Gold IRA journey - 5 years in, pretty happy but with questions

• •Hard to believe it's been five years since I first opened my Gold IRA.
• •As an accountant here in Atlanta, I've always been pretty meticulous about my investments, and the tax benefits were a huge draw initially.
• •I remember putting about $120k into it back then – mostly rolling over an old 401k that was just sitting there doing nothing exciting.

Hard to believe it's been five years since I first opened my Gold IRA. As an accountant here in Atlanta, I've always been pretty meticulous about my investments, and the tax benefits were a huge draw initially. I remember putting about $120k into it back then – mostly rolling over an old 401k that was just sitting there doing nothing exciting. The whole process was smoother than I expected, honestly. I had some initial anxieties about actually holding physical metals, but once I saw the setup and understood the insured storage, it felt much more tangible and secure than just numbers on a screen.

Fast forward to today, and I'm pretty pleased with the returns. My initial $120k investment is sitting around $185k now. That's a solid roughly 54% gain which, for a conservative, long-term play, I think is excellent. It definitely outperformed some of my other more "traditional" investments during a few of those choppy years, providing a nice hedge. The peace of mind knowing a portion of my retirement isn't directly tied to the whims of the stock market has been invaluable, especially with all the economic uncertainty we've seen lately. I've been eyeing the current gold prices and thinking about an additional contribution, maybe another $20k-$30k from some spare cash I have sitting around.

My main question to the group is about diversification within my gold IRA. It's currently all in American Gold Eagles. Has anyone had success with other types of precious metals like silver or platinum in their IRAs? I'm familiar with the IRS purity requirements, but I'm curious if the performance or volatility differs enough to warrant adding them. I know silver has a lower entry point, but the storage fees might eat into the margins more for smaller allocations. Also, for those who've held longer than 5 years, what are your thoughts on cashing out a portion down the line when I'm closer to retirement? Any unexpected tax implications I should be aware of beyond the standard distribution rules?

Appreciate any insights. It's good to hear from others who are navigating this space.