STRATA Trust Company: Precious Metals IRA Fees and Depositories

STRATA Trust Company is a self-directed IRA custodian that says it supports gold, silver, platinum and palladium in IRAs. This profile is part of our Gold IRA Custodian Directory. It collects what STRATA publishes about fees, depositories and oversight, and notes what we could not confirm. It is not a recommendation or a rating.

Everything below that comes from STRATA is the company's own statement, as read on the dates shown. Fees and terms can change, so check STRATA's current documents before you act.

Who is STRATA Trust Company?

According to STRATA's About page, the company was founded in 2008 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Horizon Bank, SSB, and was first known as Self Directed IRA Services, Inc. The page does not give a rebrand date. STRATA's complaint information page lists its main office at 7901 Woodway Drive, Waco, Texas.

STRATA's home page says "Since 2008, we have delivered clarity, consistency, and personal support" and lists "48k+" investors and "$10B+" in assets under custody. These are company claims. We did not verify them independently.

How is STRATA regulated, and is it on the IRS list?

STRATA's Why STRATA page calls it a "Texas-chartered trust company" regulated by the Texas Department of Banking. Its About page says "Texas regulators" conduct regular examinations, without naming the department. The Texas Department of Banking's trust companies page says the department charters and examines state trust companies. That page does not name STRATA, so we have not confirmed STRATA's charter from a regulator's own record.

The tax code requires an IRA trustee to be a "bank" or another person the IRS has approved. Under 26 U.S.C. 408 (2021 edition; later amendments are not reflected), "bank" includes a corporation that is subject to supervision and examination by a state banking official under that state's banking laws.

The IRS publishes a separate list of approved nonbank trustees and custodians. We searched the list dated April 1, 2026 for "Strata" and "Self Directed IRA Services" and found no entry. The IRS page says it will "frequently update" the list and shows it as last reviewed 28-Jun-2026.

We draw no legal conclusion from this. One reading is that a state-supervised trust company may fall under the tax code's bank definition rather than needing to be on the nonbank list. That is an interpretation, not a finding. If it matters to you, ask STRATA in writing which basis it relies on, and ask a tax or legal professional to review the answer. Our guide to custodian requirements explains the two paths.

What does STRATA charge for a precious metals IRA?

STRATA's fee page lists a "Precious Metals" tier. The page shows no effective date or version number, only a 2025 copyright line, and says fees are subject to change without notice. The annual fees are not prorated and are charged at opening and then on the account anniversary.

STRATA also lists a higher-priced "Flex" tier at a $395 annual fee for people holding other private assets. The fee page says the metals storage fees above apply if metals are held. STRATA also links a downloadable fee schedule, hosted on a separate flipbook page that we did not open, so the list above comes from the web page only. The page also says STRATA may charge for services it does not list. For how these charges fit with dealer costs, see Gold IRA custodian fees.

STRATA's precious metals disclosures (Form #260-04012019, dated April 1, 2019) say the price is "negotiated directly with the dealer" along with "any commissions or fees the dealer will charge" (STRATA does not negotiate them), and that IRA fees must be paid before a transaction. This is an older form, so confirm it is still current.

Which depositories does STRATA say it supports?

IRA-owned metals must be held by an approved custodian or trustee. The IRS says gold, silver, platinum and palladium bullion of a certain fineness is excluded from the "collectibles" rule only if a bank or approved non-bank trustee keeps physical possession. STRATA says it does not permit home storage.

According to STRATA's investment direction form (Form #661, dated 11/13/2025) and its gold and precious metals page, the options are:

STRATA describes commingled storage as holding your metals with other STRATA customers' metals, so you get "like" metals back rather than the exact items. Segregated storage means your metals are marked with your name and IRA number. STRATA's pages are not fully consistent on which storage types each depository offers, so confirm this before you choose.

What does a custodian do, and what does STRATA say it does not do?

A custodian holds the IRA, keeps records, processes your instructions, and reports to you and the IRS. It does not choose or vet investments for you.

STRATA describes itself on its home page as performing "the duties of a directed (passive) custodian," and its disclosures say "As a directed custodian, STRATA provides only the required administration, custody and reporting required for IRAs." Its disclosures say the account holder picks the dealer and is "wholly responsible" for that choice. STRATA says it is not affiliated with any dealer, does no due diligence on dealers, and does not review dealer pricing beyond IRA compliance. It also says it gives no investment, legal or tax advice.

STRATA's disclosures also warn that:

• Metals are not FDIC-insured and may lose value.
• Dealers buy back at a lower "bid" price than they sell, and the gap (the spread) has generally been wider for proof coins than bullion coins.
• Statement values use the spot price, which leaves out dealer markups and premiums.

STRATA's gold page puts typical spreads at 2% to 10% on common bullion and 4% to 35% on proofs. That is the company's statement, not a figure we checked.

What about complaints or lawsuits?

We are not reporting any. We did not locate a regulator order, judgment or settlement involving STRATA in the sources we opened. We did not query the Better Business Bureau, FINRA BrokerCheck or SEC EDGAR. Absence from this page is not a clean record. STRATA's complaint page says to contact the company first, and lists the Texas Department of Banking's Consumer Assistance Activities office at (877) 276-5554 for complaints.

What should you ask STRATA before opening an account?

• Which basis do you rely on to act as an IRA custodian: the tax code's bank definition or IRS nonbank approval? Can you put that in writing?
• What is the effective date of the fee schedule I am relying on, and how will you notify me of changes?
• Which depository and storage type will hold my metals, and who bills the storage fee?
• How are fees paid, and what happens if I miss a payment?
• Is there a fee to transfer or close the account, and what is it today?
• What is your insurance and audit arrangement at the depository, in writing?
• How do I file a complaint, and how are disputes handled?

How does STRATA compare with other custodians?

The fee structure above is one data point, not a verdict. Other profiles collect the same kinds of facts for Equity Trust Company and GoldStar Trust Company. Compare the same fee items and dates, and talk with a qualified tax professional about how an IRA's rules apply to your situation.

Sources and update schedule

All STRATA pages and forms were read on October 13, 2026. We plan to re-check this profile quarterly. The IRS list we searched is dated April 1, 2026, and the IRS says it updates the list frequently, so a later list could differ.