Gold's recent dip got me thinking... is it time to adjust my strategy?

• •Man, these past few weeks with gold pulling back have been a little unnerving, even for someone who breathes precious metals like me.
• •My Gold IRA, which I started about five years ago, is hovering right around the $75k mark.
• •For a jewelry store owner here in Providence, you’d think I’d be completely unflappable, but it’s still my retirement we’re talking about!

Man, these past few weeks with gold pulling back have been a little unnerving, even for someone who breathes precious metals like me. My Gold IRA, which I started about five years ago, is hovering right around the $75k mark. For a jewelry store owner here in Providence, you’d think I’d be completely unflappable, but it’s still my retirement we’re talking about! I've seen gold price swings a thousand times in the shop, but it feels different when it’s your own future wealth tied up in it, you know?

My current strategy has always been pretty straightforward: physical gold coins (American Gold Eagles are my go-to) in my IRA for long-term stability and inflation hedging. I honestly haven't looked at my balance much beyond quarterly statements, trusting in gold's historical performance. But seeing it dip below $2,300 an ounce made me really sit down and crunch some numbers. I actually found this cool tool called the Gold vs Stocks Comparison on Gold IRA Blueprint and spent way too long playing around with it, especially looking at the 10-year period. It’s pretty reassuring to see how gold stacks up against the S&P 500 over longer stretches, but it still doesn't stop the immediate anxiety.

I guess the question I’m wrestling with is this: Is this dip just a blip, or should I be considering dollar-cost averaging in some more during this lower period? I've got some cash reserves from a particularly good Q2 at the store, and it’s tempting to deploy it. On the other hand, what if it goes further down? My initial contributions were around $1,400 an ounce, so I'm still way up, but FOMO (fear of missing out) on a good buying opportunity is real, especially for a merchant!

Anyone else in a similar boat with their Gold IRA? Are you holding tight, buying the dip, or even thinking about rebalancing? Would love to hear some perspectives, especially from folks who’ve been through these kinds of cycles before. My gut says to stay the course, but my brain is telling me to be strategic. What’s your brain telling you?