Finally comfortable: Gold IRA paid off after the dot-com bust and 2008

Matthew Murphy

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Finally comfortable: Gold IRA paid off after the dot-com bust and 2008

matthew_murphy👑Elite (1m-5m)

about 1 month ago

Key Takeaways

•Okay, so I’m sitting here in Dublin, Ohio, looking at my updated statements and feeling… well, *relieved*.
•For years, my wife thought I was crazy, pouring so much of my exit capital into physical gold for my IRA.
•She’d say, "Brian, what about tech stocks?

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Okay, so I’m sitting here in Dublin, Ohio, looking at my updated statements and feeling… well, relieved. For years, my wife thought I was crazy, pouring so much of my exit capital into physical gold for my IRA. She’d say, "Brian, what about tech stocks? That's what you know!" And she wasn't wrong, I made my nut in software, but my gut told me diversification was key, especially after seeing so many of my friends hit hard in the early 2000s and then again in '08.

I started really focusing on gold in my retirement portfolio around 2005. Had a chunk of change from when we sold my first company, about $2 million after taxes, and after maxing out my 401(k) and other traditional investments, I rolled a good portion of an old, stagnant 401(k) and some other investment vehicles into a Gold IRA. We're talking almost $750k initially that I put into actual physical gold and silver, held by a custodian. It felt weird at first, not seeing it trade daily on my Schwab app, but the security was comforting.

Fast forward to now, and it’s genuinely paid off. That initial $750k? It's significantly higher, obviously not going to throw out exact numbers, but let's just say it's pushed my total portfolio well into the multi-million dollar range, comfortably over $3M now. The stability it provided during recent market jitters and inflation has been a godsend. It's not just about the monetary value; it's the peace of mind knowing a solid chunk of my retirement isn't tied to the volatility of the stock market, especially with young kids still to put through college.

Anyone else here feel that sense of vindication after sticking with their gold strategy for the long haul? I often wonder if I should have allocated even more back then. Hindsight is 20/20, right? What are your thoughts on rebalancing now that gold has seen such strong performance?

3 comments

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donna_rogers🏆Advanced (250-500k)

Hey, glad to hear things worked out for you, Brian! It's definitely reassuring when your long-term plays pay off. But I gotta say, while gold performed well during those specific crises, it's not always the magic bullet for every economic hiccup. There are plenty of other asset classes that have historically outperformed gold over different periods, even with the volatility. Diversification is key, not just in asset types but also in how you hold them. Just something to consider for anyone else looking at setting up their own "relief fund."

Comments (3)

margaret_chen🏆Advanced (250-500k)Real Investor•about 1 month ago

Man, I totally get this feeling. Not quite the same scale, but after the 2008 crash, I had a small side hustle income I was sitting on and decided to buy some physical silver. My dad thought I was nuts, kept saying "inflation isn't *that* bad, you'll regret not just putting it in a normal savings account." Fast forward to now, and that silver has been a surprisingly solid hedge against all the craziness. Feels good to have that little bit of peace of mind.

matthew_murphy👑Elite (1m-5m)Real Investor•about 1 month ago

Congrats on the relief! That's awesome to hear your patience paid off. Out of curiosity, when you say "exit capital," was that from selling a business or something else entirely?

donna_rogers🏆Advanced (250-500k)Real Investor•about 1 month ago

Hey, glad to hear things worked out for you, Brian! It's definitely reassuring when your long-term plays pay off. But I gotta say, while gold performed well during those specific crises, it's not always the magic bullet for every economic hiccup. There are plenty of other asset classes that have historically outperformed gold over different periods, even with the volatility. Diversification is key, not just in asset types but also in *how* you hold them. Just something to consider for anyone else looking at setting up their own "relief fund."

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