Gold IRA custodians are banks, trust companies, or IRS-approved nonbank trustees that hold your account’s gold, silver, and other precious metals. The list below compares seven custodians to consider for your retirement savings.
Key takeaways
- Highest reviews: Strata Trust, Horizon Trust, and IRA Financial Trust Company have some of the strongest reviews among precious metals IRA custodians.
- Setup costs: Custodians on this list charge $0 to $695 to open a self-directed IRA, plus $90 to $556 a year for maintenance.
What is a Gold IRA custodian?
Your custodian opens and manages your account and takes care of IRS reporting and compliance. You choose the metals with your gold dealer, and the custodian makes the purchase on your behalf.
What to look for in a Gold IRA custodian
A good place to start looking for a Gold IRA custodian is by asking your precious metals dealer for recommendations. Here are some things to consider:
- Experience: Choose a custodian that’s been in business for years.
- Customer reviews: Check out what other investors say about their experience on sites like TrustPilot or Google reviews.
- Support: Look for great customer support through multiple options including phone, email, and online support.
- Investment options: Make sure the custodian has experience with precious metals.
- Fees and costs: Consider the setup fees, annual maintenance, and storage costs for precious metals.
- Compliance: Verify their regulatory status and licensing.
- Technology: Look for a custodian that offers an online platform for viewing your account value and statements.
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How we chose our list of Gold IRA custodians
To create our list of precious metals Self-Directed IRA companies, we started with companies with Gold IRA experience, and from there, we looked at:
- Customer reviews: We prioritized companies with a large number of positive reviews.
- Transparency in fees: We only included companies that publicly list their fees.
- Personal experience: Last year, around 21% of Swiss America’s sales were for Gold IRAs. We’ll work with any approved custodian, but we work with Gold Star Trust most often because their fees are the lowest on this list.
Top 7 gold and silver IRA custodians
Here’s our complete list of the seven best custodians to manage gold, silver or other precious metals alternative assets:
| Company | Setup fee | Annual maintenance | Commingled storage | Fee schedule | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strata Trust | $50 | $150 | $115 flat annual | Fees | Trustpilot: 4.8 |
| Horizon Trust | $695 for setup and the first year | $395 a year after that for accounts up to $40,000 | Not in fee schedule | Fees | Trustpilot: 4.9, Google: 4.9 |
| IRA Financial Trust Company | $0 | $495 | Not in fee schedule | Fees | Trustpilot: 4.7 |
| Gold Star Trust | $50 | $90 | $125 | Fees | Trustpilot: 4.2, Google: 3.4 |
| Madison Trust | $50 | $556 | $100 | Fees | Google: 4.8 |
| uDirect IRA Services | $50 | $275 | 0.50% a year on the first $100,000 ($12 monthly minimum), then 0.25% up to $500,000 and 0.10% above that | Fees | Google: 4.5 |
| Vantage IRA | $50 | $325 | 20 basis points of account value, $150 minimum | Fees | Google: 4.4 |
uDirect IRA Services and Vantage IRA are administrators, and other trust companies serve as their custodians. Gold IRA fees validated as of September 2026.
Self-Directed Gold IRA rules for precious metals
Every type of alternative investment comes with its own IRS rules on top of the standard IRA rules, like tax treatment and contribution limits. For precious metals IRAs, these two rules are:
Qualified metals
The IRS sets rules on which metals qualify. This includes gold, silver, platinum, and palladium bullion, which are investment-grade metals. Each of these qualified metals has to meet a minimum purity level.
You can’t buy collectible coins in your retirement account.
Storage
The second rule is that you can’t store your metals at home. If you take possession of the metals, the IRS treats it as a distribution.
Instead, your IRA custodian arranges storage in an IRS-approved depository until you’re ready to take withdrawals at retirement age at 59½ or later.
How to open a Gold IRA
You can open a Gold IRA in four steps:
- Step 1: Choose a custodian and open an account.
- Step 2: Contact your 401(k) or IRA plan administrator and ask them for a direct rollover to your Gold IRA custodian account.
- Step 3: Work with your gold dealer to choose precious metals.
- Step 4: Direct your custodian to buy the metals and arrange for secure storage.
Final thoughts on choosing a Gold IRA custodian
You can ask your gold dealer for a recommendation, then check reviews and compare fees.
To learn more about precious metals investing and how to set up a Gold IRA, connect with the Swiss America team today.
Self-Directed Gold IRA custodian list: FAQs
What is a self-directed IRA with precious metals?
This is an account where you apply either traditional or Roth IRA funds to buy and hold physical precious metals.
How much do precious metals IRA custodians charge in fees?
Setup fees can be $0 to $695. Annual maintenance plus storage ranges from $215 to about $650, and Strata Trust falls in the typical $200 to $350 range.
Can I store my IRA gold at home?
No. If you try to store at home, the IRS considers this a withdrawal and you’d have to pay taxes plus a 10% penalty if you’re under 59½. Your Gold IRA custodian arranges for secure storage at an IRS-approved depository until you’re ready to take withdrawals in retirement.
How do I invest in precious metals with a self-directed IRA?
Open an account with a self-directed custodian, roll over funds from your current plan, choose metals with your gold dealer, and have the custodian buy and store them.
What should I look for in a precious metals IRA custodian?
We recommend prioritizing great reviews and low fees.
Can one IRA hold both precious metals and crypto?
Yes. Look for a custodian that can support both and then decide how much you want to allocate to each asset type.
The information in this post is for informational purposes only and should not be considered tax or legal advice. Please consult with your own tax professionals before making any decisions or taking action based on this information.
