How I moved part of my 401k to physical gold this year

Helen Turner

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How I moved part of my 401k to physical gold this year

helen_turner💰Established (100-250k)

about 2 months ago

Key Takeaways

•Thought I'd share my experience with rolling over a chunk of my old 401k into a Gold IRA.
•Especially with everything feeling a bit shaky the last few years.
•I had about $180k sitting in an old 401k from a previous job that was just… well, sitting there.

The 3-step rollover process explained

Thought I'd share my experience with rolling over a chunk of my old 401k into a Gold IRA. I’ve owned the horse farm outside of Louisville for 20 years now, and while I wouldn't call myself a prepper, I definitely believe in being practical about wealth and not having all your eggs in one basket. Especially with everything feeling a bit shaky the last few years.

I had about $180k sitting in an old 401k from a previous job that was just… well, sitting there. It was doing okay, but I kept thinking about how a good portion of it was in tech stocks and other things I don't really understand or trust long-term. My dad always said, "If you can't hold it, you don't own it," and that really resonated with me regarding my investments. So, after a few months of research and talking to some folks, I decided to move about $75k of that into physical gold. The process was surprisingly straightforward. I opened a self-directed IRA with a custodian specializing in precious metals, and then purchased American Gold Eagles and some Canadian Maple Leafs. They're stored in a secure depository in Delaware – didn’t want to store them in Kentucky, just for peace of mind.

It’s a bit of a relief, honestly. Knowing that a decent segment of my retirement savings isn't tied directly to the ups and downs of the stock market, especially heading into an election year, gives me some peace of mind. It feels more tangible, more "real" than just numbers on a screen. The fees weren't negligible for setting it all up and for storage, but I see it as a long-term hedge against inflation and economic instability.

For those of you who've done something similar, what's been your experience? Any unexpected benefits or drawbacks? And for those considering it, what are your biggest reservations?

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13 comments

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Best Answer▲ 19 upvotes

matthew_murphy👑Elite (1m-5m)

My advisor told me 10-15% in gold is the sweet spot but I went heavier. We'll see how it plays out.

Comments (13)

ruth_perez📊Growing (50-100k)•about 2 months ago

Hey, glad to hear your rollover went smoothly! I did something really similar a few months back with an old 401k from a job I left a while ago. It was surprisingly straightforward, and honestly, the peace of mind having some tangible assets outside of "the system" is pretty great. Definitely agree on not having all your eggs in one basket!

joseph_harris📊Growing (50-100k)•about 2 months ago

That's an interesting move! Good on you for diversifying. When you say "physical gold," are we talking about actual coins or bars held in a depository, or a gold ETF?

timothy_reed💎Premium (500k-1m)Real Investor•about 2 months ago

Hey, that's really interesting! While I totally get the "not all eggs in one basket" philosophy, sometimes I wonder if the *physical* gold route adds an extra layer of complexity that isn't always worth it. With storage fees and liquidity concerns, is it truly more practical than just a good diversified portfolio with some gold exposure via ETFs?

karen_robinson💼Starter (0-50k)•about 2 months ago

That's awesome you're diversifying! It's definitely smart to not have all your eggs in one basket, especially with the current economic climate. Just a heads-up for anyone else looking into this: make sure you understand the difference between *allocating a portion of your existing IRA/401k* to gold vs. *physically taking possession* of gold coins or bars that then aren't part of a tax-advantaged account anymore. The latter can trigger taxes and penalties. Always good to chat with a financial advisor who specializes in precious metals IRAs!

diane_bailey💰Established (100-250k)Real Investor•about 2 months ago

Totally agree with this! Diversification is key these days, especially with how volatile the market has been. I actually did something similar with an old Roth 401k from a previous job last year, rolled it into a Gold IRA. The process was way smoother than I expected, and it's nice having that peace of mind knowing a portion of my retirement is in something tangible like gold.

linda_taylor📊Growing (50-100k)✓ Verified•about 1 month ago

Been looking into this myself — the fees on some of these custodians are wild. Anyone found one that doesn't gouge you?

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

My advisor told me 10-15% in gold is the sweet spot but I went heavier. We'll see how it plays out.

robert_thompson💰Established (100-250k)Real Investor✓ Verified•about 1 month ago

Genuinely curious — has anyone here actually tried to liquidate from their gold IRA? How smooth was that process?

joseph_harris📊Growing (50-100k)•about 1 month ago

Just started my rollover process last month. The paperwork alone almost made me quit lol.

diane_bailey💰Established (100-250k)Real Investor•about 1 month ago

I was pretty skeptical about another gold IRA forum but the tools here on GIRAB actually surprised me — the calculator alone saved me hours of spreadsheet work.

laura_sanchez💰Established (100-250k)Real Investor✓ Verified•about 1 month ago

Been looking into this myself — the fees on some of these custodians are wild. Anyone found one that doesn't gouge you?

barbara_white🏆Advanced (250-500k)Real Investor✓ Verified•about 1 month ago

I was pretty skeptical about another gold IRA forum but the tools here on GIRAB actually surprised me — the calculator alone saved me hours of spreadsheet work.