Eagles vs. Buffalos for my IRA - What's everyone else doing?

Robert Thompson

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🔲 Platinum IRA

Eagles vs. Buffalos for my IRA - What's everyone else doing?

robert_thompson💰Established (100-250k)

about 4 hours ago

Key Takeaways

•Been holding gold since shortly after the '08 crash – scared me straight into tangible assets, as I'm sure it did for a lot of you.
•I'm a retired teacher here in Phoenix, and my current metals portfolio is probably sitting around the $150k mark.
•Mostly Eagles right now, which I've been happy with.

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Alright, so I've been seeing a lot of chatter lately about American Gold Eagles versus Gold Buffalos for IRAs, particularly with the platinum IRAs, and I'm curious what the general consensus is here. Been holding gold since shortly after the '08 crash – scared me straight into tangible assets, as I'm sure it did for a lot of you. I'm a retired teacher here in Phoenix, and my current metals portfolio is probably sitting around the $150k mark. Mostly Eagles right now, which I've been happy with.

The premium on Buffalos has always given me pause, especially considering the Eagles are so well-recognized and liquid. But then you hear arguments about the purity, the design, and some people really seem to swear by the Buffalos for the long haul. Is that really enough to justify the extra cost? My main goal is capital preservation and a hedge against inflation – not trying to get rich quick, just want to protect what I've got.

For those of you with significant holdings, especially in your IRAs, have you leaned one way or the other? Did you start with Eagles and switch? Or vice versa? I've been mostly hands-off with my IRA assets once they're in, but this has definitely got me thinking about future contributions. Any Phoenix locals have a perspective on this too, in terms of local dealers or storage options?

What are the key deciding factors for everyone? Is the 24k purity of the Buffalo really that much of a selling point over the 22k Eagle when it comes to an IRA? I'm leaning towards sticking with what's worked, but always open to hearing compelling arguments. Thanks for weighing in!

5 comments

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Best Answer▲ 9 upvotes

maria_campbell📊Growing (50-100k)

Interesting debate, but honestly, I think people overthink the Eagle vs. Buffalo thing for IRAs. For a retirement account, the numismatic value or slight premium differences usually get washed out over the long term. The key is just getting any eligible physical gold in there. Both are IRS-approved, so it really comes down to personal preference or whatever your dealer offers at the best price that day. Are folks really seeing significant performance differences based on which coin they picked?

Comments (5)

frank_rivera💎Premium (500k-1m)Real Investor•less than a minute ago

Hey, totally get where you're coming from! I had a similar internal debate back in 2011 when I was setting up my Gold IRA. Ended up going with a mix of Eagles and Buffalos, leaned a bit more towards the Eagles just because of the brand recognition, but honestly, both are solid choices. Haven't regretted it!

joseph_harris📊Growing (50-100k)•less than a minute ago

Interesting! You mentioned platinum IRAs – are you seeing a lot of people diversifying into platinum, or just that it's a topic of discussion alongside the gold coin debate?

maria_campbell📊Growing (50-100k)✓ Verified•less than a minute ago

Interesting debate, but honestly, I think people overthink the Eagle vs. Buffalo thing for IRAs. For a retirement account, the numismatic value or slight premium differences usually get washed out over the long term. The key is just getting *any* eligible physical gold in there. Both are IRS-approved, so it really comes down to personal preference or whatever your dealer offers at the best price that day. Are folks really seeing significant performance differences based on which coin they picked?

patricia_miller📊Growing (50-100k)✓ Verified•less than a minute ago

Good question! It really boils down to personal preference for most people, as both are excellent choices for a precious metals IRA. Eagles are 22k and Buffalos are 24k, so if purity is your absolute top priority, Buffalos win. However, Eagles are backed by the US Mint with a face value, which some investors find reassuring.

Here's a good comparison that breaks down the pros and cons of each for IRA purposes: https://www.investopedia.com/gold-buffalo-vs-gold-eagle-5093121. Might help you decide what's best for your portfolio!

janet_cook📊Growing (50-100k)•less than a minute ago

Totally agree with you on the '08 crash and getting into tangible assets. Same here, honestly. I went with Eagles for my gold IRA, mainly because the premiums were slightly better at the time from my dealer. Plus, they're just super recognizable, which feels like a small peace of mind thing.

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