Platinum vs. Gold in an IRA: Is it time to diversify?

Catherine Bell

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Platinum vs. Gold in an IRA: Is it time to diversify?

catherine_bell🏆Advanced (250-500k)

about 10 hours ago

Key Takeaways

•Been thinking a lot about platinum lately, especially with the gold run-up we've seen.
•Most of it’s in physical gold, held in a reputable vault out of state.
•However, I can't help but wonder if I'm missing an opportunity by not looking at platinum for some of that allocation.

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Been thinking a lot about platinum lately, especially with the gold run-up we've seen. My family's always been heavy into timber and real estate, but for my personal investment slice of the pie – we're talking about a decent chunk of change, probably sitting around $350k in my Gold IRA – I've been focused on the shiny stuff for a while now. Most of it’s in physical gold, held in a reputable vault out of state. However, I can't help but wonder if I'm missing an opportunity by not looking at platinum for some of that allocation.

I know platinum has its own set of industrial demands, particularly with auto catalysts, and that can make its price more volatile than gold. But from what I'm seeing, there's a significant discount to gold right now. We're talking about a metal that's rarer than gold, yet it’s trading hundreds of dollars an ounce cheaper. This feels like a classic "buy low" scenario for someone like me, who's really thinking about generational wealth preservation. I'm not looking to cash out next year; I'm planning for decades down the line, much like how my granddad managed the timberland around Spokane for future generations.

My concern is whether the industrial demand is strong enough to really push platinum prices up, or if the transition to EVs will eventually just crater demand. Or, is that already priced in? I’m mostly looking at platinum coins or bars for my IRA, if I decide to go that route. Are any of you who are experienced in precious metals IRAs diversifying into platinum right now, or are you sticking purely with gold and silver? What are the biggest pros and cons you see for platinum as a long-term hold in this kind of portfolio?

3 comments

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Best Answer▲ 8 upvotes

donald_nelson💎Premium (500k-1m)

Interesting thought about platinum, but I'd pump the brakes a bit on calling it a diversification play within precious metals for an IRA. While it's true platinum has industrial uses, for the purpose of protecting wealth against inflation and economic instability, gold tends to be the more established and liquid choice. You mentioned a "decent chunk of change" in your Gold IRA – with $350k, I'd argue sticking to the asset that has a longer, more consistent track record as a safe haven might be the wiser move, rather than venturing into a metal with more volatile price swings and a smaller market.

If diversification is the goal, perhaps looking beyond just precious metals, or at least at different types of precious metals, makes more sense. Platinum certainly has its place, but as a core IRA holding for wealth preservation, it might not be as robust as good old gold.

Comments (3)

christopher_young🌟Ultra (5m+)Real Investor✓ Verified•about 5 hours ago

Totally feel this! I've been eyeing platinum myself for similar reasons. My IRA is smaller than yours (envy!), but I had a similar "gold only" mindset for a while. Then I started seeing some interesting reports on platinum's industrial demand and the whole supply/demand picture started making me think about it as a serious diversification play. Haven't pulled the trigger yet, but definitely leaning that way.

dorothy_lopez💰Established (100-250k)Real Investor•about 5 hours ago

Hey, interesting post! When you say your family's "always been heavy into timber and real estate," are those *personal* investments you also hold, or more so family business assets? Just wondering how much diversification you already have outside of this $350k slice.

donald_nelson💎Premium (500k-1m)Real Investor✓ Verified•about 5 hours ago

Interesting thought about platinum, but I'd pump the brakes a bit on calling it a diversification play *within* precious metals for an IRA. While it's true platinum has industrial uses, for the purpose of protecting wealth against inflation and economic instability, gold tends to be the more established and liquid choice. You mentioned a "decent chunk of change" in your Gold IRA – with $350k, I'd argue sticking to the asset that has a longer, more consistent track record as a safe haven might be the wiser move, rather than venturing into a metal with more volatile price swings and a smaller market.

If diversification is the goal, perhaps looking beyond just precious metals, or at least at different *types* of precious metals, makes more sense. Platinum certainly has its place, but as a core IRA holding for wealth preservation, it might not be as robust as good old gold.

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