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    How long did your 401k to Gold IRA rollover take? My first experience was a slog.

    Key Takeaways
    • •Okay, so I'm curious about other people's experiences with 401k to Gold IRA rollovers, especially the timeline.
    • •I just went through my first one, moving over a chunk of my old 401k (about $150k from a previous employer) into a self-directed Gold IRA.
    • •My first attempt felt like it took FOREVER to complete.
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    Okay, so I'm curious about other people's experiences with 401k to Gold IRA rollovers, especially the timeline. I just went through my first one, moving over a chunk of my old 401k (about $150k from a previous employer) into a self-directed Gold IRA. I'm a healthcare admin here in Tampa, pretty steady with my investments, and gold has always been a core part of my diversification strategy, so this was a natural move for me.

    My first attempt felt like it took FOREVER to complete. From the first phone call with the custodian to finally seeing the gold in my account (or rather, the proof of purchase and vault allocation), it was roughly 6 weeks. Is that normal? I mean, I get that there's paperwork, communication between custodians, and the actual purchase/shipping of the physical gold, but it felt a little drawn out. I was constantly following up, which probably didn't speed anything up.

    I'm contemplating rolling over another portion from my current 401k, maybe another $50k-$75k, but I'm trying to gauge if I should expect the same kind of wait. Did anyone have a much quicker turnaround? Or a much slower one? Are there specific things I should ask on the front end to potentially expedite the process? I've been doing some reading on the Learning Center which has been super helpful for understanding the mechanics, but real-world timelines are always different.

    Honestly, it's not like I needed the money immediately, but the transparency and speed of the transaction is something I value. Just wondering if my experience was typical or if I just had a particularly sluggish custodian for my first go. Appreciate any insights!

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    Best Answer▲ 19 upvotes
    R
    ronald_morris👑Elite (1m-5m)
    I keep going back and forth between gold and silver allocations. The gold-to-silver ratio right now is making silver look attractive.

    Comments (10)

    8
    dorothy_lopez💰Established (100-250k)Real Investor•about 2 months ago

    Honestly, mine was pretty smooth, maybe because I had all my ducks in a row beforehand. I had my new custodian picked out, knew exactly what I wanted to roll over, and had already done some due diligence on the gold dealer. Took about three weeks from first contact to the gold being in the vault. I wonder if some of it depends on the complexity of the old 401k plan or if your previous administrator was particularly slow.

    1
    helen_turner💰Established (100-250k)Real Investor•about 2 months ago

    Dude, I feel you on this one. My first rollover was also a bit of a marathon. I had a similar amount, maybe closer to $120k from an old company 401k, and it felt like it dragged on forever. From the initial paperwork with the new custodian to the old 401k plan finally releasing funds and then the gold actually being allocated, it was easily pushing 6 weeks. I swear I was checking my bank account every day!

    8
    carol_carter💰Established (100-250k)Real Investor•about 2 months ago

    Yikes, a slog doesn't sound fun! $150k is a good chunk of change to move. Could you elaborate a bit on what made it a "slog"? Was it the paperwork, dealing with the old 401k provider, or something else entirely?

    2
    michelle_collins🏆Advanced (250-500k)Real Investor•about 2 months ago

    Interesting take. I've heard the opposite from a few people though — would love to see some actual numbers on this.

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

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

    3
    jason_morgan💰Established (100-250k)Real Investor✓ Verified•about 2 months ago

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

    19
    ronald_morris👑Elite (1m-5m)Real Investor•about 2 months ago

    I keep going back and forth between gold and silver allocations. The gold-to-silver ratio right now is making silver look attractive.

    6
    helen_turner💰Established (100-250k)Real Investor•about 2 months ago

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

    1
    sharon_evans💰Established (100-250k)Real Investor•about 2 months ago

    I keep going back and forth between gold and silver allocations. The gold-to-silver ratio right now is making silver look attractive.

    7
    karen_robinson💼Starter (0-50k)•about 2 months ago

    I rolled over about $80k last year. Honestly the hardest part was just picking which metals to hold. Still second-guessing myself.

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