Been looking at rolling over my old 401k into a Gold IRA - what tax stuff am I missing?

• •Being in manufacturing here in Cleveland, I've always leaned towards hard assets – something tangible, you know?
• •I’ve done a fair bit of research into the process itself, and I *think* I’ve got my head around the direct rollover vs.
• •indirect rollover differences.

Okay, so I've been wrestling with this for a few months now, thinking about rolling over my old 401K from a previous employer into a self-directed Gold IRA. I’m sitting on about $375k in that old 401K, most of it in pretty standard equities, and honestly, the market volatility lately has got me feeling a bit too exposed. Being in manufacturing here in Cleveland, I've always leaned towards hard assets – something tangible, you know?

I’ve done a fair bit of research into the process itself, and I think I’ve got my head around the direct rollover vs. indirect rollover differences. My plan was definitely direct to avoid the 60-day scramble and the withholding. But what I’m really trying to dig into are the tax implications that might not be obvious. This isn't exactly chump change, and I want to make sure I'm not blindsided by something. Are there any hidden fees or specific state taxes (Ohio, for me) I should be aware of beyond the standard federal stuff?

For those of you who’ve pulled the trigger on a similar move, especially with Gold IRAs, what were the major tax considerations you ran into? Did you use a specific type of custodian that made the tax reporting easier or harder? Also, is there anything about the valuation of the physical precious metals themselves that creates an annual tax headache I’m not anticipating? I’m thinking long-term here, well into retirement, but I don’t want a surprise bill on my hands because I misunderstood a nuance.

Appreciate any insights or war stories you guys have. It’s a big chunk of my retirement savings, and I want to make sure I get this right.