Gold IRA depository comparison Delaware/Brinks/IDS

Updated: July 28, 2026

OPRS may receive compensation when readers open an account through partner links on this page. Our analysis is based on independent research, BBB data, and IRS publications.

The depository line on a six-figure gold IRA rollover is the line most savers never read. The dealer choice gets most of the attention. The custodian application has its own paperwork stack. The depository, where the metals actually sit, often arrives as a single name on page four with no explanation.

For a military veteran or federal contractor consolidating a Thrift Savings Plan balance plus a contractor 401(k) at the $200,000 to $500,000 band, that single name on page four matters. It decides who insures the holding, which state laws govern any future inspection or distribution, and how the bars or coins are physically separated from other clients’ metals.

Before any six-figure rollover paperwork signs, see the 2026 OPRS dealer list and the operators we warn against. The depository name is downstream of the dealer choice, and the dealers we rule out are the ones that hide the depository name until after the application is submitted.

The three depositories side by side

The three depositories named in the title are the most common storage facilities listed on IRA-approved dealer paperwork.

Birch Gold Group, for example, publicly lists Delaware Depository, Brink’s Global Services, International Depository Services, Texas Precious Metals Depository, and the Texas Bullion Depository as named partners on its home page. The first three overlap with the Delaware, Brink’s, and IDS comparison in this guide.

The figures below are drawn from each depository’s own public disclosures, COMEX approval lists, and the IRS guidance on qualified trustees in Publication 590-A.

Sources: Delaware Depository corporate profile, Brink’s Global Services storage materials, IDS Group public site, COMEX approved depository list, and Birch Gold home page on named depository partners. Fee ranges are industry-reported and confirmed at consultation.

Delaware Depository at the $200k to $500k band

Delaware Depository operates out of Wilmington, Delaware, and has been a COMEX-approved precious metals depository since 1999. The facility is a Class 3 UL-rated vault, which is the highest commercial security rating recognized by Underwriters Laboratories for safes and vaults, and the parent company holds Delaware non-bank trust company status.

For a saver consolidating a TSP balance plus a federal contractor 401(k) at $250,000, the longest COMEX history of the three depositories is the trust signal most often cited on the rollover paperwork.

What this means at $250k to $500k: segregated storage at Delaware Depository runs at the industry-reported range of $150 to $200 per year. The metals are stored physically separated from other clients’ holdings, in a labeled container with the account holder’s name and IRA reference number, rather than commingled in a pooled inventory.

On a $250,000 holding, the cost differential between segregated and commingled storage is typically $50 to $100 per year, which is small relative to the chain-of-custody distinction. The Delaware state jurisdiction also matters for any future inspection request or in-kind distribution.

The insurance stack is all-risk coverage placed through Lloyd’s of London underwriters, which is standard for COMEX-approved depositories. A third-party auditor conducts the annual audit, and the results are referenced on the depository’s corporate materials. Public viewing access is available by appointment. Our desk has seen account holders use that access most often before authorizing a major distribution or transfer.

The trade-off: Delaware Depository is a single-state, single-facility operation. The COMEX history and the segregated storage are the strengths; the absence of a Texas or multi-state option is the constraint. Savers who want geographic diversification of the storage layer have to add a second depository through a separate account or move part of the holding to a Texas-jurisdiction facility through IDS Texas.

Brink’s Global Services at the $200k to $500k band

Brink’s Global Services traces its parent operation to 1859 and operates IRA-approved precious metals storage at facilities in Salt Lake City, Utah, and New York. The vault security integrates with the global Brink’s logistics chain, which is the largest single-carrier secure transport network in the world.

For a $250,000 to $500,000 gold IRA rollover, the storage stage is when the metals physically leave the dealer’s inventory and travel to the depository. Brink’s is the carrier that often handles that movement regardless of which depository holds the final position. When the account is stored at a Brink’s facility, transit and storage stay inside the same chain.

What this means at $250k to $500k: the insurance line is Lloyd’s of London at full single-carrier scale, which is the deepest balance sheet of the three depositories in this comparison. For a saver who values the size of the policy line behind the holding, Brink’s is the operational choice.

Segregated storage runs at the industry-reported range of $150 to $250 per year; the higher end reflects the Manhattan vault premium relative to the Salt Lake City facility. Account holders can request the specific facility on the application, though dealer routing often defaults to Salt Lake City for IRA-approved storage outside of New York.

The audit cadence combines internal Brink’s audit procedures with a third-party annual audit; the third-party report is the document the depository will share with the account holder on request through the dealer or custodian. Public viewing access is limited by Brink’s security policy, and the OPRS desk has seen account-holder inspection requests routed through the dealer rather than scheduled directly with the facility.

The trade-off: Brink’s brings global logistics scale and the deepest single-carrier insurance line, but the trade-off is the limited inspection access and the narrower IRA storage footprint relative to Delaware Depository’s appointment-based approach. The dealer routing typically picks the Brink’s facility that is closest to the dealer’s coin and bar inventory location, so the named state on the application is partially a function of the dealer choice.

