Rollover Worries - 401k to Gold IRA Timeline?

• •Been thinking a lot about my retirement lately, especially with all the talk about recession and inflation.
• •My 401k has been okay, but feels pretty vulnerable sitting entirely in paper assets.
• •I’ve always been a believer in tangible stuff – probably comes from growing up around agriculture here in Fresno.

Been thinking a lot about my retirement lately, especially with all the talk about recession and inflation. My 401k has been okay, but feels pretty vulnerable sitting entirely in paper assets. I’ve always been a believer in tangible stuff – probably comes from growing up around agriculture here in Fresno. You can touch it, see it, understand it. Not some invisible number on a screen.

So, I'm seriously looking into rolling over a good chunk of my 401k into a Gold IRA. I’ve got about $75k in there I'm considering moving. I’ve done some reading and it seems like a no-brainer for diversifying, especially when you look at how gold holds up during market downturns. I even found that Gold vs Stocks Comparison tool and it makes a pretty compelling case for including gold in a portfolio over the last 10 years, even if stocks have had some wild ups.

My biggest hang-up right now is the timeline for the transfer. My wife and I are thinking about some big expenses next year, and I don't want to get stuck in limbo for months. Has anyone here gone through a 401k to Gold IRA rollover recently? How long did the whole process take, from initial contact with a custodian to actually having the physical gold in the vault? I’m talking about a direct rollover, not cashing out.

Any insights, especially from folks who've dealt with larger sums or perhaps had any hiccups, would be hugely appreciated. Just trying to get a realistic picture so I can plan things out properly. Is it weeks? Months? Would love to hear your experiences.