My 5-Year Gold IRA Ride - Not Quite the Gold Rush I Expected, But Steady

• •Been a part of this community for a while, mostly lurking and learning, but figured it was time to share my own experience with a Gold IRA.
• •I rolled over about $350k from an old 401k five years ago, back in late 2019.
• •The idea of holding physical gold, even if it's in a vault in Delaware, just felt right to a midwesterner like me.

Been a part of this community for a while, mostly lurking and learning, but figured it was time to share my own experience with a Gold IRA. I rolled over about $350k from an old 401k five years ago, back in late 2019. Dairy processing business has been good to me, and I wanted some real tangible assets in my retirement portfolio, especially with all the talk about inflation and instability. The idea of holding physical gold, even if it's in a vault in Delaware, just felt right to a midwesterner like me. Something you can touch, not just lines on a screen.

My initial expectation wasn’t to get rich quick, but I definitely thought I’d see some more significant gains. Honestly, it's been a bit of a slow burn. My custodian sends me statements, and while the value has gone up, it’s not shooting the lights out. I think my initial purchase price for most of the gold was around $1500-$1600 an ounce, and we’re obviously a good bit above that now. So, on paper, I'm up. But when I compare it to some of the general market gains, especially in tech during that same period… well, it makes you think.

What I do appreciate is the stability. When the market gets turbulent, like it did a few times over these last five years, my gold just… sits there. It’s a comforting thought, knowing that a significant chunk of my retirement isn't going to vanish overnight because some talking head said something stupid or a company missed its earnings. It's like having a good old-fashioned bank account, but in gold. And the tax advantages of the IRA structure are a real bonus for future planning.

So, here’s my question for you all: for those of you who've been in Gold IRAs for a similar or longer duration, what have your returns looked like? Are my expectations out of whack, or is this par for the course with physical precious metals? I'm not planning on doing anything drastic, but always good to hear other perspectives. Maybe I should have put more into silver bars then, those seem to have done better recently?