International Depository Services at the $200k to $500k band

International Depository Services, often listed on dealer paperwork as IDS, runs two IRA-approved facilities: IDS Delaware in Wilmington and IDS Texas in New Castle, Texas. The IDS Group was formed in 2007 and operates Class 3 UL-rated vaults at both locations, with all-risk insurance placed through Lloyd’s of London underwriters.

For a TSP-and-contractor consolidation at $250,000 to $500,000, the practical IDS angle is the Texas-jurisdiction option. Account holders who want their metals stored in Texas, under Texas state law, with a Texas physical location for any future inspection or distribution, can specify IDS Texas on the application.

What this means at $250k to $500k: segregated storage at IDS Delaware or IDS Texas runs at the industry-reported range of $150 to $200 per year. The fee structure is roughly aligned with Delaware Depository because the Class 3 vault standard and the insurance carrier are comparable.

IDS Texas is the differentiator: it is the only Texas-jurisdiction option in this three-way comparison, and the only IDS-branded facility that ships from a Texas physical location for a future in-kind distribution.

For an account holder splitting a $400,000 rollover across two depositories for geographic diversification, IDS Delaware plus IDS Texas under a single IDS Group umbrella is the operational shortcut.

The audit cadence is annual third-party audit, comparable to Delaware Depository, and the public viewing access is by appointment, also comparable. The COMEX-approved status applies to IDS Delaware; IDS Texas is not separately listed on the current COMEX-approved depository roster, which is a distinction worth knowing for account holders who weight the COMEX seal heavily.

The trade-off: IDS Texas brings the Texas-jurisdiction option that neither Delaware Depository nor Brink’s matches, but the COMEX-approval line applies to IDS Delaware rather than IDS Texas. The two-location structure under a single group is the operational simplification, but the COMEX distinction is worth surfacing on the application before the metals are routed.

What actually decides the depository: the procedural sequence

The depository decision is downstream of the dealer and custodian decisions. Even so, the depository name should be locked in writing before the order ticket commits the capital. The sequence below is what our desk recommends for any six-figure rollover where the depository line is not pre-filled, or where the dealer has named multiple depositories without specifying which one will hold the order.

Each step in the sequence produces a written artifact. You get the depository name on the application and the storage tier on the custodian confirmation. The insurance carrier appears on the depository fact sheet, the audit cadence on the third-party audit reference, and inspection access on the dealer or custodian intake form.

Each of these is a paragraph or a line item rather than a separate document, and each is a reasonable request the OPRS desk has seen honored without friction at the dealer consultation stage.

Verdict by reader profile

Military veteran consolidating a TSP balance plus combat-zone basis tracking at $200,000 to $350,000: Delaware Depository. The COMEX history and the segregated storage at the Class 3 vault are the cleanest fit for an account where the basis tracking on the rollover paperwork already adds documentation complexity. Single-state, single-facility simplifies any future in-kind distribution and matches the documentation discipline the combat-zone basis already requires. See the combat-zone tax-exempt basis on a TSP rollover mechanics for the basis-tracking layer.

Federal contractor consolidating a TSP balance plus a contractor 401(k) at $250,000 to $500,000 with a Texas residence: IDS Texas. The Texas-jurisdiction option matches your in-state residence for any future inspection or distribution. The IDS Group two-location structure also allows a future split across IDS Texas and IDS Delaware without changing custodian. The contractor 401(k) plus TSP consolidation sequence sets the dealer-side framing.

Pre-retiree at $400,000 who values the deepest single-carrier insurance line and accepts limited inspection access: Brink’s Global Services. The global logistics scale and the Lloyd’s of London policy line at full carrier scale matter most to savers who weight the size of the policy behind the holding above the inspection access. The dealer routing typically picks the Salt Lake City facility for IRA-approved storage outside of New York, which is the more common operational choice.

Saver splitting $400,000 across two depositories for geographic and jurisdictional diversification: IDS Delaware plus IDS Texas under a single IDS Group account, with a written allocation noted on the application. The two-facility split under a single group avoids the second-custodian paperwork burden while still placing the metals under two distinct state jurisdictions.

When none of these three depositories fits the rollover

Three situations rule out all three depositories in this comparison. First, if your rollover destination IRA is held with a custodian that has its own named depository contract, routing to Delaware Depository, Brink’s, or IDS may require a custodian change. In that case, the custodian relationship dominates. The IRS guidance on qualified trustees is the authority on what counts as an approved custodian.

Second, if you are over age 73 and already taking required minimum distributions, the depository choice is downstream of the RMD coordination sequence under IRS Publication 590-B, Chapter 1. The metals will need to be sold or distributed at the RMD cadence, so the depository’s distribution turnaround matters more than the storage features. Note that the RMD age rises to 75 for those born in 1960 or later, starting 2033, per the SECURE Act 2.0.

