Trying to pick a Gold IRA custodian - who are you guys using?

• •I'm looking to finally pull the trigger on rolling over part of my 401k into a Gold IRA and am trying to sort through all the custodian options.
• •It's a decent chunk of change, probably around $150k-$200k, so I really want to make sure I'm going with someone reliable and trustworthy.
• •I've been doing some research and seeing names like Equity Trust, Strata Trust, and IRA Financial Trust a lot.

I'm looking to finally pull the trigger on rolling over part of my 401k into a Gold IRA and am trying to sort through all the custodian options. It's a decent chunk of change, probably around $150k-$200k, so I really want to make sure I'm going with someone reliable and trustworthy. My company's executives here in Tulsa have been talking about diversification for years, and I finally feel like it's time to act – especially with all the market volatility lately.

I've been doing some research and seeing names like Equity Trust, Strata Trust, and IRA Financial Trust a lot. Does anyone here have direct experience with any of these? Or are there other custodians you’d strongly recommend or definitely tell me to avoid? I’m mostly concerned with transparency in fees, ease of setting up the account, and their customer service if I ever have questions or need to make a transaction. I just want a smooth process, not a headache!

I guess what I'm really asking for is comfort. It’s hard enough taking this step with my retirement savings, and I don't want to get stuck with a custodian that makes things more complicated than they need to be. Any horror stories or glowing recommendations would be super helpful. What kind of fees should I be expecting for account maintenance and storage? Are there any hidden costs I should be asking about?

Thanks in advance for any insights! Trying to get this sorted out before the end of the year.