STRATA Trust Company Precious Metals IRA Review

Affiliate disclosure: White Metal Resources may earn a commission when you open an account through links on this page. This never changes what you pay or what we write. We are not financial or tax advisors. Consult a licensed advisor before making retirement decisions.

Last updated: July 22, 2026 · By White Metal Resources Editorial

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

Who is STRATA Trust Company?

STRATA Trust Company is a Texas-chartered trust company that acts as a passive, self-directed IRA custodian. Its principal office is at 901 S MoPac Expressway, Suite 100, Austin, Texas 78746, per its structured address. The company also traces its founding to Waco, Texas.

The business started in 2008 under the name Self Directed IRA Services, Inc. and was later rebranded as STRATA Trust Company. STRATA states that its founder is Horizon Bank, SSB. As a chartered trust company, it is regulated by the Texas Department of Banking and states that it uses independent third-party audits.

STRATA reports its scale in its About page timeline. It passed $1 billion in assets under custody in 2015, $3 billion in 2021, $6 billion in 2023, and $7 billion in 2024. Those figures are self-reported by STRATA, not from a regulator.

Worth knowing: STRATA is a directed, or passive, custodian. Its own footer states that it does not provide due diligence on third parties, does not endorse or sell any investment, and is not affiliated with any dealer. In plain English, you pick the coin dealer yourself.

How does STRATA structure a precious metals IRA?

A precious metals IRA at STRATA 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. STRATA holds the legal title. You choose the dealer, and STRATA 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).

STRATA fills the trustee role. Its precious metals workflow expects you to negotiate the purchase with a dealer of your choice, then submit its Investment Direction and Disclosures Precious Metals form along with the dealer invoice and agreement. STRATA then wires the money to the dealer 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 STRATA accept?

STRATA's precious metals page lists all four IRA-eligible metals: gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. The purities it prints match the IRS-recognized minimums drawn from IRC section 408(m)(3). Gold sits at 99.5% pure. Silver sits at 99.9%. Platinum and palladium sit at 99.95%.

STRATA also names common accepted products. On gold, it points to American Eagle bullion and proof coins, American Buffalo coins, Australian Kangaroo or Nugget coins, and Austrian Philharmonic coins. On silver, it points to American Eagle bullion and proof coins, America the Beautiful coins, Australian Kookaburra coins, and Austrian Philharmonic coins.

On platinum, STRATA lists the American Eagle bullion and proof coins, Australian Koala coins, Canadian Maple Leaf coins, and Isle of Man Noble coins. On palladium, it lists Canadian Maple Leaf bullion coins and other qualifying items. Bars from approved refiners are also accepted where they meet the fineness rule.

The 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). Numismatic or graded rare coins outside that carve-out are treated as collectibles and do not qualify. See IRA-eligible silver coins and platinum IRA rules.

Which depositories does STRATA use for precious metals?

STRATA gives two depository choices for precious metals IRAs: the Delaware Depository in Wilmington and the Texas Precious Metals Depository near Austin. Both are printed on the STRATA precious metals page storage table. STRATA notifies you once metal arrives at the vault and bills the annual storage fee alongside the annual IRA fee.

Source: STRATA Trust Company precious metals page. Location details are provider-published and are not IRA-eligibility statements about a specific product. Checked July 2026.

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. STRATA's fee page lists commingled silver only at the depository, so if segregated silver matters to you, ask STRATA in writing whether that is possible before you sign.

Both venues are IRS-approved private vaults with insurance and armored logistics. Neither is a bank. See approved depositories and segregated versus commingled storage for how the trade-off usually plays out on a small versus large account.

What does the STRATA fee schedule actually list?

STRATA publishes a full precious metals fee page, which is unusual in this segment. Most gold IRA companies bury custodian fees inside a bundled dealer quote. STRATA prints the numbers in plain text and lets you download the schedule as a PDF.

The core stack for the Precious Metals Tier is a $125 annual account fee, plus depository storage at $100 commingled or $175 segregated. Segregated is offered for gold, platinum, and palladium, with silver held commingled at the depository. Account setup is $50 and is waived when opened electronically.

On top of the annual stack sit transaction and service items. A precious metals purchase, sale, or exchange costs $40 each. Depository handling and processing runs $35. Precious metals shipping is $10 plus the depository cost. An outgoing wire is $35 and a partial transfer out is $100.

The table below groups the published items you are most likely to see across a full account lifecycle. Numbers are STRATA's own, drawn from the fee schedule page.

Source: STRATA Trust Company fee schedule page. Fees are not prorated and are subject to change without notice. Checked July 2026.

The Precious Metals Tier is the right tier if you only hold metals. Two other tiers exist. The Basic Tier is $150 per year for publicly traded assets with a metals option. The Flex Tier is $350 per year for a mix of private assets, real estate, metals, and traded securities, with per-asset holding fees on top.

The trade-off: STRATA's published fees are a rare piece of transparency in this market. What they do 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 STRATA?

Opening the account mirrors the direct-rollover route most savers use. You open the self-directed IRA with STRATA 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 Metals Tier IRA at STRATA. Choose the IRA type that matches your source money, such as traditional, Roth, SEP, or SIMPLE. Setup is $50 and is waived if you open the account electronically.
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. STRATA does not select or endorse dealers, per its own footer. 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 or Texas Precious Metals Depository, then choose commingled or segregated storage where the metal supports it.
6. Submit STRATA's Investment Direction and Disclosures form. Provide the completed form with the dealer invoice and agreement so STRATA can pay the dealer from the IRA.
7. Let STRATA settle the purchase and ship to the vault. STRATA wires the funds, the metal ships to the chosen depository, and STRATA updates the account record.

