401k to Gold IRA - My Experience with the Timeline (and some questions for you all)

• •So I finally pulled the trigger on getting my 401k rolled over into a Gold IRA, and man, the timeline was...
• •The longest part, by far, was getting my old 401k administrator to actually release the funds.
• •It wasn't until I basically harassed them daily that things started moving.

So I finally pulled the trigger on getting my 401k rolled over into a Gold IRA, and man, the timeline was... interesting. I'd been sitting on this for months after selling my tech company last year – felt good to have that cash, but seeing inflation tick up, I knew my paper assets needed some serious hedging. Being in Dublin, OH, I wanted to find a local custodian, but ended up going with one based out of state due to better pricing and clearer communication.

The whole process from initial contact to having the physical gold in the vault took about 6 weeks, which felt like an eternity when you're watching the news. The longest part, by far, was getting my old 401k administrator to actually release the funds. It was back and forth with them for almost three weeks, lots of "we'll get back to you" and "we're processing your request." I was starting to lose my mind, seriously. It wasn't until I basically harassed them daily that things started moving. Once the funds hit the Gold IRA custodian, the actual purchase and allocation of the gold was surprisingly quick – a few days tops. Then another week for it to be securely transported and verified in the depository.

For those of you who've done this, did your timeline feel similar? Especially the part about dealing with the old administrator? Any tips you have for speeding that up if someone else is considering it? I'm curious if my experience was typical, or if I just got stuck with a particularly slow 401k provider. I ran through the Eligibility Checker on Gold IRA Blueprint early on, and it gave me a good sense of what I should be able to do, which was definitely helpful for setting expectations.

Knowing what I know now, I'd probably have started the paperwork earlier, even before I was 100% sure on the exact metals. The peace of mind knowing that significant chunk of my 7-figure portfolio is now insulated with physical assets is pretty incredible, even after the initial stress. Just wondering what others' experiences were like.