IRA Rollover - Tax Questions for Gold (and some RMD thoughts)

• •I'm looking at rolling over a significant chunk of my traditional IRA into a Gold IRA, and the tax implications are really swimming in my head.
• •I’ve done a fair bit of research, but honestly, some of this stuff makes my head spin.
• •I’m a history professor here in Richmond, so I'm used to diving deep into archives, but tax codes are a whole different beast.

I'm looking at rolling over a significant chunk of my traditional IRA into a Gold IRA, and the tax implications are really swimming in my head. I’ve done a fair bit of research, but honestly, some of this stuff makes my head spin. I’m a history professor here in Richmond, so I'm used to diving deep into archives, but tax codes are a whole different beast.

My current traditional IRA is sitting around $380k. I’m 57, so still a few years from RMDs, but I'm thinking long-term about hedging against inflation and market volatility. My logic, based on pretty extensive reading of historical economic trends, is that physical gold provides a tangible hedge that fiat currency simply doesn't. The recent economic shakiness with interest rates and inflation has really solidified this for me. I'm not looking to put all my eggs in one basket, but a substantial portion, maybe 20-25% of that IRA, feels right for peace of mind.

My main concern is the a direct indirect rollover vs. a indirect direct transfer. If I go with an indirect rollover, where the funds come to me first, I know there's that 60-day window and the potential for a 20% withholding. Has anyone here personally navigated that 20% withholding? Did you just make up the difference from other savings to complete the rollover, or did you roll over the net amount and then figure out the tax implications later? I'm trying to avoid any penalties, obviously. I'm leaning heavily towards a custodian-to-custodian transfer to avoid that whole headache, but I'm curious about real-world experiences.

Also, looking ahead to RMDs – how do physical gold distributions work in that context? Is it simply the current market value of the gold at the time of distribution that gets counted toward the RMD? And if so, does the custodian typically facilitate the sale of that gold, or am I responsible for finding a buyer? These are the kinds of granular details that aren't always clear in the general "Gold IRA" guides. Any insights or war stories from those who've gone through this would be incredibly helpful. Thanks in advance!