Research Comparison · June 2026
The short answer
There is no single official IRS gold IRA custodian list. The IRS sets the rules for what can be held and how custody must work. The most useful comparison is a research-built table of custodians that publicly offer SDIRAs for precious metals, along with their dated fee schedules, storage model, and depository details.
Setting the record straight
The IRS does not maintain a universal custodian roster for gold IRAs. What it does publish are the rules that govern eligible precious metals, custody, and prohibited transactions.
If you search for “gold IRA custodian list,” you may get pages that sound official but are really sales pages. The better approach is to compare custodians on facts you can verify:
Compliance basics
A gold IRA custodian is viable only if it can help the account follow IRS custody and asset rules. That means the IRA owner generally should not take personal possession of the metals, and the account must avoid prohibited transactions.
For eligible precious metals in an IRA, the metals must be held through the IRA’s trustee or custodian arrangement. In practice, physical custody stays with the IRA structure, not at your home. This is one of the biggest misunderstandings around gold IRAs.
A custodian can process an IRA purchase and still not guarantee the underlying deal is safe or compliant. IRS prohibited transaction rules can apply if there is self-dealing, related-party involvement, or other improper handling. The best custodians are transparent, not just polished.
How to compare
A useful gold IRA custodian comparison should be built from facts, not vibes. Use these six fields when you compare:
Precious-metals SDIRA support
Do they publicly say they handle precious metals in an IRA?
Dated fee schedule
Is there a PDF or page with an effective date?
Storage model
Do they offer segregated storage, non-segregated, or both?
Depository disclosure
Do they name the depository or explain the custody network?
Transaction and closure fees
Are purchase, liquidation, termination, and transfer-out fees listed?
Transfer process
Do they explain how rollovers and transfers work?
Research-built comparison · June 2026
This is not an official IRS roster. It is a research-constructed comparison of custodians that publicly offer precious-metals SDIRAs and provide enough public information to compare fees and custody details. If a detail is not publicly confirmed, it is marked as such.
| Custodian | Dated fee schedule | Storage model | Notable fee items (from public docs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equity Trust | Yes — 2024 UIRA Fee Schedule (PDF, accessed 2026-06-13) | Segregated and non-segregated listed | Segregated $160/yr, non-segregated $110/yr; liquidation fee $10 per asset, max $30 |
| Pacific Premier Trust | Yes — service-fees page and PDF (accessed 2026-06-13) | Should be confirmed directly | Administrative & maintenance, transactional, and account closure categories disclosed |
| Madison Trust | Yes — Effective January 1, 2026 (PDF, accessed 2026-06-13) | Confirm from fee document | 2026 dated schedule available; specific precious-metals line items not extracted |
| GoldStar Trust | Not confirmed from public page | Precious-metals IRA support publicly stated | Confirm current schedule directly |
Storage decision
| Storage type | What it means | Example pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Segregated | Your metals stored separately from other clients’ metals | Equity Trust $160/yr; STRATA $175/yr (from published schedules) |
| Non-segregated (commingled) | Similar metals pooled with other clients; depository tracks quantity, not specific bars | Equity Trust $110/yr (from published schedule) |
Neither term is inherently better. The right choice depends on your preferences, fees, and what the custodian actually discloses in writing. Confirm the storage type and depository name before funding.
SDIRA risk
SEC and FINRA both warn that self-directed IRAs can expose investors to greater fraud risk. That does not mean every gold IRA is risky by default. It means you need to slow down and verify the details.
Practical process
You do not need to become an expert overnight. You just need a clean process.
The 3 documents to request before funding
If any of those are missing, stop and ask more questions.
Common questions
No. The IRS generally does not publish a master roster of gold IRA custodians. It sets the rules for eligible assets and custody mechanics instead. Any 'IRS-approved custodian list' you find online is a research-built comparison, not an official IRS document.
IRA eligibility depends on IRS rules for precious metals and how they are held in custody. The metals must be acquired and stored in a way that fits those rules. Not all coins and bars qualify — confirm the exact product specs with the custodian in writing before purchasing.
Generally no. IRA-held precious metals are expected to remain under trustee or custodian custody, not personal possession. Taking personal possession can create a taxable distribution.
Usually they handle administration and custody, not full investment due diligence. SEC and FINRA warn that SDIRAs can carry higher fraud risk, so you should verify the deal yourself — including the dealer pricing, product eligibility, and storage arrangement.
Because costs can come from storage, transactions, transfers, liquidations, and closures — not just the annual maintenance fee. The only reliable way to compare custodians is to use their published, dated fee schedules and compare the full lifecycle cost.
The custodian administers and holds the IRA assets in custody. The dealer sells the metals and sets the trade pricing. You need clarity on both — a low custodian fee can be offset by a high dealer premium.
Often yes, but you should confirm the transfer process and any transfer-out or closure fees with both the current and receiving custodian first. Ask for the fee schedule before you start.
If a custodian will not give you straight answers to these questions, keep looking.