Debating physical gold vs. paper gold for my IRA - Savannah business owner perspective

• •Alright, so I’ve been mulling this over for a while now, especially with all the economic uncertainty we’ve seen.
• •As a business owner here in Savannah – running a few tourism outfits – I’ve gotten pretty good at spotting trends and preparing for downturns.
• •But I’m looking at potentially adding another $50k-$100k in the next year or so, and it’s got me really thinking about the physical vs.

Alright, so I’ve been mulling this over for a while now, especially with all the economic uncertainty we’ve seen. As a business owner here in Savannah – running a few tourism outfits – I’ve gotten pretty good at spotting trends and preparing for downturns. I’ve had about $150k of my retirement portfolio in a Gold IRA for the past five years, mostly physical bullion, and it’s been a real sanity saver during some of the crazier times. But I’m looking at potentially adding another $50k-$100k in the next year or so, and it’s got me really thinking about the physical vs. paper gold debate again.

My primary instinct has always been physical. There’s something undeniably reassuring about actually owning the asset, knowing it’s there, no counterparty risk, no digital hack wiping out my holdings. For my current setup, it’s all allocated and stored, which gives me peace of mind. But I can't deny the arguments for "paper gold" – ETFs, shares in mining companies, futures contracts. The liquidity is a huge plus, often lower fees, and it can be a lot simpler to manage if you're actively trading or rebalancing. I’m not really a day trader, but I do like to be able to react if the market shifts dramatically.

I’ve been diving deep into research, spending a fair bit of time on resources like the Learning Center checking out their articles on this specific topic. It lays out the pros and cons pretty clearly, especially regarding storage, insurance, and the true underlying ownership. My concern with paper is always that divorce from the actual commodity. What happens if the fund goes belly up, or there’s a massive market correction that disproportionately affects these instruments compared to the physical metal itself? I’ve weathered enough hurricanes and economic storms to know that sometimes, you just want to know your assets are tangible.

So, for those of you who have wrestled with this – especially if you’re holding a significant portion of your retirement in gold – what was your ultimate decision? Are you 100% physical, 100% paper, or do you have some sort of hybrid approach? What were the key factors that pushed you one way or another? I’m leaning towards continuing with physical, but I'm open to hear compelling arguments for a more diversified approach. Any horror stories or success stories would be appreciated!