Just passed 5 years with my Gold IRA - some thoughts and a quick look at returns

• •Hard to believe it's been five years since I first opened my Gold IRA.
• •I started pretty small, just around $25k to roll over from an old 401k.
• •My portfolio is sitting just under $150k now, which isn't life-changing money, but seeing that growth and stability is incredibly reassuring.

Hard to believe it's been five years since I first opened my Gold IRA. Time really flies. I remember being super hesitant back then, felt like a huge step, and honestly, a bit out of my comfort zone as someone who'd always just done the 'standard' 401k/stock market thing. But with all the economic uncertainty, especially coming out of the pandemic chaos, I started looking for something more stable, something to actually preserve my wealth long-term.

I started pretty small, just around $25k to roll over from an old 401k. Over the past five years, I've steadily contributed whenever I could, usually a few thousand here or there when I had extra cash flow from my healthcare admin job. My portfolio is sitting just under $150k now, which isn't life-changing money, but seeing that growth and stability is incredibly reassuring. Living in Tampa, where real estate prices are just insane, having this tangible asset feels like a solid anchor in my overall financial plan. I've always viewed this as a hedge, not a get-rich-quick scheme, so steady gains are exactly what I signed up for.

The biggest question I always get from friends is about the returns compared to the stock market. I actually just used that Gold vs Stocks Comparison tool the other day to get a clearer picture for my own planning. For the 5-year mark, gold has definitely held its own, and in some periods, really shined compared to broader market indices. It's not always the flashiest performer, but the consistency and protection during market downturns have been invaluable. Anyone else feel the same way about its role in their portfolio?

I'm not gonna lie, there have been moments I've thought about pulling some out, especially when my mortgage rate got adjusted up, but I've held firm. My plan is to keep building this up for the long haul, probably another 10-15 years until I'm thinking about retirement. What are others' exit strategies or milestones for their Gold IRAs? Is anyone else thinking longer than 10 years out?