Totally lost on palladium IRA, first time buying. Help a fellow Atlantan out?

• •So, I've finally decided to pull the trigger on a Gold IRA, or rather, a Palladium IRA in my case.
• •I've been looking at a few different custodians and dealers, and honestly, the amount of info out there is a bit overwhelming.
• •My main concern is making sure I'm not overpaying on fees or getting steered towards products that aren't truly IRA-eligible.

So, I've finally decided to pull the trigger on a Gold IRA, or rather, a Palladium IRA in my case. After crunching numbers as an accountant for years, and seeing the inflation monster rear its ugly head, it just feels like the right move for some serious diversification. My current portfolio is sitting around $200k, mostly in traditional stocks and mutual funds, and I'm really keen on shoring up my retirement nest egg with something tangible.

I've been looking at a few different custodians and dealers, and honestly, the amount of info out there is a bit overwhelming. I understand the tax benefits pretty well – that's the whole reason I'm leaning this way – but the practicalities of which palladium coins or bars to choose, and who to trust with my savings, is where I'm getting hung up. I'm based in Atlanta, so any local recommendations for trustworthy dealers or custodians would be amazing, but I'm open to national options too, of course.

My main concern is making sure I'm not overpaying on fees or getting steered towards products that aren't truly IRA-eligible. I've read some horror stories about hidden costs and aggressive sales tactics, and that's the last thing I need. I'm planning to allocate about 10-15% of my portfolio to palladium, so we're talking around $20k-$30k. Has anyone here recently opened a Palladium IRA? What was your experience like? Did you feel like you got a fair deal on pricing and storage fees?

Also, any thoughts on specific palladium products? I know the American Palladium Eagle is popular, but are there other options worth considering? Is it better to stick with coins or are bars a good option for an IRA? Any advice on due diligence for custodians and dealers would be massively helpful. Thanks in advance for sharing your wisdom!