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 STRATA compare with other custodians?

STRATA is one of several established self-directed IRA custodians that support precious metals. A short comparison shows the differences that matter for a metals account, without any invented figure.

Sources: STRATA Trust About and Fee Schedule pages. Typical dealer-affiliated custodian is a generic pattern, not a specific competitor. Checked July 2026.

The core distinction is independence and fee transparency. STRATA is not affiliated with a coin dealer, and it prints the account and storage fees on a public page. That structure keeps dealer selection with you, which lets you shop the spread separately. See how to compare precious metals IRA custodians, Equity Trust review, and the custodian versus dealer distinction.

Who STRATA fits, and who it does not

STRATA tends to fit savers who want a Texas-chartered custodian with published fees, expect to hold physical metal only, and are comfortable choosing their own dealer. It fits people who plan to hold at least a mid-sized balance so the fixed annual fee spreads thin, and who value having two vault choices in different states.

It tends not to fit savers who want a single call, a single quote, and a package that names one dealer and one vault. If you prefer a dealer who arranges the entire account with a bundled fee, a dealer-affiliated custodian model may feel simpler. Fewer choices can also mean weaker leverage on the spread.

Our view: the independent custodian model at STRATA rewards savers who will do a small amount of homework on the dealer and the depository. If you would rather delegate everything, weigh whether the convenience is worth the lost control. Either way, the same federal rules apply to your account and to the metal.

A vetting checklist before you sign

STRATA's transparency is easy to check, but a signature belongs to you. A short checklist filters most of the surprises out of the account before you commit.

• Confirm the current fee schedule in writing. STRATA reserves the right to change fees without notice, per its own fee page. Ask for a signed copy of the schedule that will apply to your account at opening.
• Ask whether segregated storage is available for the metal you plan to buy. Silver is commingled only in STRATA's published options, and other combinations may vary at each depository.
• Verify the dealer separately. STRATA 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 and Texas Precious Metals Depository each publish their own insurance and audit disclosures. Review them before signing the storage election.
• Understand the tier you are opening. The Precious Metals Tier at $125 per year fits metal-only accounts. Adding non-metal alternatives may push you into the Basic or Flex tier at a higher annual fee.
• Read the closure fee before you open. A full account closure costs $250 and a partial transfer out costs $100 under the current STRATA schedule. Neither is unusual, but both belong on your calculus.

When STRATA is a bad idea

A balanced look has to name when this custodian works against you. For several savers, STRATA 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 fees. A $125 account fee plus $100 storage is $225 per year, which is a real 2.25% drag on a $10,000 balance. The same fixed dollars are a 0.38% drag on $60,000. Fixed fees punish small accounts hardest.
• You want segregated storage for silver. STRATA's published options list silver as commingled only. If keeping specific silver bars in your account name matters to you, another custodian or depository combination may fit better.
• You need a custodian that also vets your dealer. STRATA is a passive custodian by design and does not endorse or evaluate dealers. If you want a single provider that also screens the dealer, that is a different model.
• You want a single named custodian and dealer with one bundled quote. Dealer-affiliated models may feel simpler at signup, though they usually lock you in on the depository too. STRATA's split model is the opposite pattern.
• You may need the money within a few years. Physical metal is volatile short-term, selling means crossing the dealer spread again, and account closure at STRATA costs $250. 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 CTA in this section on purpose.

STRATA Trust questions, answered

Is STRATA Trust Company a legitimate IRA custodian?

Yes. STRATA is a Texas-chartered trust company regulated by the Texas Department of Banking. It states that its business is subject to independent third-party audits. As a chartered trust company, it is authorized to act as a self-directed IRA custodian under federal rules governing trustees of IRAs.

Does STRATA sell precious metals?

No. STRATA is a passive, or directed, custodian. Its own footer states that it does not provide due diligence on third parties, does not endorse or sell any investment, and is not affiliated with any dealer. You choose the metals dealer yourself and STRATA settles the purchase from the IRA.

Which precious metals can STRATA custody?

STRATA's precious metals page lists gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. The purities it prints match 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.

What depositories does STRATA use for precious metals?

STRATA gives two vault choices for precious metals IRAs: the Delaware Depository in Wilmington and the Texas Precious Metals Depository near Austin. Both offer commingled storage. Segregated storage is offered for gold, platinum, and palladium, and silver is held commingled at the depository.

How much does a STRATA precious metals IRA cost per year?

The Precious Metals Tier charges a $125 annual account fee, plus depository storage at $100 commingled or $175 segregated. Account setup is $50 and is waived electronically. A precious metals purchase, sale, or exchange is $40, and STRATA reserves the right to change fees without notice.

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

Yes. A precious metals IRA at STRATA 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 metal and the depository you choose.

Does STRATA offer segregated storage for silver?

Not under the published options. STRATA's precious metals storage table lists silver as commingled at the depository. If keeping specific silver bars in your account name is essential, ask STRATA in writing whether an exception exists at either depository before opening the account.

What happens to the metal if I close a STRATA 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. STRATA charges $250 to close the account, plus $75 per asset for in-kind distribution.