Preferred Trust Company Precious Metals IRA Review

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Last updated: August 5, 2026 · By White Metal Resources Editorial

This review is for savers weighing Preferred Trust Company as the custodian for a precious metals IRA. Below we cover who Preferred Trust is, how its account is structured, which white metals and vaults it supports, what the published fee schedule actually charges, and how to vet the account before signing. Every fact traces to Preferred Trust's own site, an IRS document, or a federal statute, and each figure is cited inline.

Who is Preferred Trust Company?

Preferred Trust Company, LLC is a Nevada-chartered trust company that acts as a passive, self-directed IRA custodian. Its office is at 6700 Via Austi Parkway, Suite 301, Las Vegas, NV 89119, per the address printed on the company fee schedule. Client service runs at 888.990.7892.

The company reports being formed in 2007. It states that it operates as a licensed trust company and is authorized under Financial Institutions Division of Nevada License No. TR10025. That license is what allows a chartered Nevada trust company to act as a self-directed IRA custodian under federal rules governing IRA trustees.

Preferred Trust's investment services page also lists regulatory bodies for due diligence. Those include the Nevada Financial Institutions Division (NVFID), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the Better Business Bureau, and the Retirement Industry Trust Association (RITA).

Worth knowing: Preferred Trust is a directed, or passive, custodian. Its own fee page footer states that Preferred Trust performs duties of a custodian and, as such, does not sell investments or provide investment, tax, or legal advice. In plain English, you pick the coin dealer yourself.

How does Preferred Trust structure a precious metals IRA?

A precious metals IRA at Preferred Trust follows the same three-party split that federal law requires. The custodian holds legal title, a dealer sells the metal, and an approved depository stores it. Preferred Trust holds the legal title as trustee. You choose the dealer, and Preferred Trust settles the purchase from the account.

Two federal rules pin that structure in place. Only an IRS-approved trustee may hold IRA metal, and the statute itself requires physical possession by that trustee (source: IRS collectibles snapshot). The metal must also meet the fineness minimums drawn from commodity-market delivery standards (source: 26 U.S.C. section 408).

Preferred Trust fills the trustee role. You negotiate the purchase with a dealer of your choice, then submit an authorization form so Preferred Trust can pay the dealer from the IRA. Preferred Trust wires the funds and directs the metal to your chosen depository under the IRA's name. See what a self-directed IRA custodian does for the role in detail.

Which metals and purities does Preferred Trust hold?

Preferred Trust holds IRA-eligible bullion in gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, at the fineness minimums fixed by federal law. Gold sits at 99.5% pure. Silver sits at 99.9%. Platinum and palladium sit at 99.95%. These purities are drawn from IRC section 408(m)(3) and apply to any IRA-eligible metal, regardless of custodian.

Preferred Trust does not publish its own product catalog of coins and bars. Instead, product eligibility is defined by the statute. American Silver, Gold, and Platinum Eagles qualify through a separate carve-out for United States coins, even where the coin itself does not meet the bullion fineness test (source: IRS collectibles snapshot).

Bars from approved refiners and common bullion coins from qualified mints are accepted where they meet the fineness rule. Numismatic or graded rare coins outside the United States coin carve-out are treated as collectibles under 26 U.S.C. section 408(m) and do not qualify. See IRA-eligible silver coins and platinum IRA rules.

Which depositories does Preferred Trust use?

Preferred Trust does not run its own vault. Instead, precious metals in a Preferred Trust IRA are stored at a third-party depository. Preferred Trust establishes a sub-account under the IRA owner's name at the depository, so the metal is titled to the IRA even though the vault is a separate business.

The company's investment services page lists three approved precious metals storage partners: the Delaware Depository, IDS of Delaware, and Strategic Wealth Preservation (SWP). Delaware Depository is a Delaware limited-purpose trust company that acts as a sub-custodian for IRA bullion. IDS of Delaware is a fully-insured depository specializing in segregated storage. SWP is a metals dealer and secure storage provider with domestic and offshore vault options.

Source: Preferred Trust Company investment services page. Vault details are provider-published and are not IRA-eligibility statements about a specific product. Checked August 2026.

Annual storage costs are billed separately by the depository, not by Preferred Trust. Preferred Trust's precious metals fee page states that the Annual Depository Fee varies by depository selected and type of segregation. Ask the vault directly for its current schedule before you sign the storage election.

Segregated storage keeps your specific coins or bars apart in your account's name and typically costs more. Commingled storage pools metal of the same type across accounts and costs less. See approved depositories and segregated versus commingled storage for how the trade-off plays out on a small versus large account.

What does the Preferred Trust fee schedule actually list?

Preferred Trust publishes its full fee schedule as a downloadable PDF, updated periodically. In its own words, the schedule is intended to be the most transparent in the custodial industry. Fees are earned from the work of each requested transaction, not from any commission on the investment.

For a metals-only account, Preferred Trust runs a Precious Metal exclusive tier at a flat $300 Annual Precious Metal IRA Account Administration Fee, regardless of account value. Account establishment is a $50 one-time fee, paid at opening. This is separate from any transaction, storage, or transfer fee.

