Thinking about adding Palladium to my IRA – good move or too risky?

• •Okay, so I've been doing a ton of research lately for my IRA and am seriously considering adding some palladium to the mix.
• •I'm aiming to be financially independent by 55, which is still a ways off, but I'm trying to get all my ducks in a row.
• •I know palladium can be pretty volatile, and it's definitely had its ups and downs.

Okay, so I've been doing a ton of research lately for my IRA and am seriously considering adding some palladium to the mix. Currently, I'm sitting on about $200k in my IRA, mostly in gold and a good chunk of silver, but the thought of diversifying further with palladium has really piqued my interest. I'm a marketing exec here in Minneapolis, trying to chart a course for a somewhat early retirement, so every investment decision feels pretty high-stakes right now. I'm aiming to be financially independent by 55, which is still a ways off, but I'm trying to get all my ducks in a row.

I know palladium can be pretty volatile, and it's definitely had its ups and downs. That's what makes me a little nervous, to be honest. On one hand, its industrial demand, especially in catalytic converters, seems pretty solid, even with the shift towards EVs (though that's another debate for another time). I keep thinking about platinum too, as a potential alternative, but palladium just feels like it has more upside potential right now. Am I just chasing headlines, or is there a strong fundamental case for it in a long-term retirement portfolio?

How are others approaching palladium in their precious metals IRA? Has anyone here had it as part of their strategy for a while? What are your experiences – good, bad, or ugly? I've been using that Retirement Planner tool a lot to model different scenarios with my gold, but adding palladium really throws a wrench into the numbers. Any insights on risk management strategies when including a more volatile asset like palladium would be super helpful. Just trying to figure out if this is a smart diversification play or just adding unnecessary risk into my plan.