Custodian hunt - who's everyone using for their Gold IRA?

• •Alright, so I’m gearing up to roll over a good chunk of my old 401k into a Gold IRA.
• •We're talking probably half a mil here, maybe a bit more depending on how the market decides to behave in the next few weeks.
• •I’ve been looking at the usual suspects for custodians – Equity Trust, Strata Trust, Kingdom Trust.

Alright, so I’m gearing up to roll over a good chunk of my old 401k into a Gold IRA. We're talking probably half a mil here, maybe a bit more depending on how the market decides to behave in the next few weeks. I’ve been looking at the usual suspects for custodians – Equity Trust, Strata Trust, Kingdom Trust. It’s a pretty big decision and frankly, the fees and storage options are giving me analysis paralysis. I’m based out of Austin, so anything with a decent reputation and responsive customer service is a huge plus. My main goal here is diversification and hedging against the kind of wild swings we've seen in tech lately, not day trading precious metals.

My current portfolio is pretty heavily weighted in tech, and while it's been great for the last few years (thank you, Austin tech scene!), I'm feeling that itch to really secure some of those gains outside of the traditional stock market. The thought of another major downturn wiping out a large chunk of what I've built is just... not ideal. I've been a bit of a maximalist for too long, always betting on growth, but turning 45 recently has really shifted my perspective on capital preservation. This Gold IRA move feels like the smart play to balance things out.

So, for those of you who've already gone through this, what's been your experience with your chosen custodian? Any nightmare stories I should be aware of? Or conversely, any companies that have really knocked it out of the park with their service or fees? I’m particularly interested in transparency regarding costs – hidden fees are a huge red flag for me. Also, what are people's thoughts on segregated vs. commingled storage? I'm leaning towards segregated for that extra peace of mind, but curious if others think the added cost is worth it.

Ultimately, I want a custodian that makes the process smooth and doesn't feel like I'm constantly chasing them for answers. My time is pretty limited with running my own business, so efficiency is key. Any recommendations or warnings would be greatly appreciated!