The fee schedule warns that a Precious Metal exclusive account must be used solely for precious metal investing or cash. If the IRA owner adds any other asset type, the account is automatically converted to the standard fee schedule and assessed the tiered Annual Account Administration Fee, minus what was already paid for the exclusive tier.

The table below groups the published items you are most likely to see across a full account lifecycle. All numbers are from Preferred Trust's own fee schedule.

Source: Preferred Trust Company, Precious Metal Fee Schedule as of 1.2.23. Fees are subject to change on 30 days written notice. Checked August 2026.

Preferred Trust also requires the IRA to maintain a minimum cash balance of $500. If fees remain unpaid past 30 days and the IRA has no assets, the schedule states that Preferred Trust reserves the right to close the account without prior notice and assess the Account Termination Fee from any remaining cash.

The trade-off: Preferred Trust's $300 flat annual fee is simple and predictable, and it does not scale with account value on the exclusive tier. What the fee page does not include is the dealer spread, and the dealer spread is usually the largest lifetime cost on a metals IRA. See custodian fees versus dealer markups and silver IRA fees explained.

The calculator below shows how annual fees compound against an account over time. Enter a balance and a fee rate to see the drag.

How do you open a precious metals IRA at Preferred Trust?

Opening the account mirrors the direct-rollover route most savers use. You open the self-directed IRA with Preferred Trust first, then move funds in from an existing plan, then choose a dealer and buy the metal, then have the depository take physical possession. Each step is discrete and reversible up to the purchase.

1. Open a Precious Metal exclusive IRA at Preferred Trust. Choose the IRA type that matches your source money, such as traditional, Roth, SEP, or SIMPLE. The IRA Account Establishment Fee is $50, per the published schedule.
2. Fund the account with a direct transfer or direct rollover. Move money custodian to custodian, avoiding the 60-day redeposit deadline and the 20% mandatory withholding that applies to many plan payouts.
3. Pick an IRA-eligible metals dealer yourself. Preferred Trust does not select or endorse dealers. Favor common bullion at fair spreads and avoid pitches that push premium numismatic coins.
4. Confirm each product meets the fineness minimum. Ask the dealer for the fineness in writing and check it against the 99.5%, 99.9%, or 99.95% rule for the metal.
5. Choose a depository and a storage type. Pick Delaware Depository, IDS of Delaware, or Strategic Wealth Preservation, then choose commingled or segregated storage where offered.
6. Submit the Preferred Trust investment authorization. Provide the completed form with the dealer invoice so Preferred Trust can pay the dealer from the IRA.
7. Let Preferred Trust settle the purchase and route to the vault. Preferred Trust wires the funds, the metal ships to the chosen depository, and the account records are updated in the online portal.

The direct route matters. A direct transfer or direct rollover keeps the money custodian to custodian, which avoids the 60-day rule that turns an indirect rollover into a taxable distribution on missed timing. See direct versus indirect rollover for the mechanics.

How does Preferred Trust compare with Equity Trust and STRATA?

Preferred Trust is one of several established self-directed IRA custodians that support precious metals. A short comparison against Equity Trust (an Ohio-based custodian) and STRATA Trust (a Texas-chartered custodian) shows the differences that matter for a metals account, without any invented figure.

Sources: Preferred Trust Company fee schedule and about page; STRATA Trust Company fee schedule; Equity Trust Company fee schedule. Founding dates are self-reported by each custodian. Checked August 2026.

The core distinction is the pricing model. Preferred Trust charges a flat $300 annual fee on its metals-only tier, and bills depository storage separately. STRATA runs a lower $125 annual fee but includes storage inside its own numbers at $100 or $175. Equity Trust runs a tiered fee that scales with the account value. See how to compare precious metals IRA custodians, Equity Trust review, STRATA Trust review, and the custodian versus dealer distinction.

Who Preferred Trust fits, and who it does not

Preferred Trust tends to fit savers who want a Nevada-chartered custodian with a flat annual fee that does not scale with the account value, expect to hold physical metal only, and are comfortable picking their own dealer. It fits people who already have (or plan to open) an account at one of the listed depositories, and who want a fee schedule they can read in one PDF.

It tends not to fit savers who want the lowest possible flat custodian fee, since the $300 exclusive-tier fee is higher than several competing published tiers on small metals accounts. It also does not fit people who want the custodian to also select and vet the dealer, since Preferred Trust states in its own footer that it does not sell investments or provide investment advice.

Our view: the flat-fee model at Preferred Trust rewards savers with a mid-sized to large metals account and a clear plan for the depository. The value is predictability, not the lowest headline number. If your account is small, the fixed $300 hits harder as a percentage of the balance, and a lower-headline competitor may fit better. Either way, the same federal rules apply to your account and to the metal.

A vetting checklist before you sign

Preferred Trust's fee page is transparent, but the signature belongs to you. A short checklist filters most of the surprises out of the account before you commit.

