Finally pulled the trigger on a Gold IRA rollover - my experience so far (plus some questions)

• •I’m a history professor, so I tend to look at long-term trends, and fiat currency just has a less-than-stellar track record over centuries.
• •I moved about $150k out of an old employer 401k.
• •The process itself was surprisingly straightforward, though it felt like pulling teeth sometimes with the phone calls.

After probably a year of agonizing research and lurking on threads like this, I finally initiated a rollover from a chunk of my old 401k into a Gold IRA. I’ve always been a bit more conservative with my investments, and with the current state of, well, everything, the idea of having some tangible assets outside the traditional financial system just made too much sense. I’m a history professor, so I tend to look at long-term trends, and fiat currency just has a less-than-stellar track record over centuries.

I moved about $150k out of an old employer 401k. The process itself was surprisingly straightforward, though it felt like pulling teeth sometimes with the phone calls. I went with [Company Name Redacted - don't want this to be an advertisement] largely due to their transparency in pricing and comprehensive educational materials they provided. They walked me through the direct rollover process, meaning the funds went straight from my old custodian to the new Gold IRA custodian without touching my bank account, which is crucial for avoiding tax penalties. Took about three weeks from the initial paperwork to the funds actually landing and the metals being purchased. I opted for a mix of American Gold Eagles and Canadian Gold Maple Leafs – felt like a good balance of recognized bullion and liquidity. The premiums felt reasonable at the time, but who knows what "reasonable" even means anymore, right?

The feeling of having that statement in hand, knowing those physical assets are securely vaulted (I'm using their preferred vaulting partner, which is a big relief after reading some horror stories), is honestly a huge weight off my mind. My wife thinks I’m being overly paranoid, but with a nearly $400k portfolio overall, I just felt unbalanced. This feels like a significant hedge against inflation and market volatility. I'm based in Richmond, VA, and it’s not like I can just drive to a vault and inspect it, which is the only lingering anxiety, honestly.

So, for those of you who have done this or are considering it: what are your thoughts on annual storage fees in the long run? Also, for fellow academics or anyone in a similar boat, how do you balance this kind of alternative asset against more traditional equity investments? I’m still heavy in index funds, but this feels like a critical piece of my overall strategy now. Any long-term pitfalls I should be aware of that aren't immediately obvious?