How long did your 401k to Gold IRA rollover take? Considering one myself.

• •My 401k is with Fidelity, and it's got about $600k in it right now.
• •I'm looking to move a decent chunk of that, maybe half, into physical gold.
• •The market just feels too volatile for all my eggs to be in that basket right now.

Thinking about finally pulling the trigger on a 401k to Gold IRA rollover and just want to get a real-world sense of timelines from folks who've actually done it. My 401k is with Fidelity, and it's got about $600k in it right now. I'm looking to move a decent chunk of that, maybe half, into physical gold. I own a logistics company here in Memphis, and I'm starting to plan for succession in the next 5-7 years, so I'm really trying to de-risk my retirement portfolio as much as possible. The market just feels too volatile for all my eggs to be in that basket right now.

My biggest concern is how long the whole process takes, especially getting the funds out of Fidelity and into the new Gold IRA custodian, then actually acquiring the metals. I’ve heard horror stories of people waiting months, and honestly, that makes me a little nervous. I don’t want my money in limbo for an extended period. Anyone have experience with Fidelity specifically, or just general advice on speeding things up?

Also, big question on the tax side of things – if you did a rollover, what was the impact on your taxes the following year? I'm trying to wrap my head around potential surprises there. I was looking at the Tax Calculator on Gold IRA Blueprint to get a rough idea, but nothing beats hearing about real experiences. Did you get hit with any unexpected penalties or anything that caught you off guard? I'm talking directly rollover to direct rollover, not taking distributions first.

Any insights, tips, or just sharing your personal timeline would be hugely appreciated. Trying to decide if I should start this now or wait a bit, but honestly, the gold prices look attractive at the moment, and I'm feeling the urgency.