• Download the current fee schedule PDF. Preferred Trust reserves the right to change fees on 30 days written notice. Save a copy of the version dated at the time you open the account, so you have a reference if a later revision changes the numbers.
• Ask which depository will get your metal, in writing. The Annual Depository Fee is not paid to Preferred Trust and varies by vault and segregation type, so this is a separate bill you should model into your all-in cost.
• Verify the dealer separately. Preferred Trust is not a dealer and does not vet dealers. Check the dealer's Better Business Bureau profile, its complaint history, and its willingness to quote the spread in writing.
• Check the depository directly. Delaware Depository, IDS of Delaware, and Strategic Wealth Preservation each publish their own insurance and audit disclosures. Review them before signing the storage election.
• Confirm the exclusive tier rules. The $300 flat fee applies only when the IRA holds precious metals and cash. Adding another asset type automatically converts the account to the tiered standard fee, which starts at $300 for a $0 to $50,000 balance and climbs to $1,000 at $600,001 and up.
• Read the closure and transfer fees before you open. A full account termination costs $300 and a partial transfer out costs $100 under the current schedule. Neither is unusual, but both belong on your calculus.

When Preferred Trust is a bad idea

A balanced look has to name when this custodian works against you. For several savers, Preferred Trust is the wrong choice, and saying so plainly is part of an honest review.

It is usually a bad idea in these situations:

• A very small metals balance against the fixed annual fee. A $300 annual fee, before any depository charge, is a real 3.0% drag on a $10,000 balance. The same $300 is a 0.40% drag on $75,000. Fixed fees punish small accounts hardest.
• You want to hold non-metal alternatives in the same account. The exclusive tier disappears the moment a non-metal asset arrives. The account is then billed on the standard tiered schedule, which starts higher on any large-value account.
• You want the lowest headline custodian fee. Preferred Trust's $300 exclusive-tier fee is higher than the $125 STRATA Precious Metals Tier baseline. If price alone drives your choice on a small metals-only account, that gap matters.
• You want a custodian that vets your dealer. Preferred Trust is a passive custodian by design. If you want a single provider that also screens the dealer, that is a different model.
• You may need the money within a few years. Physical metal is volatile short-term, selling means crossing the dealer spread again, and Preferred Trust's Sale or In-Kind Transaction Fee is $200 per event. Before age 59.5 you also owe the 10% federal additional tax on top of ordinary income tax.

If any of these describes you, slowing down is the sensible call. The fixed annual costs and the dealer spread both punish a short or small position more than most savers expect. There is no chooser card in this section on purpose.

Preferred Trust questions, answered

Is Preferred Trust Company a legitimate IRA custodian?

Yes. Preferred Trust is a Nevada-chartered trust company operating under Financial Institutions Division of Nevada License No. TR10025. As a chartered trust company, it is authorized to act as a self-directed IRA custodian under federal rules governing trustees of IRAs. It reports being formed in 2007.

Does Preferred Trust sell precious metals?

No. Preferred Trust is a passive, or directed, custodian. Its own fee schedule footer states that Preferred Trust performs duties of a custodian and does not sell investments or provide investment, tax, or legal advice. You choose the metals dealer yourself and Preferred Trust settles the purchase from the IRA.

Which precious metals can Preferred Trust hold?

Preferred Trust holds gold, silver, platinum, and palladium meeting the fineness minimums fixed by IRC section 408(m)(3). Gold at 99.5%, silver at 99.9%, and platinum and palladium at 99.95%. American Silver, Gold, and Platinum Eagles qualify through a separate United States coin carve-out.

Which depositories can Preferred Trust use for precious metals?

Preferred Trust's investment services page lists three approved storage partners for precious metals. They are Delaware Depository in Wilmington, IDS of Delaware in New Castle, and Strategic Wealth Preservation. SWP offers domestic vaults in Texas and Delaware plus an offshore option in the Cayman Islands.

How much does a Preferred Trust precious metals IRA cost per year?

The Precious Metal exclusive tier charges a flat $300 Annual Precious Metal IRA Account Administration Fee, regardless of account value, when the IRA holds only precious metals and cash. Account establishment is a $50 one-time fee. Depository storage is billed separately by the vault and varies.

Can I hold silver, platinum, and palladium in the same Preferred Trust IRA?

Yes. A Preferred Trust IRA can hold gold, silver, platinum, and palladium in the same account, as long as each product meets the IRS fineness rule and comes from an IRA-eligible source. The storage type available depends on the depository you choose and the metal.

What is the difference between the exclusive tier and the standard tier at Preferred Trust?

The Precious Metal exclusive tier is a $300 flat annual fee that applies only when the IRA holds precious metals and cash. Add another asset type, like real estate or a trust deed, and the account converts to the standard tiered schedule. That schedule starts at $300 for a $0 to $50,000 balance and climbs to $1,000 at $600,001 and up.

What happens to the metal if I close a Preferred Trust IRA?

You can either take an in-kind distribution of the physical metal, which is taxable and may carry the 10% early penalty if you are under 59.5, or transfer the IRA to another custodian. Preferred Trust charges a $300 Full Transfer Out or Account Termination Fee, plus a $200 Precious Metal Sale or In-Kind Transaction Fee for the metal event itself.