Brink's Global Services: IRA Storage Profile

Brink's Global Services: IRA Storage Options, Insurance and Fees

Updated October 13, 2026Facts checked against sources on October 13, 2026

The short answer

Brink's Global Services USA is a vault operator that some IRA custodians have named as a storage option. Brink's own web pages describe vaulting, all-risk insurance and audit practices, but the pages we read do not mention IRAs. IRA details come from custodian documents, which may be dated. Confirm current terms with your custodian.

Brink's is known as a security and armored-transport company. It also runs vaults that store precious metals. This page looks at what Brink's says about that service and what public documents say about its use for gold and silver IRAs. It does not rate Brink's or compare it with other vaults. For the general idea, see our guide to IRA-Approved Depositories.

Everything below about Brink's is a claim from Brink's or from a custodian unless we say an independent source confirms it. We did not find an independent source confirming Brink's storage practices, so none is claimed here.

Who is Brink's Global Services?

The Brink's Company is a publicly traded company based in Richmond, Virginia. Its annual report (Form 10-K) for 2024 says its Brink's Global Services unit ("BGS") serves "customers in more than 100 countries" and moves high-value goods, including precious metals (SEC filing). The same filing says its valuables work "includes the transportation and storage of banknotes, precious metals and other valuables."

A 2019 press release from the custodian Equity Trust describes Brink's Global Services USA, Inc. as "an affiliate of Brink's, Incorporated" (Equity Trust). A depository election form from The Entrust Group names "Brink's Global Services U.S.A., Inc." as the depository (Entrust form). Make sure any paperwork you sign names the exact legal entity holding your metal.

What does Brink's say about storing precious metals?

Brink's US website says its "vaulting facilities are built to provide you with state-of-the-art precious metals storage services" and that you can "track it from anywhere at any time" (Brink's precious metals page).

Its Private Client Storage page says "Your holdings sit in segregated storage under Brink's security" and lists "Segregated storage in your name" and "Climate-controlled storage space." It says storage covers bullion bars and coins, collectible coins, jewelry and banknotes (Private Client Storage).

Two cautions. First, "segregated" here is Brink's wording on a page for private clients. The page does not say how an IRA account at a custodian is set up, and it does not define segregated. Ask your custodian whether your metal is held separately or pooled with others (see segregated vs. commingled storage). Second, the Secure Vaults and Bonded Warehouses page describes a business service for traders and companies, and says "Standard vault storage is for domestic goods or goods that have already cleared customs" (Secure Vaults and Bonded Warehouses).

Does Brink's say it serves IRA custodians?

Not on the pages we read. We opened Brink's precious metals page, its vaults and bonded warehouses page and its Private Client Storage page. None mention IRAs, retirement accounts or custodians.

The Brink's pages name these audiences. The first group is from the Private Client Storage page. The second is from the Secure Vaults and Bonded Warehouses page.

Private Client Storage page: private individuals and collectors; family offices and wealth advisors; estate executors and trustees; institutions and funds
Vaults and bonded warehouses page: precious metals traders; diamond and jewelry businesses; fine art dealers, gallerists and collectors; international commodity traders; pharmaceutical or high-value electronics companies

The link to IRAs comes from custodians. In a November 19, 2019 press release, Equity Trust said it "has approved three locations of Brinks Global Services for the storage of precious metals." The Entrust Group has published a Brink's depository election form, with three locations: Springfield Gardens, New York; Los Angeles, California; and Salt Lake City, Utah. The form is dated 05.05.2017 (May 5, 2017). We did not see wording on it that states it is for IRA use, so we do not claim that.

Both documents are old. They show Brink's was offered by these custodians at those times. They do not show who offers it today. Ask your custodian for its current list.

How does the law treat IRA metals held in a vault?

Federal law generally treats an IRA's purchase of a collectible as a distribution, which can be taxable. There is an exception for certain bullion. The IRS says bullion "of a certain fineness" is not a collectible if "a bank or approved non-bank trustee keeps physical possession of it" (IRS). The law that sets who may be an IRA trustee is 26 U.S.C. 408(a)(2): a bank, or a non-bank that shows the Treasury it can administer the trust properly.

