Anyone dealt with a custodian change for their Gold IRA?

• •I'm not looking to give away an Admiral's pension in fees just because I didn't plan ahead.
• •So, my question for the group here: has anyone gone through the process of transferring a significant Gold IRA from one custodian to another?
• •Were there any hidden fees or unexpected headaches?

I'm about two years out from kicking off my RMDs from my Gold IRA, and I've been doing a pretty deep dive into my current custodian's fee structure for that phase. While they've been perfectly adequate for the accumulation phase, frankly, their RMD distribution fees look borderline predatory for the withdrawal period, especially considering the size of my account ($1.2M currently). I'm not looking to give away an Admiral's pension in fees just because I didn't plan ahead.

My initial thought was just to grin and bear it, but then I got to thinking about all the folks I've seen over the years get nickel-and-dimed on the backend of their investments. We all spend so much time on the front end comparing dealers, figuring out which metals to hold, but how many of us really dig into the long-term custodian game? I'm based here in Virginia Beach, and while I prefer to handle things remotely, I'm open to providers who have a strong physical presence or at least easily accessible support.

So, my question for the group here: has anyone gone through the process of transferring a significant Gold IRA from one custodian to another? How smooth was it? Were there any hidden fees or unexpected headaches? And for those who are already taking RMDs, what custodian do you use and are you happy with their service and fee structure for distributions? Any recommendations for custodians with a more reasonable approach to RMDs would be greatly appreciated. I'm looking for a smooth sailing transition, not a torpedo to my retirement plans.