My wife talked me into a Gold IRA, and honestly, she was right.

• •Never thought I’d be posting about my wife’s financial advice, but here we are.
• •I’ve always been pretty traditional with my investments – mostly S&P 500, some real estate with the farm and a few rental properties.
• •My portfolio was sitting around $200k, not spectacular, not terrible.

Never thought I’d be posting about my wife’s financial advice, but here we are. For years, she’s been on about “diversifying” and “hedging against inflation,” which, coming from a woman who debates the price of a sack of feed for an hour, is saying something. I’ve always been pretty traditional with my investments – mostly S&P 500, some real estate with the farm and a few rental properties. My portfolio was sitting around $200k, not spectacular, not terrible.

Then last spring, with all the talk about interest rate hikes and global instability, she really leaned in on the gold thing. Showed me articles, explained the historical performance during recessions, even pointed out that every single horse blanket I own costs more than a decent gold coin. Finally, I figured, what’s the harm in moving a small percentage? I ended up rolling over about $30k from an old 401k into a Gold IRA. Did it through some company she found online, based out of Texas I think, and the process was surprisingly smooth. They shipped the metals to a depository in Delaware, all above board.

Now, I’m not saying I’m a genius, or that gold is going to make me rich overnight. But with the way things have been going, especially with the dollar looking a bit rocky and gas prices making my drive from Louisville to the farm feel like an international expedition, it just feels safer. It’s a tangible asset, something you can actually hold (theoretically, since it’s in a vault). There's a peace of mind knowing a portion of my retirement isn't entirely dependent on market whims.

Anyone else get convinced by a non-investor spouse or friend to make a move like this? And for those who've held gold in their IRA for a while, what are your long-term thoughts on its performance vs. typical paper assets?