Rolled a chunk of my 401k into gold coins - happy with the move so far

Ruth Perez

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Rolled a chunk of my 401k into gold coins - happy with the move so far

ruth_perez📊Growing (50-100k)

4 days ago

Key Takeaways

•The process itself was smoother than I expected.
•My biggest concern was the paperwork and making sure I didn't mess up any IRS rules, but the company I worked with was pretty hands-on.
•They really walked me through the direct rollover process, which was a relief.

The 3-step rollover process explained

Just wanted to share my experience – about six months ago, I finally pulled the trigger on diversifying a good portion of my government 401k into a Gold IRA, specifically focusing on physical gold coins. I’m an Albuquerque-based government employee, and while my pension is solid, I’m always looking at ways to supplement it, especially with all the market volatility lately. I had about an $80k chunk that I wasn’t comfortable having entirely in equities, so I did a direct rollover into a self-directed IRA and used a custodian to get some American Gold Eagles.

The process itself was smoother than I expected. My biggest concern was the paperwork and making sure I didn't mess up any IRS rules, but the company I worked with was pretty hands-on. They really walked me through the direct rollover process, which was a relief. The fees were a consideration, of course, but I felt like the peace of mind knowing I have some tangible assets outside of the traditional financial system was worth it. It’s not like I’m dumping everything into gold, but it feels good to have that hedge.

I know gold can be a bit of a controversial topic for some, and you hear the anti-gold arguments all the time. But honestly, watching the news from abroad and seeing the inflation numbers, I feel a lot better having some of my retirement in something that historically holds value during uncertain times. Plus, knowing I have physical coins makes it feel more real than just numbers on a screen.

For anyone else in a similar boat, maybe with a 401k from a stable government job and looking to broaden their retirement strategy, have you considered moving some into precious metals? What were your biggest hesitations, and did you overcome them? Curious to hear other folks' experiences with this.

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3 comments

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Best Answer▲ 8 upvotes

sharon_evans💰Established (100-250k)

Hey, glad it's working out for you! While I totally get the appeal of physical gold for peace of mind, it's worth remembering that holding actual coins can come with higher premiums and storage costs compared to, say, a gold ETF within a self-directed IRA. Just something to keep an eye on when weighing those long-term returns, especially if the market takes a while to really pop off. Always good to diversify regardless!

Comments (3)

jennifer_martinez💰Established (100-250k)Real Investor✓ Verified•3 days ago

Nice! Always good to hear positive experiences. I did something similar a couple of years ago with an old 403b from a previous job. Had a good chunk just sitting there, not really doing much, so decided to roll a portion into a Gold IRA. Definitely gives me a bit more peace of mind.

margaret_chen🏆Advanced (250-500k)Real Investor•3 days ago

Hey, that's awesome to hear! Glad it's working out for you.

Quick question though: when you say "physical gold coins," are we talking about specific types like Eagles or Maples, or something else? Just curious about what you decided to go with.