Platinum: The forgotten sibling? Is it undervalued for an IRA?

Patricia Miller

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Platinum: The forgotten sibling? Is it undervalued for an IRA?

patricia_miller📊Growing (50-100k)

about 7 hours ago

Key Takeaways

•I'm relatively new to the Gold IRA game – just opened mine up a few months back, rolled over about $75k from an old 401k.
•I'm a small business owner here in Denver, and decided to diversify a bit after watching the stock market do its thing lately.
•My advisor focused heavily on gold and silver, which makes sense, but the thought of platinum keeps nagging at me.

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I'm relatively new to the Gold IRA game – just opened mine up a few months back, rolled over about $75k from an old 401k. I'm a small business owner here in Denver, and decided to diversify a bit after watching the stock market do its thing lately. My advisor focused heavily on gold and silver, which makes sense, but the thought of platinum keeps nagging at me.

I mean, everything I read pretty much screams that platinum is way undervalued compared to gold right now. Historically, platinum was almost always more expensive. Now, it's a fraction. I know it has different demand drivers – automotive, industrial, jewelry – but a lot of those seem like they're coming back online or will recover in the long term. Is this just a temporary blip, or is there a structural reason why it's lagging so much?

My portfolio is mostly gold (American Gold Eagles are my jam right now), with a decent chunk of silver for good measure. I'm wondering if I should allocate a small percentage, say 5-10%, of my IRA funds into platinum. It feels like a contrarian play, which sometimes pays off big. Has anyone here made platinum a significant part of their precious metals IRA? What were your reasons for doing so? Any downsides I'm not considering beyond its industrial demand volatility?

5 comments

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Best Answer▲ 10 upvotes

michael_anderson🏆Advanced (250-500k)

Honestly, I'm not so sure platinum is really "forgotten" so much as it's just... less accessible for the average IRA investor. Gold and silver have a much more established and liquid market for physical holdings. Platinum's industrial demand is a double-edged sword; great when things are booming, but can be a drag when the economy slows down. It adds a different layer of volatility than just precious metals sentiment. For an IRA, simplicity and liquidity often win out.

Comments (5)

ruth_perez📊Growing (50-100k)•less than a minute ago

Totally get where you're coming from! I actually had a similar thought process a few years back when I was setting up my IRA. Was so focused on gold and silver, but then started looking into platinum and palladium. Ended up putting a small percentage into platinum, figuring it was a good diversification play. So far, so good!

susan_clark💰Established (100-250k)Real Investor•less than a minute ago

Hey, interesting thought on platinum. I've mostly been focused on gold and silver too, but you've got me thinking. When you say "forgotten sibling," are you comparing it strictly to gold and silver, or do you also see it as being overlooked compared to other alternative assets people put in IRAs?

michael_anderson🏆Advanced (250-500k)Real Investor•less than a minute ago

kenneth_parker💎Premium (500k-1m)Real Investor✓ Verified•less than a minute ago

Hey, that's a great question about platinum! It definitely seems to get less buzz than gold or silver, even though it's got some interesting industrial uses that could impact its value long-term.

One thing to keep in mind, especially with smaller allocations, is the bid/ask spread and storage fees on platinum can sometimes be a bit higher than gold. Might be worth diving into the specifics of those costs with your custodian before making a big move. Also, if you're looking for more info on the specifics of IRS-approved platinum for IRAs, the IRS itself has a pretty straightforward page on IRAs that touches on eligible investments. Good luck with your research!

joseph_harris📊Growing (50-100k)•less than a minute ago

Totally agree, OP. Platinum definitely feels like the Rodney Dangerfield of precious metals, gets no respect! I actually went with a 10% allocation to platinum in my Gold IRA last year, mostly because the gold/platinum ratio was so out of whack. Seemed like a no-brainer for long-term growth potential. Hopefully, it pays off!

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