Self-Directed Gold IRA vs. Traditional Custodian: My Savannah Experience & Need Info

• •I've had my Gold IRA for a solid five years now, sitting pretty with what’s currently about $180k invested in physical gold.
• •It's been with a traditional custodian this whole time, and honestly, it’s been fine.
• •Easy enough, low maintenance, and I generally trust them to handle the paperwork and storage.

Been thinking a lot lately about how my Gold IRA is structured, especially with all the talk about inflation and the travel season here in Savannah being a bit… unpredictable. I've had my Gold IRA for a solid five years now, sitting pretty with what’s currently about $180k invested in physical gold. It's been with a traditional custodian this whole time, and honestly, it’s been fine. Easy enough, low maintenance, and I generally trust them to handle the paperwork and storage.

However, I've been doing some digging into self-directed IRAs. The whole appeal for me, as someone who runs my own business and is used to making my own calls, is that increased control. I always feel a bit like I'm just a number with the big custodian, even though they're professional. I’m wondering if a self-directed option would allow me to be more hands-on, maybe explore different types of precious metals beyond just the standard bullion, or even just have a better connection to my assets. The tourism industry here is resilient, but I've learned that having control over your investments when markets get choppy is a big relief.

My main hang-up is the perceived complexity. I’ve heard horror stories about extra fees, compliance issues, and general headaches with self-directed options if you don't know what you're doing. As a business owner, my time is gold (pun intended!), and I don't want to trade a bit more control for a massive time sink. Are there self-directed options that are genuinely straightforward for someone who wants to hold physical gold, without turning into a full-time IRA administrator?

For those of you who’ve made the switch from a traditional custodian to a self-directed Gold IRA, or who started with self-directed from the get-go, what was your experience like? Were the benefits of greater control worth any additional complexity or fees? Any specific custodians or platforms you’d recommend – or warn against – for someone in my position (mid-six-figure gold IRA, wanting more control, but not a headache expert)? Appreciate any insights from people who’ve navigated this already!