Don't make my mistakes - Gold IRA newbie advice needed!

• •Kicking myself a bit today thinking about some of the earlier moves I made with my Gold IRA.
• •It took a friend (who's thankfully much savvier than I am) to point out the red flags in the fine print.
• •Not doing enough due diligence on storage options right away.

Kicking myself a bit today thinking about some of the earlier moves I made with my Gold IRA. Been in the game for about four years now, and while I'm generally happy with how my 150k portfolio is diversified (mix of stocks, bonds, and about 15% in precious metals), I definitely fumbled a few things in the beginning.

For example, I got so caught up in the "urgency" from one of those infomercials, I almost pulled the trigger with a company that had some pretty sketchy fees for storage and delivery. It took a friend (who's thankfully much savvier than I am) to point out the red flags in the fine print. Also, I initially thought all gold was created equal for an IRA, and nearly went with some non-IRA approved coins that would have caused a massive headache with the IRS. As an insurance agent here in Omaha, you'd think I'd be all over the details, but man, the precious metals space had a learning curve I wasn't expecting.

Another regret? Not doing enough due diligence on storage options right away. I just went with what the first company offered, without properly researching independent custodians or even understanding the pros and cons of segregated vs. unsegregated storage. Now, it's not a huge deal, but I feel like I might be paying a bit more than I need to for what I'm getting.

So, for anyone else just starting out or considering a Gold IRA, what were some of the biggest mistakes you either made or almost made? And more importantly, what advice would you give to someone looking to avoid those pitfalls? I want to make sure I'm not the only one who had a few facepalm moments early on.