Gold IRA Custodian Fee Structure Comparison 2026: Flat vs Scaled vs Percentage-of-Assets Custodians Compared

TL;DR: The custodian, not the dealer, is the institution that holds your gold IRA, and the fee it charges falls into one of three models. Equity Trust Company, STRATA Trust Company, Kingdom Trust, and The Entrust Group mostly bill a flat annual administration fee, while some depositories bill a percentage of assets that quietly scales with your balance. The flat model wins above roughly 50,000 dollars. Goldco at the 25,000 dollar minimum leads the operator funnel on this site, paired with Equity Trust as custodian.

Disclosure: Companies featured here may provide compensation for click throughs. This is how I maintain free research for consumers. My full disclosure of who I invested with is on this page for transparency.

Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and is not tax, financial, or legal advice. Consult a licensed CPA, tax attorney, or fiduciary advisor before opening or moving a self-directed retirement account. Fee schedules and custodian service details can change. Verify the current figures on each custodian's official disclosures before acting.

Custodian Fee Models Compared at a Glance

The single most overlooked number in a gold IRA is the custodian fee, because most investors focus on the dealer that sells the metal and accept whatever custodian that dealer defaults to. That is a mistake that compounds across decades. The table below maps the four custodians that handle the majority of self-directed gold IRAs to the fee model each one uses and the investor each one fits.

Of the four custodians here, three run a flat-rate model, which is the structure I recommend for any gold IRA above roughly 50,000 dollars. The fee does not move when the account grows, so the percentage drag falls every year the metal appreciates. A custodian or depository that bills a percentage of assets does the opposite, and that difference is the entire point of this comparison.

The Three Fee Models You Will Encounter

Before naming a single custodian, you need the three pricing structures that every gold IRA fee schedule reduces to. Get these three straight and the rest of the comparison reads itself.

The first model is the flat-rate plus per-transaction structure. The custodian charges a one-time account-opening fee, a fixed annual administration fee that does not change with the account balance, and incremental costs for specific actions like wires and distributions. Equity Trust Company, STRATA Trust Company, Kingdom Trust, and The Entrust Group all sit in this family. The flat fee is the friendliest structure for a growing account, because a fixed 250 dollar annual fee works out to 0.5 percent (a real drag) of a 50,000 dollar account but only 0.25 percent (a rounding error) of a 100,000 dollar account.

The second model is the scaled-tier structure, where the flat fee steps up at defined balance bands rather than rising continuously. Several gold IRA dealers structure their fee-waiver promotions around these bands, often waiving the annual fee for the first one to ten years on larger accounts. The scaled-tier model still behaves like a flat fee inside each band, so it shares the flat model's advantage at scale.

The third model is the percentage-of-assets structure, where the annual cost is a stated percentage of the metal's value. Most often you see this one on the depository side rather than the custodian side. A 1 percent (the percentage-fee model) charge on a 50,000 dollar account is 500 dollars in year one and climbs every year the gold price rises. That is amplified cost rather than amplified return. "It's fixed. You should look for fixed fees. Everybody should look for fixed fees," is the rule I have repeated to readers for years.

It's fixed. You should look for fixed fees. Everybody should look for fixed fees.

Tim Schmidt Sr., May 2026 (operator call)

Custodian Profiles and What Each One Charges

With the three models in hand, here is what each of the four major custodians actually charges and how its model plays out in practice.

Equity Trust Company was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Westlake, Ohio, where it custodies more than 52 billion dollars (the firm's reported book) in alternative-asset retirement accounts across roughly 400,000 client accounts. Its gold IRA pricing runs on a flat-rate plus per-transaction model rather than a percentage of assets, and it is the most common custodian partner across the major dealers, including the one that holds my own Goldco gold IRA. The Equity Trust deep dive on this site covers the full schedule.

STRATA Trust Company is a Texas-chartered custodian headquartered in Waco, Texas, formerly known as Self Directed IRA Services. It runs a fixed annual administration fee plus a separately billed storage fee paid to the depository, and it appears on the IRS approved nonbank trustee list maintained under 26 CFR Section 1.408-2. STRATA's precious-metals schedule sits in the same flat-fee family as Equity Trust rather than billing a percentage of account value, as the STRATA profile on this site documents.

