Augusta Custodian and Storage - Equity Trust, Delaware Depository and Your Options (2026)
The behind-the-scenes partners that hold your account and your metal, and the storage choices you'll make.
Augusta Precious Metals doesn't hold your IRA or your metal. Independent reviews consistently report that Augusta accounts are typically set up with Equity Trust Company as custodian, and that metals are most often stored at Delaware Depository, with other approved vaults available.
That separation is a strength. The dealer sells you the metal, the custodian holds the account in your name, and the depository stores and insures the coins and bars. Here's how each piece works and the storage decisions you'll make.
- Custodian: commonly Equity Trust, a large self-directed IRA custodian.
- Depository: most often Delaware Depository; other approved facilities have been reported.
- Your choice: pooled (non-segregated) or segregated storage, at a difference of about $50 a year.
The Custodian: Who Holds Your Account
A gold IRA is a self-directed IRA, and the IRS requires an approved trustee or custodian to administer it. For Augusta accounts, reviewers widely report Equity Trust Company as the recommended custodian. Augusta's team helps you complete Equity Trust's application.
The custodian's jobs are mostly administrative, but they're important.
- Opening the IRA in your name and holding title for your benefit
- Receiving transfers and rollovers from your old accounts
- Authorizing purchases and sales of metal
- Sending statements and filing IRS forms such as 5498 and 1099-R
- Processing distributions, including in-kind delivery of metal
You pay the custodian directly: a one-time setup fee of about $50 and an annual maintenance fee reported at about $100–$125. Learn more about custodians generally in gold IRA custodians.
The Depository: Where Your Metal Lives
The depository is a secure, insured vault that holds the physical metal. Delaware Depository is the facility most often reported for Augusta accounts. Reviewers have also mentioned Brink's Global Services and International Depository Services as options.
Delaware Depository is widely reported to carry large all-risk insurance through Lloyd's of London. Ask for the current insurance details when you set up storage, because coverage terms can change.
Table: What each partner does in an Augusta gold IRA | Partner | Role | You pay | |---|---|---| | Augusta Precious Metals | Sells metal, coordinates paperwork, buyback | Product premium | | Equity Trust (commonly) | Holds the IRA, reporting, distributions | Setup and annual fee | | Delaware Depository (commonly) | Stores and insures metal | Annual storage fee |
Segregated vs Non-Segregated Storage
This is the main storage choice you'll make, and it's simpler than it sounds.
Non-Segregated (Pooled)
- Your coins are stored with identical coins owned by others
- You get back the same type and quantity, not the exact pieces
- Reported at about $100 a year
- The common choice for most bullion holders
Segregated
- Your specific coins and bars are stored apart and tracked to you
- You get back the exact items you bought
- Reported at about $150 a year
- Useful for premium coins or planned in-kind distributions
For standard bullion, non-segregated storage is usually fine, because one American Gold Eagle is interchangeable with another. Segregated storage makes more sense if you hold unique items or simply want the extra certainty. See gold IRA storage for more.
Can You Choose a Different Custodian or Depository?
Reviewers report that Augusta recommends Equity Trust and Delaware Depository, and that other approved options may be available. If you have a strong preference, raise it early with your contact, before the account is opened.
There are practical reasons most customers stick with the recommended partners. The paperwork is familiar to Augusta's team, transfers tend to move faster, and the fee schedules are well documented.
Can You Visit or Take Your Metal Home?
You can't keep IRA metal at home. That's an IRS rule, and violating it can turn the whole account into a taxable distribution. Our home storage gold IRA page explains why the "home storage IRA" pitch is risky.
Some depositories allow scheduled visits by account holders; ask the depository about its policy. When you're ready to withdraw, you can request an in-kind distribution, and the custodian will have the metal shipped to you insured. For a traditional IRA, its value counts as taxable income that year.
Want the exact custodian and storage fees in writing? Augusta's free kit and your contact can provide them before you fund.
Get Free Gold IRA KitHow Your Holdings Are Tracked
Your custodian's statements show what your IRA owns, and the depository keeps its own inventory records. That two-sided record is one of the main protections in a properly structured gold IRA.
We'd keep copies of your purchase confirmations and compare them against your first custodian statement. If anything doesn't match, raise it right away with both Augusta and the custodian.
Who is Augusta's IRA custodian?
Reviewers consistently report Equity Trust Company as the custodian Augusta recommends. Confirm the custodian named on your application.
Where does Augusta store my gold?
Most often at Delaware Depository, an IRS-approved facility. Other approved depositories have also been reported as options.
Is my gold insured at the depository?
Yes. Approved depositories insure the metals they store. Ask for current insurance details when you set up the account.
Should I pay for segregated storage?
If you hold standard bullion, pooled storage is usually fine. Choose segregated storage if you want your exact items kept apart, which typically costs about $50 more a year.
Does Augusta ever hold my metal?
No. In an IRA, the custodian holds the account and the depository holds the metal. Augusta is the dealer.
See How Augusta Sets Up Your Account
The free kit explains the custodian, storage choices and costs before you commit.