Rollover question: Physical vs. "paper" gold in a Gold IRA - anyone regretted one over the other?

• •I'm in my late 50s, living here in Raleigh, and trying to sort out this Gold IRA rollover for a portion of my late husband's 401(k).
• •It’s about $75,000 I’m looking to protect from market volatility, especially with all the talk about possible inflation.
• •He worked so hard for that money, and I just want to be smart about it.

I'm in my late 50s, living here in Raleigh, and trying to sort out this Gold IRA rollover for a portion of my late husband's 401(k). It’s about $75,000 I’m looking to protect from market volatility, especially with all the talk about possible inflation. He worked so hard for that money, and I just want to be smart about it.

I’ve been reading a lot about the differences between holding actual physical gold coins or bars versus these "paper" gold instruments, like ETFs or futures. My advisor mentioned both, and honestly, the thought of having actual physical gold held for me in a vault just feels... safer, somehow. Like it's truly mine. But then I hear about storage fees and liquidity concerns, and it makes me wonder if I'm romanticizing it.

For those of you who have been through this, especially with a rollover, what was your experience? Did anyone initially lean towards one and then switch? Or has anyone regretted their choice later on? I’m particularly interested in hearing from people who went the physical route – did the storage fees feel prohibitive, or was the peace of mind worth it?

I'm trying to weigh the ultimate security of physical against the potential ease of paper assets, especially since this is about preserving a legacy, not necessarily making a massive profit. Any personal anecdotes or strong opinions would be really helpful. It’s a big decision, and I’m trying to make the right one for our future.