if the focus on "returns" with a Gold IRA misses the point a little. Isn't it more about wealth preservation and stability rather than chasing big gains like you might with a more traditional stock portfolio? Different strokes for different folks, I guess. Keep us updated on your next five years!

patricia_miller📊Growing (50-100k)✓ Verified•about 1 month ago

Hey, thanks for sharing your 5-year insights! Always helpful to hear real-world experiences. One thing I'd recommend for anyone looking to diversify beyond just gold and silver in their precious metals IRA is to also consider platinum and palladium. They can offer different industrial demand drivers and potentially unique growth opportunities. You might find some good info on their performance relative to gold/silver over at the World Platinum Investment Council's site!