5 years with a Gold IRA - My thoughts and returns

• •I rolled over a portion of my military pension into a Gold IRA back in late 2018, just after retiring and moving back to San Diego.
• •I started with roughly $300k in the gold IRA, which was about half my total retirement funds at the time.
• •The other half is still in a more traditional brokerage account with a mix of ETFs and some dividend stocks.

Thought I'd share my experience with a Gold IRA over the past five years, especially since I've seen a few posts lately about people just starting out. I rolled over a portion of my military pension into a Gold IRA back in late 2018, just after retiring and moving back to San Diego. My thinking was pretty simple: I wanted a solid hedge against inflation and market volatility, something tangible that felt more secure than just stocks and bonds. I started with roughly $300k in the gold IRA, which was about half my total retirement funds at the time. The other half is still in a more traditional brokerage account with a mix of ETFs and some dividend stocks.

My main goal wasn't to get rich quick, but rather to preserve capital and have some peace of mind. Let me tell you, when the pandemic hit and the market went nuts, I was SO glad I had that gold. While my stock portfolio took a decent hit, the gold held its value remarkably well, acting as a real ballast. It wasn't always smooth sailing, obviously. There were periods when the gold price dipped, and for a minute, I wondered if I'd made the right call. But looking at the overall five-year picture, I'm genuinely pleased.

Quantifying the "returns" is a bit tricky with gold because it's not like a dividend stock, but if I look at my initial investment versus the current market value of the physical gold in my account, I'm up around 35-40% on that initial $300k. That's not factoring in custodian fees, which are reasonable for me at around $200 a year, but still something to consider. That's a good chunk of change and definitely contributes to that financial security I'm always looking for.

For those of you thinking about it, what are your biggest reservations? And for the seasoned gold investors out there, what advice would you give to someone just starting their journey with precious metals in retirement accounts? I'm always curious to hear other people's perspectives, especially given the current economic climate.