Is a 401k to Gold IRA transfer always this slow? (Tampa investor here)

• •Okay, so I finally pulled the trigger on rolling over a portion of my old 401k into a Gold IRA.
• •I’ve been meaning to do this for ages, you know, just for that added layer of stability, especially with all the market volatility lately.
• •My current portfolio is sitting right around the $180k mark, and I decided to move about $50k of it into physical gold.

Okay, so I finally pulled the trigger on rolling over a portion of my old 401k into a Gold IRA. I’ve been meaning to do this for ages, you know, just for that added layer of stability, especially with all the market volatility lately. My current portfolio is sitting right around the $180k mark, and I decided to move about $50k of it into physical gold. I’m a healthcare administrator here in Tampa, so I see a lot of folks worried about retirement, and I’ve always been a steady believer in gold as a long-term hedge.

The process itself wasn't too bad to get started – picked a custodian, filled out the paperwork, all that jazz. But now I'm in this holding pattern, and it feels like it's taking forever. I initiated the direct rollover about three weeks ago, and my old 401k provider (a major one, you'd know their name) is just... dragging their feet. I've called them twice, and each time it's "it's in process" or "we're waiting for XYZ department." Is this normal? I was expecting maybe two weeks tops, not pushing a month.

I'm feeling a bit antsy, to be honest. I want to get that gold secured, especially with all the economic headwinds. I've been looking at tools like the "Silver vs Stocks" one at silvervsstocks.goldirablueprint.com/?period=10Y just to remind myself why I'm making this move – seeing how precious metals have held up over the past 10 years compared to the S&P 500 is always reassuring. But it's also making me more impatient to get this rollover finalized!

For those of you who've done a 401k to Gold IRA transfer, what was your experience with the timeline? Am I being unreasonable expecting it to be faster? Any tips on how to politely but firmly nudge these providers along without causing more delays? Really appreciate any advice or shared experiences.