Any small portfolio folks here with Gold IRA tips?

• •Thought I'd finally jump on here and see what you all are thinking about Gold IRAs, especially for those of us who aren't sitting on millions.
• •I've got a decent chunk, maybe around $150k - $200k in my retirement portfolio, primarily from the tourism business down here in Savannah.
• •I'm not looking to move everything, maybe just 10-15% of my overall holdings into gold and possibly some platinum.

Thought I'd finally jump on here and see what you all are thinking about Gold IRAs, especially for those of us who aren't sitting on millions. I've got a decent chunk, maybe around $150k - $200k in my retirement portfolio, primarily from the tourism business down here in Savannah. It's been a wild ride these last few years, and seeing how quickly things can shift globally and domestically, I'm seriously looking at diversifying into some physical precious metals within an IRA.

I'm not looking to move everything, maybe just 10-15% of my overall holdings into gold and possibly some platinum. My main concern is finding a company that doesn't treat you like a second-class citizen if you're not an ultra-high-net-worth individual. I've been doing some research, but it's hard to cut through the marketing noise. Are there any companies that stood out for you when you were getting started with a smaller initial investment? I'm talking reasonable fees, good customer service, and not a massive minimum to open. I've seen some touting low minimums, but then hidden fees pop up later.

My business has seen its ups and downs, and while we're generally resilient, I'm always looking ahead. The idea of having a solid asset that historically holds its value when everything else is going haywire is really appealing right now. I've even started tinkering with that Retirement Planner tool I found online – it's actually pretty robust for figuring out how much gold makes sense within a broader retirement strategy. Has anyone else used that or something similar to model their precious metals allocation?

Specifically, if you've opened a Gold IRA with maybe $15k-$30k initially, who did you go with and what was your experience like? Did you feel supported, or just like another number? Any companies to absolutely avoid? I'm all ears for practical advice and real-world experiences from people who aren't trying to sell me something.