Rolled over 2M+ from my 401k to a Gold IRA last year - here's why and how it's going.

• •Thought I'd share my experience with a pretty significant Gold IRA rollover for those of you on the fence or just looking for some insights.
• •About 14 months ago, I pulled the trigger and moved a little over $2 million from my old 401k into a self-directed Gold IRA.
• •I've been a real estate developer for decades here in Aspen, and I understand hard assets.

Thought I'd share my experience with a pretty significant Gold IRA rollover for those of you on the fence or just looking for some insights. About 14 months ago, I pulled the trigger and moved a little over $2 million from my old 401k into a self-directed Gold IRA. My financial advisor (who's usually super conservative) finally agreed it was a smart play given the looming inflation numbers and the general instability I was seeing in the market.

I've been a real estate developer for decades here in Aspen, and I understand hard assets. My portfolio's always leaned heavily into tangible stuff – a lot of commercial properties, some raw land, and yeah, a good chunk in precious metals (mostly physical bullion in a vault, but this was my first significant foray into a tax-advantaged gold vehicle). The 401k was just sitting there, mostly in index funds, and honestly, it felt exposed. I watched a lot of those paper gains evaporate before my eyes a few times, and I just couldn't shake the feeling that another big correction was coming, probably worse than anything we've seen recently.

The process itself was fairly straightforward, more so than I expected. I worked with a reputable custodian – did a lot of due diligence on them, obviously. It was a direct rollover, so no taxes or penalties. I opted for a mix of gold and silver American Eagles and some Canadian Maples, stored securely in a non-bank vault in Delaware. There were some fees, naturally, but for the peace of mind and diversification, it felt like a minimal cost of doing business. Since then, the value of those holdings has appreciated nicely, definitely outperforming what the original 401k was doing, even with the recent market bounce.

Anyone else here made a similar move with a substantial portion of their retirement? What were your motivations? Have you looked at adding other alternative assets to your self-directed IRAs beyond just precious metals? I've been considering some private equity plays or even some fractional ownership in other high-value hard assets, but still kicking the tires on those.