Silver Stacking as a Gold IRA Investor - My Journey & Strategy

• •Been seeing a lot of posts lately about folks just starting out with precious metals, and it got me thinking about my own silver stacking journey.
• •My strategy isn't super complex, but it works for me.
• •I usually aim for a mix of larger bars and some recognizable coins.

Been seeing a lot of posts lately about folks just starting out with precious metals, and it got me thinking about my own silver stacking journey. I'm primarily a Gold IRA investor, have it pretty well funded at this point, sitting comfortably between $300k-$400k in my IRA, but I started adding silver to my personal physical holdings about five years ago. My initial thought process, coming from a military background and living out here in San Diego, was always about financial security and having something tangible. Gold was the big one for the IRA, obviously, but silver felt like a more accessible way to diversify my physical assets outside of that, especially for smaller, more immediate needs if things ever went sideways.

My strategy isn't super complex, but it works for me. I usually aim for a mix of larger bars and some recognizable coins. For bars, I prefer 10 oz and even 100 oz when I can get a decent premium. It’s a lot easier to store and track those. For coins, I stick mostly to American Silver Eagles and Canadian Maples. They’re globally recognized, have lower premiums sometimes than other sovereign mints, and are fairly liquid. I'm not really into numismatics or collecting rare proof coins; I'm purely looking at this from a wealth preservation and potential bartering perspective. I usually set aside a certain amount each month from my pension to buy, or more if there's a dip I can jump on. I also like to buy from a local dealer here in San Diego sometimes, just to support local business and build a relationship.

One thing I've learned is that premiums can really eat into your returns if you're not careful. I track spot prices pretty closely and try to buy when premiums are lower. I also don't view silver as a get-rich-quick scheme. For me, it's a long-term play, a hedge against inflation and economic uncertainty. It’s a tangible asset that can’t be digitally erased or subject to political whims in the same way traditional financial instruments might be. The feeling of holding those physical coins and bars is also just… satisfying, which I know sounds a bit silly, but it's true.

My goal is to eventually have about 10-15% of my non-IRA portfolio in physical silver, probably pushing for around $30k-$50k worth. I’m probably about halfway there now. For those of you also stacking, what are your preferred weights and types of silver? Any specific dealers you've had consistently good experiences with, especially if they are transparent about premiums?