Self-directed vs. traditional for my Silver IRA - thoughts?

• •Been thinking a lot about the self-directed vs.
• •traditional IRA route for my Silver IRA, and honestly, the more I dig, the more complicated it feels.
• •I'm a nurse in Seattle, 48 years old, and I started my Gold (and now Silver) IRA a few years back specifically for retirement security.

Been thinking a lot about the self-directed vs. traditional IRA route for my Silver IRA, and honestly, the more I dig, the more complicated it feels. I'm a nurse in Seattle, 48 years old, and I started my Gold (and now Silver) IRA a few years back specifically for retirement security. My portfolio's sitting around $70k right now, and the thought of having more control over these precious metals is appealing, but the logistics are a bit daunting.

My initial setup was with a more traditional custodian, mostly because it seemed simpler at the time. They handle everything, which is nice when I'm working 12-hour shifts. But now I'm seeing all these discussions about self-directed options, and the idea of really picking out specific silver products, maybe even storing some of it myself (within IRS rules, of course), is really piquing my interest. The downside is always the fees and the paperwork, though. Are the benefits of self-direction really worth jumping through those hoops, especially for someone with a mid-sized portfolio like mine?

One thing that's also been on my mind is the future RMDs. I mean, it's still a ways off, but I was looking at that RMD Calculator on Gold IRA Blueprint the other day, and realizing how much I’ll eventually be forced to take out makes me want to be as efficient as possible now. Does anyone feel like a self-directed IRA gives you more flexibility or potentially lower costs when it comes to managing those distributions down the line, especially with physical silver?

Would love to hear from anyone who's made the switch or even just deeply considered it. What were your pros and cons? Did you find the fees significantly different? Any red flags I should be looking out for? Really appreciate any insights, this community is always so helpful.