Moving my 401k into gold and silver - feeling good about it

Frank Rivera

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Moving my 401k into gold and silver - feeling good about it

frank_rivera💎Premium (500k-1m)

about 7 hours ago

Key Takeaways

•Just wanted to share my experience with cashing out a chunk of my old 401k and rolling it into a gold and silver IRA.
•Been seeing a lot of chatter lately on the sub about inflation and the dollar's stability, and frankly, it resonated with me.
•I had about $800k in my old 401k, mostly in pretty standard mutual funds.

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Just wanted to share my experience with cashing out a chunk of my old 401k and rolling it into a gold and silver IRA. Been seeing a lot of chatter lately on the sub about inflation and the dollar's stability, and frankly, it resonated with me. After 22 years in the Navy, seeing the world and how different economies function, I've always had a healthy skepticism about putting all my eggs in one basket, especially when that basket is fiat currency.

I had about $800k in my old 401k, mostly in pretty standard mutual funds. My advisor kept saying it's diversified, but when you look at it, it's all still tied to the stock market. With all the geopolitical shifts happening, especially looking at things from a Pacific perspective, it just felt… exposed. So, after a lot of research and calls, I decided to take about 30% of that and roll it into a self-directed IRA, specifically for physical gold and silver. Yeah, there's fees and storage costs, but to me, it's insurance. It's sitting in a vault in Texas, and knowing it's there gives me a peace of mind that a spreadsheet balance just can't.

The process itself wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, though it definitely took some time and a fair bit of paperwork. The company I went with walked me through it, and while they obviously have a vested interest, they were pretty transparent about the whole thing. I kept the rest of my 401k in its original form, still in those mutual funds, so it's not like I went all-in. But having that tangible asset feels different. It's a hedge, especially with how quickly things can change on the global stage. I've seen enough economic turbulence in my time to know that diversification sometimes needs to go beyond just different stocks.

Curious if anyone else here has done something similar? What were your experiences? Any regrets? I'm based out here in Honolulu, and while our local economy feels pretty stable, the broader picture always makes me wonder. Thinking of maybe adding more silver in the future, particularly if prices dip.

3 comments

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Best Answer▲ 7 upvotes

sharon_evans💰Established (100-250k)

Hey, glad you're feeling good about your choices! It's definitely a common sentiment right now, and protecting wealth is always smart. Just throwing it out there, though, while precious metals can be a solid hedge, they don't typically offer the same growth potential as a diversified stock portfolio over the long haul. Especially for someone who's already put in 22 years, there's a lot to be said for continued growth.

Comments (3)

james_wilson👑Elite (1m-5m)Real Investor✓ Verified•less than a minute ago

Totally get this! I did something similar with an old 401k from a previous job last year. The whole inflation discussion definitely got me thinking, and it just felt like a more secure move for some of my long-term savings. No regrets so far!

helen_turner💰Established (100-250k)Real Investor•less than a minute ago

That's a pretty big move! Glad you're feeling good about it. Quick question though, how did you decide on the specific metals to include? Was it just gold and silver, or did you consider platinum or palladium at all?