Gold ATH - Columbus teacher's firststeps, feeling good!

• •Okay, so that recent gold price surge to all-time highs was pretty wild, right?
• •I only put in about $10,000 to start, which, for me, was a pretty big chunk of change to move around.
• •I feel pretty good about diversifying away from just stocks.

Okay, so that recent gold price surge to all-time highs was pretty wild, right? As someone just dipping their toes into the Gold IRA world, it’s honestly a mix of “whoa, this is great!” and “...now what?” I’m a teacher here in Columbus, and I just opened my Gold IRA a few months ago, literally like three months ago. I only put in about $10,000 to start, which, for me, was a pretty big chunk of change to move around. Seeing that jump right after I got in feels like great timing, but also, part of me wonders if I should have waited or if I should be thinking about putting more in now.

I feel pretty good about diversifying away from just stocks. My regular retirement account is mostly in typical market funds, and honestly, the volatility gives me heartburn sometimes. The idea of having something tangible, something that historically holds its value when everything else goes a bit sideways, was a huge draw. My goal isn't to get rich overnight, it's more about preserving wealth for the long haul, especially with inflation always seeming to tick up. For others who've been in this game longer, is this kind of immediate jump typical, or did I just get lucky with my timing?

My total portfolio isn't huge, maybe around $40k-$50k across everything, so this Gold IRA is a significant piece of my non-401k strategy. I'm thinking about adding another $5k-10k next year, but seeing gold at these levels makes me pause. Do you seasoned investors typically just stick to your planned contributions regardless of the immediate price action, or do you try to "time" your buys a bit? I know timing the market is usually a fool's errand, but feels a bit different with physical assets, maybe?

Any thoughts from the community would be awesome. Especially interested in what people are doing after an ATH. Are you holding tight, looking at other precious metals, or even considering taking some gains if your portfolio allows? I'm committed to this for the long term, but always good to hear different perspectives.