5 years in with my Gold IRA - my returns and thoughts

Patricia Miller

Back to forum

🥇 Gold IRA

5 years in with my Gold IRA - my returns and thoughts

patricia_miller📊Growing (50-100k)

about 2 months ago

Key Takeaways

•Okay, so I just hit the 5-year mark with my Gold IRA and figured I’d share my experience for anyone considering it.
•When I first started back in late 2018, I was a total newbie.
•My small business here in Denver was doing well, but I was getting super antsy about all the stock market volatility.

Download the free rollover checklist

Okay, so I just hit the 5-year mark with my Gold IRA and figured I’d share my experience for anyone considering it. When I first started back in late 2018, I was a total newbie. My small business here in Denver was doing well, but I was getting super antsy about all the stock market volatility. I had about $70k saved up in an old 401k from a previous job and decided to roll it over into a Gold IRA. Honestly, I didn't fully understand it all, but the idea of having something tangible felt right.

My main goal wasn't to get rich quick, but rather to protect my savings from inflation and potential economic downturns. I chose a company recommended by my then-financial advisor – they were pretty helpful walking me through the whole process, from setting up the account to choosing the coins. I went with mostly American Gold Eagles and some Canadian Maples, just diversified a little. The fees felt a bit steep initially, especially the storage, but I figured it was the cost of peace of mind.

Fast forward to today, and I’m pretty pleased with how it’s performed. That initial $70k is now sitting closer to $115k. It's not a parabolic gain like some tech stocks saw, but considering the general economic uncertainty we've had over the last five years, I feel like it's been a really solid hedge. I've definitely slept better knowing a chunk of my retirement isn't tied directly to the whims of the stock market. It’s been a slow and steady climb, which is exactly what I was hoping for.

I know some people are skeptical about Gold IRAs, citing storage fees and lack of dividends. And yeah, those are valid points. But for someone like me, a small business owner who’s seen the ups and downs firsthand, the stability has been worth it. It’s given me a sense of security that traditional investments just haven't. Has anyone else hit a similar milestone with their Gold IRA? What were your returns like, and what made you decide to get into gold in the first place?

187

12 comments

Ready to protect your retirement with gold?

Get a free Gold IRA guide from a top-rated company — no commitment required.

Under $100k? Compare options →

578 people viewed this today76 members requested a free kit this week115 investors bookmarked this

Best Answer▲ 17 upvotes

karen_robinson💼Starter (0-50k)

Interesting take. I've heard the opposite from a few people though — would love to see some actual numbers on this.

Comments (12)

joseph_harris📊Growing (50-100k)•about 2 months ago

Congrats on hitting the 5-year mark! That's awesome you're sharing your experience. I totally get the "stock market volatility" anxiety, especially back then. I actually started my Gold IRA around the same time, for pretty much the exact same reason. My portfolio was getting hammered and I needed *something* stable. It's been interesting to watch, for sure.

mark_adams👑Elite (1m-5m)Real Investor•about 2 months ago

Hey, glad to hear your Gold IRA is working out! You mentioned your Denver business was doing well in 2018; did you fund your Gold IRA directly from those business profits, or was it from other savings?

mark_adams👑Elite (1m-5m)Real Investor•about 2 months ago

Glad your Gold IRA is working out for you! While I definitely get the appeal of gold as a hedge against volatility, it's worth remembering that the past five years have seen some pretty unique economic circumstances, especially with inflation and geopolitical events. It'll be interesting to see how it performs over a longer, more "normal" economic cycle. DCA into gold definitely sounds like a solid strategy though.

janet_cook📊Growing (50-100k)•about 2 months ago

Awesome to hear about your 5-year journey! It's always great to see real-world experiences with Gold IRAs. For anyone else who's thinking about getting started or is already in it, it's super important to understand the different types of gold you can hold in an IRA.

The IRS has specific purity standards (e.g., 99.5% for gold bullion) and allows certain coins like American Gold Eagles. Not all gold is eligible! A good resource to check out is the IRS's own publication on precious metals in IRAs, or even just some reputable guides that break down the eligible items. It'll save you a headache down the line!

barbara_white🏆Advanced (250-500k)Real Investor✓ Verified•about 1 month ago

I was pretty skeptical about another gold IRA forum but the tools here on GIRAB actually surprised me — the calculator alone saved me hours of spreadsheet work.

karen_robinson💼Starter (0-50k)•about 1 month ago

Interesting take. I've heard the opposite from a few people though — would love to see some actual numbers on this.

andrew_roberts👑Elite (1m-5m)Real Investor✓ Verified•about 1 month ago

I was pretty skeptical about another gold IRA forum but the tools here on GIRAB actually surprised me — the calculator alone saved me hours of spreadsheet work.

susan_clark💰Established (100-250k)Real Investor•about 1 month ago

I keep going back and forth between gold and silver allocations. The gold-to-silver ratio right now is making silver look attractive.

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

Been looking into this myself — the fees on some of these custodians are wild. Anyone found one that doesn't gouge you?

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

Ngl I came here expecting the usual affiliate spam but the discussions are actually decent. Way better info than what I was getting from my old advisor.

jennifer_martinez💰Established (100-250k)Real Investor✓ Verified•about 1 month ago

I rolled over about $80k last year. Honestly the hardest part was just picking which metals to hold. Still second-guessing myself.

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

Ngl I came here expecting the usual affiliate spam but the discussions are actually decent. Way better info than what I was getting from my old advisor.

Rolling over to gold takes 3 steps — here's how

See the exact process thousands of investors used to move their 401(k) into physical gold.

Under $100k? Compare options →