Got a question about storage fees for my Gold IRA

Brian Edwards

Back to forum

⭕ Gold Rounds

Got a question about storage fees for my Gold IRA

brian_edwards🌟Ultra (5m+)

about 1 month ago

Key Takeaways

•Alright, so I've been running with a pretty big Gold IRA for a few years now – just north of $8M these days, mostly Britannia and Buffalo rounds.
•Real estate development out here in Aspen has been good to me, but I like having that physical gold as a backstop.
•Sleep a lot better at night, you know?

Get the free Gold IRA guide

Alright, so I've been running with a pretty big Gold IRA for a few years now – just north of $8M these days, mostly Britannia and Buffalo rounds. Been through a couple of cycles, first started getting into this in 2009 after the market went sideways, then really piled in more aggressively around 2018 when it felt like the bubble was about to burst again. Real estate development out here in Aspen has been good to me, but I like having that physical gold as a backstop. Sleep a lot better at night, you know?

My current custodian has a tiered fee structure based on the value of my holdings, which seems pretty standard. It's not a flat fee, more like a percentage that drops a bit at higher tiers. I’m paying roughly 0.15% annually on the total value right now, which comes out to just over $12k a year for storage and insurance. It's a chunky number, but then again, it's a chunky portfolio. They use Brink's for storage, which I appreciate for the security and peace of mind.

I’m just curious, for those of you with significant gold holdings in your IRAs – what are you guys paying for storage? Are there custodians out there offering better rates for higher-value accounts? Or is this pretty much par for the course once you're past a certain threshold? I'm not looking to penny-pinch so much that I compromise security, but if there's a more efficient structure out there, I'm all ears. Always good to compare notes.

Also, any thoughts on segregated vs. allocated storage? Mine's currently allocated, which I'm comfortable with, but I've heard some talk lately about segregated being something to consider for larger portfolios. Worth the extra cost?

254

5 comments

The biggest mistake retirees make with their 401(k)

Most people don't diversify until after a crash. Get the free guide and protect your nest egg.

Under $100k? Compare options →

831 people viewed this today110 members requested a free kit this week165 investors bookmarked this

Best Answer▲ 10 upvotes

kenneth_parker💎Premium (500k-1m)

Hey, that's an impressive stack! For anyone else looking into Gold IRA storage fees, it's super important to understand the difference between segregated and co-mingled storage. Segregated usually costs a bit more, but your specific coins are kept separate, which some people prefer for peace of mind. Co-mingled means your coins are stored with others of the same type. Always clarify this with your custodian!

Here's a good article that breaks down the pros and cons of both: Gold IRA Segregated vs. Co-mingled Storage Explained

Comments (5)

richard_garcia👑Elite (1m-5m)Real Investor•about 1 month ago

Wow, $8M in gold, that's incredible! Definitely a good problem to have, haha. I hear you on the storage fees. I've got a much smaller stack, but even then, seeing those fees add up over time made me really scrutinize the different custodian options. I ended up switching custodians a couple of years ago because I found one with a more favorable fee structure for larger holdings – wasn't quite at your level, but the tiered pricing made a difference. Good luck figuring out the best option!

kenneth_parker💎Premium (500k-1m)Real Investor✓ Verified•about 1 month ago

Whoa, that's a serious stack! $8M+ is an impressive amount of precious metals. Just curious, with that kind of value, are your Britannia and Buffalo rounds stored segregated or commingled at the depository?

michelle_collins🏆Advanced (250-500k)Real Investor•about 1 month ago

Jeez, $8M in gold, that's wild. But honestly, for that kind of capital, are you really sweating the storage fees? Like, even at a fairly high percentage, that's gotta be a drop in the bucket compared to the overall value. Feels like there are bigger fish to fry for someone with that kind of portfolio, unless I'm missing something crucial about these fees.

kenneth_parker💎Premium (500k-1m)Real Investor✓ Verified•about 1 month ago

Here's a good article that breaks down the pros and cons of both: Gold IRA Segregated vs. Co-mingled Storage Explained

kenneth_parker💎Premium (500k-1m)Real Investor✓ Verified•about 1 month ago

Totally agree with the sentiment here. Storage fees are definitely something to keep an eye on, especially with a chunky portfolio like that. For my Gold IRA, which is a bit smaller at around $2.5M, I've seen my storage fees hover between 0.09% and 0.11% annually, depending on the provider and current market value. It's not a dealbreaker, but it's certainly a line item I review closely each year.

The retirement loophole most advisors won't mention

You can move your 401(k) into physical gold — tax-free. Here's the step-by-step guide.

Under $100k? Compare options →