Silver Eagles vs. Generic Rounds for IRA? Weighing Options.
- •Been kicking around the idea of adding some more silver to my IRA, and this question always pops up: ASEs or generic rounds?
- •Right now, my precious metals are mostly gold, with a little stack of junk silver I accumulated over the years just for fun.
- •But for the IRA, I'm thinking bigger.
Been kicking around the idea of adding some more silver to my IRA, and this question always pops up: ASEs or generic rounds? Right now, my precious metals are mostly gold, with a little stack of junk silver I accumulated over the years just for fun. But for the IRA, I'm thinking bigger. My portfolio's sitting around $700k, and I'm looking to put another $50k into silver, maybe $100k eventually. I'm 58, still working hard in the dairy industry here in Madison, but retirement's getting closer, and I want to make sure I'm diversified.
I know the deal with ASEs – government minted, higher premium, recognized worldwide, all that good stuff. The generic rounds, obviously, are cheaper per ounce. My gut tells me that for an IRA, where you're not physically holding it daily and the goal is long-term value preservation, the lower premium of generics just makes more sense. Why pay an extra 20-30% for a fancy eagle when spot price is what really drives the value? I don't plan on breaking these out to barter for milk or cheese in some doomsday scenario, so collectibility isn't a factor for me. My main concern is getting the most silver for my dollar.
On the flip side, some folks swear by ASEs for liquidity and resalability. They say when it comes time to convert it back to cash, the Eagles will be easier to move and command a better price. But honestly, how much of a premium do you really see on resale? Enough to offset the higher upfront cost? I'm trying to be pragmatic here, like any good midwesterner. I’ve been using that Retirement Planner tool over at Gold IRA Blueprint to map out my retirement funds, and every dollar saved on premiums means more actual silver in the account, which affects those long-term projections. It’s hard to justify that extra premium when I'm looking at it purely as an investment vehicle.
So, for those of you who've actually pulled the trigger and put silver in your IRA, what route did you go? Any regrets going one way or the other? I’m leaning generic, but I'm absolutely open to hearing compelling arguments for the Eagles. Share your experiences!