Palladium in the Gold IRA? Worth it or just more volatility?

Richard Garcia

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Palladium in the Gold IRA? Worth it or just more volatility?

richard_garcia👑Elite (1m-5m)

about 2 months ago

Key Takeaways

•Okay, so I've been sitting on a pretty substantial amount of gold in my IRA for years now – think pre-2008 prices for a good chunk of it.
•Now that I’m fully retired, I've been looking at diversifying within my precious metals bucket, and palladium keeps popping up.
•Apparently, it's got significant industrial demand, especially in catalytic converters.

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Okay, so I've been sitting on a pretty substantial amount of gold in my IRA for years now – think pre-2008 prices for a good chunk of it. Got about 1.5 million in my self-directed IRA, probably 60% of that is physical gold I bought through a reputable Houston dealer back when I was still working offshore for Exxon. Now that I’m fully retired, I've been looking at diversifying within my precious metals bucket, and palladium keeps popping up.

My financial advisor (who, bless his heart, sometimes sounds like he’s reading off a script whenever I bring up anything outside the standard S&P 500) sent me some pamphlets on it. Apparently, it's got significant industrial demand, especially in catalytic converters. I get the supply/demand argument, but I’m also seeing some wild price swings compared to gold. I'm talking about like +$200 in a week and then back down again. It makes sense why it moves differently, given the industrial dependence versus gold's historical role as a store of value. But is that volatility something I really want to be inviting into my retirement account at this stage?

Part of me thinks, "Hey, diversification within the metals is smart, especially if gold takes a breather." Another part of me, the one that saw oil prices crater back in the 80s and 90s, is wary of anything that relies too heavily on one or two specific industries. I'm not looking to get rich quick here; I'm looking to protect and grow what I've got without taking on unnecessary risk. My gold has been a rock for me, especially when the market’s been acting squirrelly. Is adding palladium going to throw off that stability?

So, for those of you who have actually held palladium in your self-directed IRAs, what’s your experience been like? Did you regret it? Has it outperformed gold for you long-term, or has it just been an extra headache with all the price movements? I’m genuinely curious to hear from folks who have walked this path before I make any moves. Should I stick to my guns with gold and maybe some silver, or is there a strong enough case for palladium at this level?

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5 comments

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Best Answer▲ 9 upvotes

james_wilson👑Elite (1m-5m)

Dude, I'm literally in the same boat, though with a much smaller IRA. I've been eyeing palladium myself. My advisor brought it up a few months ago as a way to diversify a bit beyond just gold and silver. I'm still on the fence though; the price swings look pretty wild. Glad to see someone else thinking about it too.

Comments (5)

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

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

Super interesting to hear about your gold holdings! Sounds like you've done incredibly well with those pre-2008 prices.

Just curious – when you say "physical gold I bought through a reputable Houston dealer," does that mean it's actually held physically by you, or by a custodian on your behalf as part of the IRA? Always wonder how that works with direct purchases vs. IRA-specific gold companies.

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

1.5 million in a self-directed, mostly gold IRA is fantastic, congrats on that! But when you're talking about adding palladium, I think it's important to differentiate between "more volatility" and "different volatility." Gold and Palladium, while both precious metals, don't always move in lockstep, and that's actually the whole point of diversification. It's not necessarily about finding something *less* volatile, but something that might zig when gold zags, or vice-versa.

You've got a killer gold position already, so adding a small percentage of palladium might actually reduce overall portfolio risk if it behaves somewhat independently. It's not about replacing gold, but complementing it. Just something to consider!

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

Hey, that's a great question about diversifying with palladium! Since you're looking at metals beyond just gold, it might be worth checking if your current dealer offers a good range of other IRS-approved precious metals for IRAs. Sometimes, staying with one reputable dealer for all your precious metals can simplify paperwork and storage logistics. Just a thought!

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

Totally agree with your sentiment here. Palladium definitely offers a different kind of diversification. I've also been stacking gold for a while now, though nowhere near your pre-2008 numbers – wow! My own IRA holds about 10% in palladium just to spread things out a bit. It’s been a wild ride, but in the long run, I think it'll prove its worth.

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