Kingdom Trust Company is a South Dakota-chartered custodian with a broad alternative-asset book, and it charges a flat base annual fee that does not scale with the dollar value of the metals held. Kingdom Trust received a FinCEN civil money penalty in 2015 for anti-money-laundering program deficiencies, a regulatory event that belongs in any honest fee-and-service comparison even though it does not change the headline fee. The Entrust Group is a self-directed IRA administrator with more than 40 years of operating history that bills a recurring administration fee plus per-asset and per-transaction charges, which places it in the flat-plus-transaction family as well.

How Custodian Fees Differ From Dealer Fees

Here is the distinction that trips up nearly every first-time investor. The custodian fee, the dealer markup, and the depository storage fee are three separate line items billed by three separate entities, and conflating them is the most common fee misunderstanding I see.

Under IRS Publication 590-A, the custodian or trustee is the bank or approved nonbank that holds title to the IRA assets and executes the owner's directions. The dealer is the unregulated counterparty that sells bullion to the custodian on behalf of the IRA owner and earns a markup over the spot price. The depository is the IRS-recognized facility holding physical possession of the metal and billing its own storage fee. These three functions are distinct, and they bill separately.

Goldco at the 25,000 dollar minimum is the recommended operator on this site, and its preferred custodian charges a one-time account setup fee of 50 dollars plus a 30 dollar wire fee, with annual maintenance of 100 dollars and storage of 150 dollars for segregated or 100 dollars for non-segregated. That operator-side schedule is summarized here in prose and detailed in full on the canonical Goldco fee page on this site. The dealer markup is a separate question from the custodian fee, which is why you ask both the dealer and the custodian for their numbers before any paperwork moves.

You leave money on the table when you skip pricing the full stack before signing. You want a clear picture of every recurring charge, according to Tim Schmidt, summarizing the questions every customer should ask on a recent operator call.

You need to understand the cost of holding it. Because you're going to get a bill for your depository and your account management if there's not a bonus or something.

Tim Schmidt Sr., May 2026 (operator call)

The Percentage-of-Assets Trap at Scale

The percentage-of-assets model deserves its own section, because the math is where the structure quietly costs you the most. Some depositories bill a sliding percentage rather than a flat fee, and the deeper your account, the more that choice matters.

The Texas Precious Metals Depository publishes a sliding scale that charges 0.5 percent (the entry tier) annually on gold balances from 0 to 100,000 dollars, 0.45 percent (a mid-tier rate) from 100,001 to 500,000 dollars, and 0.28 percent (the deep-balance floor) on balances above 2,500,000 dollars, with silver billed at 0.6 percent (silver's higher-volume rate) and a 10 dollar minimum monthly billing. The percentage model scales the cost with the account, which is the structural opposite of the flat custodian administration fee.

Run the comparison on a 250,000 dollar account. A flat custodian fee in the low triple digits stays in the low triple digits whether the gold price doubles or halves. A 0.45 percent (a mid-tier rate) percentage charge on that same balance is more than 1,100 dollars a year, and it rises every year the metal appreciates. Over a 20 year hold, the gap between a fixed fee and a percentage fee on an appreciating account runs into five figures. That is the cleanest argument for the flat model on any sizeable rollover, and it is why I treat the percentage structure as a trap rather than a convenience above roughly 50,000 dollars.

Storage Fees and IRS-Approved Depository Placement

Storage is the line item that bends for no one, because the law requires it. Under IRC Section 408(m)(3), qualifying bullion is excluded from the collectibles prohibition only if the metal meets the contract-market fineness floor and stays in the physical possession of a qualifying trustee. The gold floor is 0.995 (a 99.5 percent standard) and the silver floor is 0.999 (a 99.9 percent standard). That physical-possession requirement is exactly why the depository storage fee is a non-negotiable line item separate from the custodian administration fee.

The approved nonbank trustee status behind every custodian fee is also a regulatory fact, not a marketing claim. Under 26 CFR Section 1.408-2, a self-directed IRA custodian that is not a bank must obtain written approval from the Commissioner and maintain a net worth above a specified floor, set at 100,000 dollars to accept new accounts and 50,000 dollars to avoid mandatory relinquishment, or 2 percent (the fiduciary-asset test) of fiduciary-account assets, whichever is greater. A custodian that cannot point to that approval has no business holding your retirement metal.

