5 years into my Gold IRA – thoughts, returns, and next steps?

• •Hard to believe it's been five years already since I first diversified a chunk of my retirement into a Gold IRA.
• •As someone who works in manufacturing here in Cleveland, I've always been a big believer in tangible assets, things you can actually touch and hold.
• •I started with roughly $150k back then, taking about 30% of my then-$500k 401k and rolling it over.

Hard to believe it's been five years already since I first diversified a chunk of my retirement into a Gold IRA. As someone who works in manufacturing here in Cleveland, I've always been a big believer in tangible assets, things you can actually touch and hold. The idea of having a portion of my wealth not tied to the whims of the stock market, especially with all the volatility we’ve seen, just made sense to me. I started with roughly $150k back then, taking about 30% of my then-$500k 401k and rolling it over.

My main goal wasn't necessarily to get rich quick – it was more about stability and hedging against inflation and market downturns. Looking back now, the timing was pretty good. While I haven't done an exact, forensic accounting of every penny, a rough calculation puts my Gold IRA's value somewhere in the high $270s, maybe even touching $280k on a good day based on spot prices. That's a pretty solid gain from $150k, especially considering everything that's happened economically. It definitely feels good to see that growth, especially when I compare it to some of the more rollercoaster-like moments in my traditional brokerage accounts over the same period.

One thing I've learned is that it’s not just about the spot price. The peace of mind knowing I have a physical asset stored securely is huge for me. It’s a different kind of wealth, less about quarterly reports and more about enduring value. I remember a few years ago, when interest rates started climbing and there was a lot of talk about recession, I felt a lot more comfortable knowing my gold was sitting there, quietly appreciating.

So, now that I'm five years in and seeing these returns, what are others' long-term strategies here? Are you holding indefinitely, or do you have specific exit points in mind? I’m currently debating if I should add more to it, or if it's hit a sweet spot percentage-wise in my overall portfolio. What kind of allocation do you all aim for with your hard assets?