Rolled my old 401k into a Gold IRA after '08 - anyone else?

• •Just sitting here in Phoenix, enjoying the AC, and got to thinking about my investment journey.
• •After the whole 2008 mess, watching my 401k take a nosedive, I just couldn't stomach the thought of relying solely on stocks anymore.
• •I was a teacher for 30 years and that nest egg was my security.

Just sitting here in Phoenix, enjoying the AC, and got to thinking about my investment journey. After the whole 2008 mess, watching my 401k take a nosedive, I just couldn't stomach the thought of relying solely on stocks anymore. I was a teacher for 30 years and that nest egg was my security. So, around 2010, I started seriously looking into alternatives. Ended up doing a direct rollover of about $150k from my old 401k into a Gold IRA. Best decision I made for my peace of mind, honestly.

The process itself wasn't too bad, surprisingly. I worked with a company here in Arizona that specializes in precious metal IRAs – I actually visited their office a couple times, which made me feel a lot more comfortable. They handled all the paperwork with my old custodian and explained the storage options. It took a few weeks, but everything went smoothly. I remember being a bit nervous about the fees at first, but it felt like a worthwhile trade-off for the stability, especially being retired now.

It's not about getting rich overnight, obviously. For me, it's about preserving what I worked hard for. Seeing the value of my gold holdings slowly appreciate while the market occasionally does its rollercoaster thing just makes me feel a lot more secure. I've got other investments too, but the gold portion is definitely my "sleep-at-night" money.

Anyone else here go through a rollover from a traditional 401k or even an old pension into a Gold IRA? What was your experience like? Did you consider silver at all? I stuck with gold, but I'm always curious to hear what other folks chose and why.