STRATA Trust Company

STRATA Trust Company is a directed custodian for self-directed IRAs. It holds alternative assets such as directly owned real estate, private equity and private debt, and gold and precious metals, alongside traditional assets, and processes the transactions an accountholder directs.

The account flow is open, fund, invest: choose an account type and apply online, transfer from another IRA, roll over a 401(k) or make a new contribution, then direct the investment while STRATA handles the custodial details and reporting. For assets with ongoing costs, such as real estate or private placements, expenses including property taxes, insurance, maintenance and repair bills, legal and management fees, and other invoices tied to IRA-held assets are paid out of the IRA using an expense payment form. Account invoices can be paid online by card or put on AutoPay.

Fees are tiered by what the account holds. The precious metals tier is $150 a year plus storage of $115 commingled or $175 segregated. The diversified tier is $395 a year, with asset-based fees of $50 per private asset up to a $500 maximum and $150 per property up to a $1,500 maximum, applied across at most ten holdings. Processing and service fees, such as wire transfers, check processing, overnight delivery, and paper statements, apply on top, with account setup waived for electronic applications. Annual fees are charged at account opening and on each anniversary and are not prorated.

As a directed custodian, STRATA does not perform due diligence on sponsors, platforms, dealers, or investments, does not sponsor, endorse, or sell investments, and does not give investment, legal, or tax advice. It reports 48k+ investors and $10B+ in assets under custody, and has been providing self-directed IRA custody since 2008.