My Silver Stacking Journey and Strategy (and a question

Thomas Walker

Back to forum

⭕ Gold Rounds

My Silver Stacking Journey and Strategy (and a question

thomas_walker🏆Advanced (250-500k)

3 months ago

Key Takeaways

•Hey everyone, Thomas Walker here from sunny San Diego!
•Good to be back on the forum.
•As some of you might know, I'm a military retiree, and after all those years of service, financial security has always been a huge priority for me.

The 3-step rollover process explained

Hey everyone, Thomas Walker here from sunny San Diego! Good to be back on the forum. As some of you might know, I'm a military retiree, and after all those years of service, financial security has always been a huge priority for me. That's why I started delving into precious metals, and boy, has it been an interesting journey. Today, I wanted to share a bit about my silver stacking strategy and open it up for discussion.

I got started with silver about 10 years ago, after watching the market for a bit. My initial thought was to diversify out of just stocks and bonds, and silver felt like a more accessible entry point than gold at the time. I started small, buying 1 oz silver rounds and some American Silver Eagles when I found decent premiums. Over the years, I’ve built up a pretty respectable stack – I'd say I'm sitting on about 800 ounces of physical silver now, mostly in rounds and a good chunk of those lovely Eagles. My strategy has always been to buy on dips and dollar-cost average, which has served me well so far. I also keep a close eye on the gold-to-silver ratio; when it gets high, I tend to favor silver, thinking it has more room to run.

One thing I've been thinking about more and more lately, especially as I get a bit older, is how my precious metals might factor into my future RMDs from my IRA. I've got a decent amount of gold and silver in a self-directed gold IRA, and while I understand the basic rules, I’ve been looking for good tools to help plan. I recently stumbled upon this RMD Calculator at https://rmdcalculator.goldirablueprint.com/, which seems really useful for projecting those required minimum distributions. Has anyone else used this specific tool, or something similar, and found it helpful for planning their precious metals withdrawals?

Beyond the RMDs, I'm also curious about other strategies you all employ for silver. Do you prefer bars over rounds? Any specific types of government-backed coins you gravitate towards? And for those of you who have been stacking for a long time, what are your personal experiences regarding liquidity when it comes time to sell? Always appreciate hearing from this knowledgeable community!

9 comments

Considering a Gold IRA for your retirement?

Get a free info kit from a top-rated company — trusted by thousands of investors.

Under $100k? Compare options →

62 people viewed this today8 members requested a free kit this week12 investors bookmarked this

Best Answer▲ 18 upvotes

joyce_cooper📊Growing (50-100k)

Your strategy of focusing on pre-1965 junk silver for its intrinsic value is solid, especially with today's premiums. I've been considering bolstering my own silver holdings here in Little Rock, but also trying to weigh the potential for capital appreciation against the stability. For silver fans, check out the Silver vs Stocks comparison at https://silvervsstocks.goldirablueprint.com/?period=10Y – it really puts things in perspective. My question for you is: with RMDs in mind, have you thought about how you'll manage liquidating a portion of your physical silver without incurring significant dealer fees or premiums on the sell-side?

Comments (9)

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

I've seen a lot of folks in my local investor group here in Fresno shift focus from silver to gold, especially with the inflation numbers coming out. For my Gold IRA, I leaned heavily into American Gold Eagles back in 2021 when my portfolio was sitting around $75k, and that's been a pretty solid move compared to some of the silver plays I considered. While physical silver definitely has its place, the liquidity and consistent performance of gold during market dips has given me more peace of mind regarding those eventual RMDs.

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

Great post! Really resonated with your long-term view. I’ve been building my own precious metals portfolio here in Boise for about seven years now, primarily through my gold IRA. Started with a 401k rollover after leaving my old job, and those tax advantages have been huge for my retirement savings. Currently sitting on about $75k in physical gold and silver within that account, and it’s been a fantastic anchor against market volatility.

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

Super interesting to hear about your silver stacking journey! I'm relatively new to this whole precious metals thing myself, just opened my Gold IRA last year after talking with my financial advisor in Memphis. I'm wondering, since you're well into this, what's your take on diversifying between physical gold/silver and a Gold IRA? I put about $150k into my IRA, but I'm still trying to figure out if I should be buying more physical here at home too.

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

Interesting thread, great to see others thinking long-term about wealth preservation. I've been in PMs for a while, mostly gold; my firm's diversified but I always keep a solid hedge. On the RMD front, I completely get the concern – those can be a real headache to plan around effectively without eroding your principal more than necessary. I actually used the IRA Calculator at Gold IRA Blueprint when mapping out my own RMD strategy a few years back for my gold holdings; it really helped me visualize the different scenarios and understand the tax implications of various withdrawal timings without constantly bugging my accountant.

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

Interesting thread, especially the RMD question. While silver's been a fun ride for many, I actually pulled most of my physical silver out of my IRA a few years back and rolled those funds into a Gold IRA with Augusta Precious Metals. My worry was always the higher volatility and wider bid-ask spread on silver when it came to a large liquidation for RMDs later on. For me, with just under $50K invested and living in Columbus, the stability of gold for that eventual withdrawal felt like a much safer bet.

andrew_roberts👑Elite (1m-5m)Real Investor✓ Verified•about 2 months ago

Good on you for thinking about those RMDs now; they sneak up faster than you think. From my experience with my Gold IRA, setting up a direct distribution to your bank from the custodian made things seamless for my first few withdrawals back in '21. Just make sure you confirm their exact process and timelines well in advance, especially if you're looking to take it in physical form; that's a whole different ballgame and not something I'd recommend for *required* distributions given the logistical headaches.

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

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

This is exactly the kind of anecdotal wisdom I appreciate! I've been eyeing more silver for my own Gold IRA and your journey, especially with the RMD mention, is incredibly timely. Seriously, hearing about someone else navigating the RMD waters with physical precious metals helps solidify my own strategy – much appreciated from Atlanta!

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

@Mark Adams – Totally agree on the wealth preservation front. I'm in Detroit and have been in precious metals for a good while myself, transitioned a chunk of my 401k to a gold IRA back in '19. The RMD discussions are timely, especially as I'm getting closer to needing to factor those in. The tax advantages of the gold IRA were a big draw for me. Honestly, I used the IRA Calculator from the sidebar – specifically, the one at https://calculator.goldirablueprint.com/?forum – and was surprised by the projections for my retirement savings. Did you do a full 401k rollover or just a portion?