Physical vs. Paper Gold for IRA - My Experience and Thoughts

• •I've been seeing a lot of chatter lately, both on here and in some of my other financial circles, about the "best" way to hold gold in an IRA.
• •Specifically, the old physical vs.
• •For me, the decision to go with a physical Gold IRA was pretty straightforward, even if the setup was a bit more involved.

I've been seeing a lot of chatter lately, both on here and in some of my other financial circles, about the "best" way to hold gold in an IRA. Specifically, the old physical vs. paper gold debate. As someone with a good chunk of change tied up in this sector for wealth preservation, I wanted to throw my two cents in and see what others are thinking.

For me, the decision to go with a physical Gold IRA was pretty straightforward, even if the setup was a bit more involved. I have a 7-figure portfolio, and my primary goal is absolutely wealth preservation, not aggressive growth. Call it a lawyer’s cautious nature, but the idea of holding something tangible, something that can’t be digitally erased or tied up in some convoluted financial instrument, brings me a lot of peace of mind. I started seriously looking into this about 5 years ago, right when inflation fears started becoming a more common conversation in Philly. I moved about 10% of my total portfolio, roughly $800k at the time, into a Gold IRA. The process of finding a reputable custodian and getting those actual coins and bars securely stored was a learning curve, but worth it in my view.

My concern with "paper gold," whether it's ETFs or futures contracts, has always been the counterparty risk. If the market goes sideways in a serious way, do I really own that gold, or do I own a promise of gold? For someone like me who is focused on insulating my assets from systemic shocks, that distinction is crucial. I mean, what’s the point of having a safe-haven asset if its safety is dependent on the solvency of a third party? I know some folks argue about liquidity and lower fees with paper gold, and sure, those are valid points for some strategies, but for my specific goals, they just don't outweigh the fundamental security of physical ownership.

So, for those of you who have made similar decisions, or even those who lean towards paper gold, what were your ultimate deciding factors? Are there perspectives on paper gold that I might be overlooking given my wealth preservation focus? Curious to hear some real-world experiences, especially from anyone who's had to liquidate or make changes to their Gold IRA recently.