Custodian fees for my Gold IRA - what are you all seeing out there?

• •Okay, so I've been doing a deep dive into my Gold IRA custodian fees, and frankly, I'm a bit surprised.
• •I’ve had my account for about three years now with Augusta Precious Metals, sitting right around the $75k mark.
• •When I first set it up, the fees seemed reasonable enough – flat, which I liked, and I felt good about going with a well-known name.

Okay, so I've been doing a deep dive into my Gold IRA custodian fees, and frankly, I'm a bit surprised. I’ve had my account for about three years now with Augusta Precious Metals, sitting right around the $75k mark. When I first set it up, the fees seemed reasonable enough – flat, which I liked, and I felt good about going with a well-known name. But now, after seeing some whispers on other forums and revisiting my statements, I'm wondering if I'm leaving money on the table.

My understanding was that for a portfolio my size, a flat fee was generally more cost-effective than a percentage, especially as it grows. Though, let's be honest, $75k isn't exactly making me a Warren Buffett overnight! I’m still paying an annual fee that covers storage and admin, and while it's not breaking the bank, every dollar counts, especially when you're trying to set a good example with community funds too. It makes me wonder if I should have shopped around more aggressively back then, or if there are better options out there now that my account has stabilized.

I’m based here in Boise, and while I love our community, the financial services landscape isn't as vast as a big city. I'm trying to be a responsible steward of my own retirement as well as the town's, and optimizing these overhead costs really adds up over time. It's a bit like managing the town budget – you scrutinize every line item. For those of you with similarly sized Gold IRAs (say, $50k-$100k), what are your custodian fees looking like? Are you seeing flat fees or percentages? Any specific companies you’d recommend or, importantly, warn against based on their fee structure? I'm particularly interested in companies that are transparent and don't have a bunch of hidden charges, because frankly, that's what makes me feel most secure.

Is there a point where a percentage fee actually becomes more appealing than a flat one for a smaller account like mine? I'm trying to figure out if there's an inflection point I'm missing, or if my initial strategy was solid. Any insights from folks who've switched custodians or done a detailed comparison would be super helpful. Just trying to ensure I'm making the smartest long-term decisions here for my family and my future contributions.