Converting inherited IRA to gold? Anyone done it?

• •My folks both passed away a few years back, and I ended up inheriting their traditional IRAs.
• •Prices for milk, feed, fuel – it's always a rollercoaster.
• •Right now, these IRAs together are sitting around $650k, mostly in a mix of mutual funds and some tech stocks my father was keen on.

My folks both passed away a few years back, and I ended up inheriting their traditional IRAs. I've been running the family dairy farm here in Wisconsin for over 30 years, and I've seen enough economic ups and downs to know that relying solely on stocks can be a real gamble. Prices for milk, feed, fuel – it's always a rollercoaster. Right now, these IRAs together are sitting around $650k, mostly in a mix of mutual funds and some tech stocks my father was keen on. While they've generally done alright, this market instability lately has me concerned. I'm hitting 60 next year, and the idea of preserving that capital for my own retirement, rather than hoping for continued growth, is looking more appealing every day.

I've been thinking a lot about converting a good chunk of that inherited IRA into physical gold. Not all of it, maybe 20-30%, to diversify away from just paper assets. I've heard about the process – self-directed IRA, buying eligible gold, finding a custodian – but I'm curious if anyone here has actually gone through with converting an inherited IRA specifically. Are there any particular wrinkles or tax implications I should be aware of compared to converting my own traditional IRA?

I've been poking around online, looking at charts and trying to get a feel for things. I even found this "Silver vs. Stocks" tool here that lets you compare precious metals performance over different periods. It's pretty eye-opening to see how silver, and by extension gold, have held up during some of those rough patches for the stock market. With inflation still a worry and the global economy feeling a bit shaky, having something tangible just feels right. You can't print more gold when the government decides to crank up the presses.

So, for those of you who have either converted an inherited IRA or even just a regular one into gold, what was your experience like? Any custodians you'd recommend or warn against? Any unforeseen costs or headaches? I'd appreciate any practical advice from actual humans who've been there, rather than just reading sales pitches. Thanks in advance!