Third, if you intend home storage of IRA metals at any point, none of the three commercial depositories applies. The home storage route was ruled out for IRA-eligibility purposes by the Tax Court in McNulty v. Commissioner (157 T.C. No. 10, 2021). The prohibited-transaction exposure under IRC §4975 is the controlling authority. Check this dealer against the 2026 OPRS list if the sales script ever floats a home storage angle as a feature.

FAQ

Does the depository choice affect the IRS approval of the gold IRA?

The depository must be a qualified trustee or a nonbank custodian approved under the Internal Revenue Code for the holding to satisfy Publication 590-A, Chapter 1 requirements for self-directed IRAs holding precious metals. Delaware Depository, Brink’s, and IDS Delaware are all on the standard approved list used by IRA-approved custodians.

IDS Texas operates under the same parent group as IDS Delaware and is also used as an approved storage facility by self-directed custodians. The IRS-approval question is rarely the binding constraint; the dealer and custodian routing decides which approved depository ends up on the application.

What is the difference between segregated and commingled storage?

Segregated storage means the account holder’s metals are physically separated from other clients’ holdings, in a labeled container or bin with the account name and IRA reference.

Commingled storage means the metals are stored in a pooled inventory of the same coin or bar type, and the account holder owns a documented quantity of that pool rather than specific serialized pieces. For IRA-approved bullion coins, the practical difference is largely chain-of-custody documentation; for specific premium coins or unique bars, segregated storage is the standard.

The fee differential is typically $50 to $100 per year on a six-figure holding.

Can the depository be changed after the rollover is complete?

A depository change after the account is funded is operationally possible but adds a logistics step. The metals are physically shipped from the first depository to the second, typically using Brink’s or a comparable secure carrier, and the in-kind transfer is documented through the custodian rather than the dealer.

The transfer is not a taxable event under Publication 590-A, but the logistics fee runs roughly $500 to $1,500 depending on the metal volume and the carrier routing. The cleaner approach is to lock the depository name on the application before the order ticket.

Does the COMEX-approved seal matter for an IRA holding at $250,000?

The COMEX-approved depository status indicates that the facility meets the CME Group’s standards for delivery against futures contracts, which is a different audit and operational standard than the IRA-approval threshold. For an IRA holding that is not being delivered against futures, the COMEX seal is a quality signal rather than a binding requirement. Delaware Depository, Brink’s, and IDS Delaware all carry COMEX-approved status; IDS Texas is on the approved depository roster used by IRA custodians without the COMEX-specific listing.

What insurance carrier covers the metals at each depository?

Delaware Depository, Brink’s Global Services, and International Depository Services all place all-risk insurance through Lloyd’s of London underwriters. Brink’s holds the deepest single-carrier policy line by balance sheet behind the depository operation. The FINRA investor insight on investing in precious metals notes that the chain-of-custody and insurance documentation are the two most decisive trust signals for retail precious metals holdings. Request the insurance certificate and the carrier letter through the dealer or custodian; both depository operators provide them on request.

The depository name should appear on the application, in writing, before the rollover ticket signs. Among the three OPRS-tracked dealers most often used for six-figure consolidations, Augusta Precious Metals carries the multi-year fee waiver for qualifying rollover accounts and the salaried, non-commissioned educator process described on its home page.

The Education-First Process, described publicly as Learn, Talk, Decide, is the standard intake the OPRS desk has seen used to surface the depository name in writing during the free consultation.

Augusta has been BBB A+ accredited since 2014 with a zero-complaints reference on the BBB profile. The company has been named Money Magazine Best Overall Gold IRA Company every year from 2022 through 2026, and Investopedia Most Transparent Gold IRA Company 2022 through 2026. Augusta also carries 4,000-plus 5-star ratings aggregated across Trustpilot, Google, and Consumer Affairs.

The industry-reported minimum sits around $50,000, which is comfortably inside the $200,000 to $500,000 band most often used for TSP-and-contractor consolidations.

Affiliate disclosure: OPRS may receive compensation when readers open an account through partner links on this page. The depository facts, COMEX history, and insurance carrier statements are drawn from public depository disclosures, the CME Group COMEX list, FINRA investor insights, and IRS Publication 590-A. The verdict is editorial, not partner-directed.

Sources cited

• IRS Publication 590-A, Contributions to Individual Retirement Arrangements (qualified trustees + rollover mechanics)
• IRS Publication 590-B, Distributions from Individual Retirement Arrangements (RMD cadence)
• FINRA, Investing in Precious Metals (Investor Insight)
• Internal Revenue Code §4975, prohibited transactions
• McNulty v. Commissioner, 157 T.C. No. 10 (2021), home storage of IRA metals
• Better Business Bureau profiles for the OPRS-tracked dealers
• Delaware Depository corporate materials, Brink’s Global Services storage materials, and IDS Group public site (most recent OPRS verification cycle)

More on OPRS

• Gold IRA dealers OPRS warns rollover savers against in 2026
• Augusta, Birch, and Noble fee math on a $250,000 rollover
• Contractor 401(k) and TSP consolidation sequence
• Combat-zone tax-exempt basis on a TSP rollover to gold IRA
• Custodian bankruptcy and segregated storage exposure