My take on Gold IRAs for smaller portfolios... and a question for you all

• •I'm based out of Fresno, running my agricultural biz, and honestly, the stability of real assets just makes sense to me.
• •Started dipping my toes into a Gold IRA about two years ago.
• •My initial concern was fees.

Been seeing a lot of chatter lately about Gold IRAs, and specifically which companies are best when you're not rolling in cash and trying to move a million dollars. I'm based out of Fresno, running my agricultural biz, and honestly, the stability of real assets just makes sense to me. Started dipping my toes into a Gold IRA about two years ago. I've got roughly $75k in it right now, and yeah, it’s not life-changing money, but it’s a significant chunk of my retirement savings that I feel good about having outside the traditional stock market circus.

My initial concern was fees. You hear all these stories about companies charging an arm and a leg, and for a smaller portfolio like mine, those fees really eat into the gains. I spent weeks researching, reading every review, and calling a handful of places pretending to be a huge whale just to see how they'd treat a smaller investor later on. It was kinda exhausting, to be honest. I was worried I'd get stuck with a company that only cared about the big fish.

I ended up going with Augusta Precious Metals after a good recommendation from my cousin down south. Their customer service was excellent from the get-go, even when I said I was only looking to roll over about $50k at first. They walked me through the whole process, explained all the fees clearly (storage, admin, etc.), and didn't try to upsell me on anything crazy. I appreciate that straightforward approach. They really helped me understand the different types of gold and silver allowed in an IRA. Now that I've been with them for a bit longer and added another $25k, I still feel like I'm getting good attention and transparent service.

So, my situation is probably similar to a lot of you out there. Gold isn't my only investment, but it's a solid part of my diversification strategy, especially with how volatile everything else feels sometimes. My question to you all is: What companies have you had good experiences with for Gold IRAs if you're not a massive investor? Are there any hidden gems or companies known for treating smaller portfolios with respect and offering reasonable fees? Always interested in hearing other perspectives and potentially learning about better options down the road.