My Gold IRA journey: 5 years in, 18% up - what are your long-term plays?

Sharon Evans

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My Gold IRA journey: 5 years in, 18% up - what are your long-term plays?

sharon_evans💰Established (100-250k)

about 2 months ago

Key Takeaways

•So, I'm coming up on my 5-year anniversary with my Gold IRA, and honestly, it’s been one of the smartest financial moves I’ve made.
•Back in late 2018, when things were looking a little shaky politically and the market felt… bouncy, I decided to pull the trigger.
•I started with around $130,000, mostly rolling over an old 401k.

The 3-step rollover process explained

So, I'm coming up on my 5-year anniversary with my Gold IRA, and honestly, it’s been one of the smartest financial moves I’ve made. Working for an oil company here in Tulsa, I've had the chance to pick the brains of some pretty sharp executives over the years – especially about diversifying. Back in late 2018, when things were looking a little shaky politically and the market felt… bouncy, I decided to pull the trigger.

I started with around $130,000, mostly rolling over an old 401k. I remember feeling a bit nervous, seeing those headlines about gold not giving huge returns year-over-year like tech stocks sometimes do. But my mantra has always been about stability and wealth preservation. Fast forward to today, and my account is sitting just north of $153,000. That’s about an 18% return. Yeah, it’s not making me rich overnight, but that's a solid, steady 3.6% average annual return when everything else felt like a rollercoaster. Knowing that chunk of my retirement is just there, tangible, feels good.

For those of you looking into it or just starting, I actually found the Gold IRA Calculator super helpful when I was first weighing my options. It really helped me visualize potential growth and understand the fees involved. I still check it occasionally just to run scenarios. I’m thinking about adding another $10k this year, mainly because I see inflation still ticking up, and frankly, I don't trust the Fed to get it under control anytime soon. My main concern lately is the spread on buying physical vs. the spot price. Has anyone else noticed that widening?

What are your long-term strategies for your precious metals IRAs? Are you holding physical or leaning more into ETFs? For those of you who have been in gold for a decade or more, what are the biggest lessons you've learned? I'm always open to new perspectives!

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7 comments

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Best Answer▲ 16 upvotes

william_davis💎Premium (500k-1m)

Honestly, 18% over five years isn't exactly setting the world on fire, is it? I mean, my S&P 500 portfolio's been doing that in a single year sometimes. I see gold as a hedge, a disaster play for when the dollar finally goes belly up, not a primary growth vehicle. I'm comfortable with the 10-15% of my portfolio in physical, but anyone looking at these numbers like they're crushing it might need a reality check on true market returns.

Comments (7)

steven_mitchell🏆Advanced (250-500k)Real Investor✓ Verified•about 2 months ago

Congrats on the 18% in five years, that's solid! Makes me feel a bit better about my own. I started mine about 3 years ago and I'm up around 10-12% – nothing crazy, but it's been a nice steady climb, especially with all the market weirdness lately. Definitely planning to hold for the long haul too. Curious to see what others are doing for their long-term strategies!

steven_mitchell🏆Advanced (250-500k)Real Investor✓ Verified•about 2 months ago

Hey, that's awesome to hear about your 18% up over five years! Congrats! Especially interesting about the oil company connection.

You mentioned "picking the brains of some pretty sharp folks" from the oil industry. Did any of their insights specifically influence your decision to go with a Gold IRA, or perhaps in how you structured it?

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

Congrats on the gains, 18% in 5 years is solid! But honestly, while gold is a decent hedge, I'm a bit surprised you're calling it one of your *smartest* financial moves with that return.

My S&P 500 index fund has blown that out of the water over the same period, and without the storage fees or spread issues. While I get the appeal of physical assets for some, purely from a growth perspective, there are definitely more aggressive long-term plays out there.

brian_edwards🌟Ultra (5m+)Real Investor✓ Verified•about 2 months ago

That's awesome to hear about your 18% gain! Always good to see long-term plays paying off. For anyone else looking into Gold IRAs, I found this Investopedia guide super helpful when I was first starting out. It breaks down the key things to look for in a custodian and what types of gold are eligible. Good luck with your next 5 years!

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

Honestly, 18% over five years isn't exactly setting the world on fire, is it? I mean, my S&P 500 portfolio's been doing that in a *single year* sometimes. I see gold as a hedge, a disaster play for when the dollar finally goes belly up, not a primary growth vehicle. I'm comfortable with the 10-15% of my portfolio in physical, but anyone looking at these numbers like they're crushing it might need a reality check on true market returns.

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

That's an impressive return, glad to hear it! I'm just getting started on my gold IRA journey this year, actually. I've heard a lot about physical vs. paper gold for IRAs, and I'm leaning heavily towards physical. Are there any particular custodians or storage solutions you'd recommend that offer good transparency and reasonable fees for that? I'm based in SF and access to my metals is a minor consideration, but security is paramount.

joyce_cooper📊Growing (50-100k)✓ Verified•about 2 months ago

Totally agree with this. I'm coming up on 6 years myself with my Gold IRA, out of Little Rock, and seeing similar returns. It's not the get-rich-quick scheme some folks wrongly believe, but for long-term stability and beating inflation, it's been rock solid. My initial jump was around $70k, mostly in Eagles, and watching it steadily climb has been a nice contrast to the stock market's rollercoaster. Been thinking about adding some silver next year.

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