Pretty overwhelmed by Gold IRA fees – any Tulsa folks have advice?

• •Okay, so I’ve been looking into rolling over a good chunk of my old 401k into a Gold IRA.
• •I started doing some research on different Gold IRA companies, and holy moly, the fee structures are all over the place!
• •It's like everyone has their own special way of nickel-and-diming you.

Okay, so I’ve been looking into rolling over a good chunk of my old 401k into a Gold IRA. I've got about $180k sitting there from my last job, and with the way the market's been acting, the execs here at the oil company have really got me thinking hard about diversifying. They always talk about the stability of physical assets, and honestly, it makes a lot of sense, especially with inflation feeling like it's eating away at everything.

I started doing some research on different Gold IRA companies, and holy moly, the fee structures are all over the place! It's like everyone has their own special way of nickel-and-diming you. I'm seeing one-time setup fees, annual maintenance fees, storage fees (segregated vs. unsegregated, which is a whole other rabbit hole), and then the actual markup on the metals themselves. It’s hard to do a true apples-to-apples comparison when some companies are transparent about everything, and others seem to hide processing fees in the fine print. I’m trying to figure out which approach is better in the long run for someone like me, who’s not exactly a day trader but wants to protect my savings.

I'm based here in Tulsa, and I’m wondering if anyone else in the area has gone through this recently? Are there any local companies or even national ones that people here have had good experiences with when it comes to fair, transparent fee structures? I’m looking for something that won’t eat too much into my initial investment and something where I won’t get hit with unexpected charges down the line. It would be awesome if someone could share their experiences, especially if you have a similar portfolio size – maybe around the sub-$200k mark. What should I be looking out for that I might be missing?

Also, any thoughts on whether to prioritize lower annual fees over a higher initial setup if the overall cost evens out after, say, 5-10 years? I'm planning on holding this for the long haul, probably until retirement, so I want to make the smartest decision now.