Seriously, who here *actually* times the market with gold?

• •I've been in gold for over 20 years now, through a few recessions and plenty of ups and downs, and the "timing the market" discussion always pops up.
• •For me, especially coming from the auto industry here in Detroit where you learned to plan for the long haul, it just seems like a fool's errand.
• •I’ve always operated under the assumption that gold is a long-term hedge, a bedrock for my retirement, not a quick flip.

I've been in gold for over 20 years now, through a few recessions and plenty of ups and downs, and the "timing the market" discussion always pops up. For me, especially coming from the auto industry here in Detroit where you learned to plan for the long haul, it just seems like a fool's errand. My portfolio is probably sitting somewhere between $500k and $1M these days, a good chunk of that in physical gold and a Gold IRA, and honestly, the thought of trying to predict peaks and troughs gives me a headache. I’ve always operated under the assumption that gold is a long-term hedge, a bedrock for my retirement, not a quick flip.

My strategy has always been to dollar-cost average, adding a bit more when I can, especially if there's a dip that feels unjustified. But actively selling off a good portion of my holdings because I think it's going to drop, only to buy back in later? That sounds like a recipe for missing out on the big gains. I retired comfortably from the automotive sector a few years back, and a huge part of that comfort is knowing my gold is just there, doing its thing, not needing constant babysitting. I remember back in the early 2000s, everyone was convinced gold was going to crash. If I'd tried to time that, I would have missed out on years of significant appreciation.

So, I'm genuinely curious: Is there anyone here who successfully times the gold market? And I mean truly successfully, not just one lucky trade. Are you making more by trying to jump in and out compared to a buy-and-hold strategy? Or is it more of a theoretical discussion than something people actually implement with their serious retirement funds? I'm getting to the age where peace of mind is worth more than chasing every last percentage point, and tools like the Retirement Planner have been helpful in visualizing the long-term without needing to be a day trader.