Rolled over my 401k to a Gold IRA - best decision I ever made a couple decades ago

• •I’ve seen a lot of threads lately talking about diversifying out of traditional paper assets, and it got me thinking about my own journey.
• •I did a ton of research, probably drove my wife nuts with all the reading I was doing.
• •I landed on the idea of a Gold IRA.

I’ve seen a lot of threads lately talking about diversifying out of traditional paper assets, and it got me thinking about my own journey. Back when I retired from the auto industry here in Detroit, probably twenty years ago now, give or later a few years, I was sitting on a decent 401k – north of $500k at that point. The market was feeling shaky, even back then, and honestly, after seeing so many of my colleagues get hit hard by market downturns over the years, I was starting to feel really uneasy.

I did a ton of research, probably drove my wife nuts with all the reading I was doing. I landed on the idea of a Gold IRA. The whole process of rolling over a significant chunk of that 401k into physical gold, held in a depository, felt like a massive weight lifted off my shoulders. It wasn't about getting rich quick; it was about preserving what I'd worked my whole life for. Now, with the market doing… whatever it’s doing, I feel vindicated. My gold holdings have been a bedrock, completely uncorrelated to the stock market dips and swings. Just watching it hold its value, and even gain sometimes, while everything else feels like a roller coaster, is incredibly reassuring.

Anyone else here an old timer like me, got into gold twenty years back or even further? How are you feeling about your decision now? Also, for those nearing retirement or already there, are you starting to think about RMDs? I stumbled across this RMD Calculator (rmdcalculator.goldirablueprint.com) the other day and found it pretty helpful for mapping out what comes next. It’s always good to have a grasp on those numbers so there aren't any surprises.

My portfolio is probably closer to $800k now, with a good chunk of that still in gold. The peace of mind alone has been worth it. What are some of your biggest takeaways from diversifying into something like gold?