Per Money.com benchmarking of gold IRA providers in 2026, storage fees often range from 100 dollars to 150 dollars per year and setup fees range from 50 dollars to 200 dollars, while some providers waive the setup fee entirely. The Better Business Bureau profile on every custodian is publicly verifiable, and the rating carries weight precisely because the vetting is hard to fake.

Which Fee Model Fits Your Rollover Size

So which fee model actually fits your account? The right one depends almost entirely on your number, so match the structure to the rollover rather than chasing the lowest headline figure. Below roughly 25,000 dollars, the fixed annual fee is a meaningful percentage of the account, and the practical move is to fund up to a more favorable tier rather than accept a high percentage drag on a small balance.

Between 25,000 dollars and 50,000 dollars, the flat custodian fee is clearly the better structure, and any percentage-of-assets depository option works against you as the metal appreciates. A 250 dollar flat fee at the 50,000 dollar mark is 0.5 percent (the break-even point) of the account, and that drag only shrinks as you fund higher. Above 50,000 dollars, the flat model is decisive, and the dealer-side fee-waiver promotions that step in at the higher bands make the all-in cost even more favorable. A reputable operator names its custodian openly, and the operator-and-custodian pairing is the load-bearing decision.

A good operator call sounds like a consultation rather than a pitch, according to Tim Schmidt, summarizing what a quality dealer conversation looks like on a recent operator call.

It should be educational. They should be asking you questions about your portfolio, your investing experience, your time horizon, how long you might want to be holding on to these assets.

Tim Schmidt Sr., May 2026 (operator call)

Match the fee model to your rollover size, confirm the custodian on the IRS approved nonbank trustee list, and get every line item in writing before any funds transfer.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a custodian fee and a dealer fee in a gold IRA?

The custodian fee is the administration charge from the institution that holds your IRA, such as Equity Trust Company or STRATA Trust Company, and it covers account maintenance and IRS reporting. The dealer fee is the markup over spot that the bullion seller earns, and it is a separate transaction. The depository charges a third fee for storage. All three are distinct line items billed by distinct entities, so ask for each one individually.

Is a flat custodian fee always better than a percentage-of-assets fee?

For most gold IRA holders above roughly 50,000 dollars, yes. A flat fee stays fixed while the account grows, so the percentage drag falls every year the metal appreciates. A percentage-of-assets fee rises with the balance and quietly costs more on an appreciating account. On a very small balance, the two models can land close together, but the flat structure pulls ahead the moment the account grows.

Which custodians handle the most gold IRAs?

Equity Trust Company, STRATA Trust Company, Kingdom Trust, and The Entrust Group handle the majority of self-directed gold IRAs in the United States. Equity Trust is the most common partner across the major dealers and is the custodian on my own Goldco account. Each appears on or qualifies under the IRS approved nonbank trustee framework, which is the regulatory backbone behind the fees they charge.

How do I verify a custodian before paying any fees?

You start by confirming the custodian is on the IRS approved nonbank trustee list or is a chartered bank trustee, then check its Better Business Bureau profile for the rating and complaint pattern. You then request its full fee schedule in writing, including the one-time setup fee, the annual administration fee, and any per-transaction charges. You confirm the depository placement separately, since storage is billed apart from administration.

Risk Warning: Precious-metals investing carries market risk and storage costs. Prices fluctuate and past performance does not predict future results. Gold IRA accounts charge annual custodian and depository fees that reduce net return. Consult a licensed CPA or fiduciary advisor before opening or moving a self-directed retirement account.

To start, request the free Goldco information kit and read the operator-attested fee schedule alongside the custodian's administration fee before any phone contact.

About the Author

Tim Schmidt Sr. has been covering precious-metals investing since 2012. He founded IRAInvesting.com that year and has spent more than a decade evaluating gold IRA companies, custodians, and depositories firsthand as a personal account holder. His personal Goldco gold IRA is custodied at Equity Trust Company. He serves as VP Business Development at Cayman Financial Review and operates Ice Cold Marketing from Weston, Florida. His commentary has appeared in CNBC, Yahoo Finance, USA Today, Business Insider, and other financial outlets.

Reviewed by Sean Webster, CPA

Sean Webster is a Certified Public Accountant who reviewed this article for accuracy on the fee, custodian, and IRS-rule figures cited throughout.