Still bullish on silver after all these years - my strategy (and some questions for the community)

• •Thought I'd share a bit about my silver journey, especially since I'm seeing a lot of new faces discussing precious metals.
• •I've been stacking silver for well over a decade now, even before I retired from the energy sector here in Houston.
• •Initially, it was a hedge against inflation and a way to diversify away from what I saw as overvalued tech stocks.

Thought I'd share a bit about my silver journey, especially since I'm seeing a lot of new faces discussing precious metals. I've been stacking silver for well over a decade now, even before I retired from the energy sector here in Houston. Initially, it was a hedge against inflation and a way to diversify away from what I saw as overvalued tech stocks. My initial strategy was pretty simple: put about 10-15% of my portfolio into physical silver and gold, bought locally at dealers I trusted. It wasn't always smooth sailing, let me tell you. There were definitely times early on where I questioned my conviction, especially after periods of stagnation, but I always kept my long-term vision in mind.

My strategy has evolved a bit since I started. After rolling over a large chunk of my 401(k) into a Gold IRA a few years back – a decision I’m still incredibly glad I made – I’ve been a bit more tactical. For my physical holdings, I’m still a big believer in dollar-cost averaging. Every month, I allocate a set amount to buy either coins or bars, depending on what I can find at a good premium. I don't chase the dips or try to time the market too much anymore; consistency is key for me. With my IRA holdings, that’s where the bigger chunks of capital are, primarily in gold, but with a solid percentage of silver ETFs and some specific silver mining stocks I like. I’ve probably got around $750k in precious metals across all my accounts, with a good chunk of that in physical silver.

Sometimes I jump on tools like Silver vs Stocks to just quickly compare how silver has performed against the S&P 500 over different periods (I usually look at the 10-year view). It’s always reassuring to see that even with some of the volatility, silver has held its own, and in some periods, really shined. This helps me stay grounded and not get swept up in the mainstream financial media hype. My biggest lesson has been patience and never investing more than I’m comfortable holding for the very long term. This isn't a get-rich-quick scheme; it's wealth preservation and diversification.

I’m curious to hear from others though. For those of you who have been in the game for a while, how has your silver strategy evolved? Are you leaning more towards physical, or are you incorporating more mining stocks or ETFs into your retirement accounts? And for the newer folks, what initially drew you to silver, and what are your biggest concerns or questions right now? Always good to hear different perspectives.