Eagles vs. Buffalos for IRA - My two cents (and hoping for yours)

Timothy Reed

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Eagles vs. Buffalos for IRA - My two cents (and hoping for yours)

timothy_reed💎Premium (500k-1m)

about 2 months ago

Key Takeaways

•Been seeing a lot of chatter lately about folks choosing between American Gold Eagles and Buffalos for their IRAs.
•I’m a bit torn myself and figured I’d throw my hat in the ring to see what other long-term investors are thinking.
•I've got a decent chunk, around $750k in my IRA, and I'm always looking to optimize the gold portion.

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Been seeing a lot of chatter lately about folks choosing between American Gold Eagles and Buffalos for their IRAs. I’m a bit torn myself and figured I’d throw my hat in the ring to see what other long-term investors are thinking. I've got a decent chunk, around $750k in my IRA, and I'm always looking to optimize the gold portion.

I’ve been in the dairy business here in Madison for decades, and let me tell you, when you’re dealing with milk prices and commodity markets, you learn to look at things practically. With gold, I like the idea of the Eagles having that 22k durability – a lot like a good, solid milking parlor. They handle a bit more wear and tear, which feels right when you're talking about something you plan to hold onto for a long time. Plus, the legal tender aspect, however minor, always felt like a nice little bonus.

On the other hand, the Buffalos, being 24k, just have that pure gold appeal. It’s like the difference between a good cheddar and a really sharp, aged Wisconsin Gruyere – both good, but one is just… more. I get that the premium on these can sometimes be a smidge higher, and they're softer, which means you gotta be a bit more careful with handling. For an IRA though, where it's just sitting in a vault, that's less of an issue.

My custodian has both, and the price difference isn't a deal-breaker for either. Honestly, I'm leaning Eagles just due to the historical recognition and that slight alloy advantage, but part of me wonders if I'm missing out on the "purity" argument with the Buffalos. Any of you folks with a similar portfolio size or a long history in gold got strong feelings either way? Is the 24k purity of the Buffalo really that much of a selling point for a long-term IRA hold versus the Eagle's extra durability and legal tender status?

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7 comments

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Best Answer▲ 14 upvotes

janet_cook📊Growing (50-100k)

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

Comments (7)

joshua_phillips🏆Advanced (250-500k)Real Investor✓ Verified•about 2 months ago

Interesting comparison! I've been eyeing both for my IRA too. You mentioned "long-term investors" – what's your typical holding period for these types of assets?

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

Honestly, for an IRA, do the premiums *really* matter that much? We're talking long-term hold, and the spread between a Buffalo and an Eagle is usually pretty negligible in the grand scheme of things, especially compared to the volatility of gold itself. Just pick whichever one you like looking at more in your statement, haha.

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

Totally get where you're coming from. I went through this exact debate a few months back for my IRA. Ended up going with Eagles, mostly because of the slightly smaller premium and the fractional options if I ever want to diversify that way. But man, those Buffalos are beautiful, no doubt about it.

Curious to see what others landed on and why!