Birchy Gold - my experience with a smaller IRA

• •I’m an insurance agent here in Omaha, and about two years ago, I decided to diversify my retirement savings beyond just stocks and bonds.
• •My main concern was definitely fee transparency and not getting eaten alive by commissions on a smaller rollover.
• •I talked to a few different companies, and some of them felt like they were pushing me into things I didn't fully understand.

Okay, so I’ve been seeing a bunch of posts lately about Gold IRAs for huge portfolios, and wanted to toss my experience into the ring for those of us with somewhat more modest amounts. I’m an insurance agent here in Omaha, and about two years ago, I decided to diversify my retirement savings beyond just stocks and bonds. I had about $150k in an old 401k that I rolled over, and after doing a ton of research, including lurking on this sub, I settled on Birch Gold Group.

My main concern was definitely fee transparency and not getting eaten alive by commissions on a smaller rollover. I talked to a few different companies, and some of them felt like they were pushing me into things I didn't fully understand. Birch was pretty straightforward. They helped me with the paperwork to roll over my 401k into a self-directed Precious Metals IRA. The process itself was surprisingly smooth, I expected a lot more headaches. The rep I worked with was good about explaining the storage options and the difference between coins. I ended up going with a mix of American Gold Eagles and some Canadian Maple Leafs because they seemed to have good liquidity if I ever needed it. So far, no regrets.

I’m not looking to get rich quick with gold, obviously. It's more about stability and having a hedge against inflation, especially with all the crazy stuff going on in the world. It’s part of a broader strategy, not my whole retirement. I’ve started thinking about what happens when I hit 73 and those RMDs kick in. Has anyone here used the RMD Calculator on Gold IRA Blueprint? I’ve been playing around with it a bit to try and get a handle on future distributions. I'm a planner, so thinking ahead on that front is big for me.

Overall, my experience with Birch Gold for a ~$150k rollover has been positive. I know "smaller account" is relative, but for anyone in a similar boat, it's worth checking them out. Fees felt reasonable for what I got, and the customer service was solid. Anyone else here go with them for a similar portfolio size? How’s your experience been long-term?