Our reading, not legal advice: the custodian is the party that must meet these tests, and a vault such as Brink's is typically the place the custodian arranges storage. On the IRS pages we opened, we did not find a rule that approves or lists vaults (we did not search further), so "IRA-approved" on a vault's marketing means its custodian has agreed to use it. Whether a given arrangement satisfies the law is a question for the custodian and a tax professional. Our approved depositories guide explains how to verify this.

What does Brink's say about insurance and audits?

Topic	What Brink's says (its words)	What is not stated
Insurance, vaults and bonded warehouses page	"All stored goods are covered by all-risk cargo insurance." "Coverage specifics vary by policy."	Insurer, limits, deductibles, who is the named insured
Insurance, Private Client Storage page	"Your holdings are protected by coverage arranged for high-value stored assets." "Your specialist confirms the terms for your specific holdings."	Same, and whether IRA accounts are covered the same way
Audits (Private Client Storage page only)	"Documented inventory and audit practices." "Your specialist can walk you through the verification and audit practices for your facility."	Who audits, how often, whether reports are shared
Inspection (vaults and bonded warehouses page only)	"Brink's inspection and evaluation services are available on site."	Whether IRA owners can use it
Locations (vaults and bonded warehouses page)	Facilities on six continents; "1,300 facilities"	Which sites hold IRA metal

The vaults page does not say what the "1,300 facilities" figure counts, so do not read it as a count of vaults holding metal. The vaults page has no audit wording; the audit line appears only on the Private Client Storage page. The Entrust form lists three U.S. sites for its clients. Insurance and audit details are the kind of facts to request in writing, because marketing wording is not a policy or an audit report. See IRA storage insurance for more.

What does Brink's storage cost for an IRA?

Brink's does not publish IRA storage fees on the pages we read. The only figures we found are in the 2017 Entrust form, which listed:

Storage: "$1.50 per $1,000 (15 basis points)" of value, with a "$125.00 minimum annual fee"
Outgoing shipments: "$25.00 charge per out-shipment"
Handling: "$25.00 per package handling fee, plus all applicable postage, registration, and insurance charges"

Those figures are from 2017 and apply to that custodian. Today's fees may differ, and your custodian may add its own account fees. A published example, not a quote: at the form's rate, $50,000 of metal would be $75 a year, so the $125 minimum would apply. Always get your custodian's current fee schedule.

Are there lawsuits, complaints or regulatory actions?

We did not run a complaint search at the BBB, FINRA, state regulators or court records, so we cannot say anything about those sources. We can report one item from Brink's own filings.

On February 6, 2025, Brink's announced that Brink's Global Services USA had reached agreements with the U.S. Department of Justice (a Non-Prosecution Agreement) and FinCEN, a Treasury bureau (a Consent Order with a civil money penalty). Brink's says they resolve investigations into "historical cross-border currency shipments" from 2018 through 2020, and that it agreed to pay a total of $42 million over three years (Brink's news release). The 10-K also discusses the matter (SEC filing). The release does not mention precious metals, and we are not suggesting it affects metals storage. It is a settlement of currency-shipment matters, included so you know it exists.

What does Brink's not do, or not say?

It does not say on the pages we read that it sells metal or acts as an IRA custodian. Its pages describe storage and logistics.
It does not publish the insurer, the coverage limits or audit reports on those pages.
It does not list IRA-specific features. Do not assume any.
It does not say whether your account would be segregated or pooled. Your custodian's agreement decides that.

What should you ask before using Brink's for an IRA?

Which exact company and which vault location will hold my metal?
Is my metal held separately in my name, or pooled? Where is that written?
Who is insured, for how much, and can I see the certificate?
Who audits the inventory, how often, and can I see the latest report?
What are the current storage, handling and shipping fees, and who bills them?
What happens if the custodian and the vault end their relationship?
Can I get an inventory statement tied to my account?

Where does the vault fit among other depositories? See Delaware Depository and International Depository Services for profiles in the same series.
Can you verify what is stored for you? See how to verify your metals.
Can you keep IRA metal at home? See home storage.

Facts checked October 13, 2026. Company statements can change; this page is reviewed twice a year.

This guide is general education, not personalized financial, tax or legal advice. See our financial disclaimer, editorial policy and advertising disclosure.