Gold IRA Companies Near Me: The Texas Answer

Affiliate disclosure: we may earn a commission when a reader opens an account through links on this page. The commission has no effect on what you pay or on what we publish. We are not a financial or tax advisor; consult a licensed advisor for your situation. Last reviewed August 5, 2026.

Short on time? The essentials

“Gold IRA companies near me” is a search habit inherited from local-service categories (dentists, mechanics). A gold IRA is governed by federal IRS rules and runs remotely, so proximity of a dealer’s office is not a decision input.
You are hiring three separate parties: a precious-metals dealer (the brand), an IRS-approved self-directed IRA custodian, and an IRS-approved depository. Each is separately regulated and separately billed.
Texas offers two structural advantages any resident can use, regardless of ZIP code: no state personal income tax on IRA distributions, and the Texas Bullion Depository in Leander as an in-state storage option.
The Texas Bullion Depository has been available for IRA storage since its operator, Lone Star Tangible Assets LP, received IRS nonbank trustee approval in 2023. Source: texasbulliondepository.gov, checked August 2026.
Federal IRA contribution limit for 2026: $7,500 standard, or $8,600 for age 50 or older (includes a $1,100 catch-up). Source: IRS Retirement Topics, checked August 2026.
The three factors that actually change your outcome: dealer markup at entry, annual fixed-fee drag on your balance size, and whether the operator supports your storage preference.
Harry’s Coins is a Texas editorial authority for gold IRA research. We have no physical store or office anywhere in Texas.

On this page

Why “near me” is the wrong question in Texas
The three parties you actually hire
The Texas in-state storage option
How to shortlist companies from any Texas ZIP code
The single biggest cost lever a Texan controls
Check your rollover eligibility
Worked example: a McKinney buyer’s shortlist
When a local Texas coin shop is a better fit
Limits and caveats
Frequently asked questions

Why “near me” is the wrong question in Texas

Texans type “gold IRA companies near me” into Bing and Google out of habit. The phrase is inherited from local-service categories where physical proximity actually changes the outcome: a plumber, a dentist, a mechanic. A gold IRA does not work that way.

A gold IRA is a self-directed individual retirement account holding IRS-approved bullion, structured under the federal Internal Revenue Code. The account itself is administered by a qualified custodian (an IRS-approved nonbank trustee). The metal is held at an IRS-approved depository. The dealer is the brand you talk to, but the dealer is not the account and is not the vault.

Everything material happens remotely. You sign account paperwork online. You fund the account by wire, ACH, or trustee-to-trustee transfer from a former employer plan. The dealer buys the metal on your custodian’s instruction and ships it directly to the depository. You never take physical possession, and you never need to walk into a dealer’s office.

So “near me” is not the question. The right question is: which operator combines a disciplined fee schedule, an IRS-approved custodian, and a storage arrangement that fits your preferences. Any of those variables can be optimized from Dallas, from El Paso, from Amarillo, or from a small town in the Hill Country. Your ZIP code does not narrow the field.

The three parties you actually hire

The word “company” in “gold IRA companies near me” hides the fact that you are hiring three separate parties, each with a fee schedule, each with a compliance obligation, and each with a specific role in the transaction. Understand the three before you shortlist any brand.

The three parties inside a gold IRA transaction
Party	What they do	What they charge
Precious-metals dealer	Sells the coins or bars, negotiates delivery to the depository. This is the brand most Texans think of as “the company.”	Markup over spot on the metal itself (the biggest single cost lever); sometimes wire fees on transactions.
Self-directed IRA custodian	The IRS-approved nonbank trustee that opens and administers the IRA account, executes the metal purchase on your instruction, and handles reporting.	Account setup fee, annual maintenance fee, and sometimes transaction or wire fees. Published schedule.
IRS-approved depository	The physical vault that stores your metal. Must be on the list of IRS-approved depositories. Segregated or non-segregated storage options.	Annual storage fee (per account or per ounce), sometimes with insurance and audit included.

Structure defined by Internal Revenue Code Section 408(m) and IRS Publication 590-A. Fee categories drawn from published schedules for Equity Trust, STRATA Trust, GoldStar Trust, and Madison Trust, checked August 2026.

The practical implication: when a sales script talks about “our fees,” ask whose fees. The dealer’s markup is a different line item from the custodian’s annual maintenance, which is a different line item from the depository’s annual storage. All three land on your invoice. All three should be in writing before you commit funds.

The Texas in-state storage option

Texas is the only state in the country that runs its own bullion depository. The Texas Bullion Depository sits in Leander (Williamson County, roughly 28 miles north of downtown Austin), on a purpose-built campus. It was authorized by House Bill 483 (84th Legislature) and signed by Governor Greg Abbott on June 12, 2015. Operations opened in 2018.

The depository is an agency of the State of Texas. Its designated operator (depository contractor) is Lone Star Tangible Assets LP, which received IRS approval as a nonbank trustee in 2023. That approval is what makes IRA-titled precious metals eligible for storage at the facility. Source: texasbulliondepository.gov/ira-storage, checked August 2026.

For a Texas resident, the practical implication of this is simple. If you want your gold IRA metal stored inside Texas (rather than in Delaware, Massachusetts, or another IRS-approved private depository elsewhere), the Bullion Depository in Leander is the only in-state option. The federal tax treatment of your IRA is identical either way; the in-state choice is about state oversight, physical proximity for optional visits, and buyer preference.

Details published on the depository’s IRA page (checked August 2026): segregated storage only, so your metal is individually identified and never commingled. Insurance is provided through Lloyd’s of London, covering theft, fire, flood, and natural disasters. Security is a Class 3 vault with bullet-resistant doors, biometric access, 24/7 surveillance, and on-site commissioned officers.

Equity Trust Company is the first custodian publicly coordinating IRA accounts with the depository. The depository states it plans to expand custodian relationships over time.

Storage fees for IRA assets are negotiated between the custodian, the dealer, and the depository contractor. The depository’s public standard-tier fee schedule may not apply to IRA arrangements. Confirm the exact numbers in writing before you commit funds. This is the same advice that applies to any depository, in-state or otherwise.

How to shortlist companies from any Texas ZIP code

The five steps below produce a shortlist from any Texas ZIP code, whether you live in Dallas, in Corpus Christi, in Odessa, or in a rural county. Each step relies on primary sources and written documentation. The process typically takes two to four weeks from first inquiry to funded account.

Define your inputs before you contact anyone. Write down your rollover source (former employer 401(k), TSP, traditional IRA, 403(b), or a lump-sum refund from a Texas public pension after separation). Note your approximate balance, your intended metal mix (bullion versus proof), and your storage preference (Texas Bullion Depository in Leander, or a major national depository). Precise inputs get precise quotes.
Screen 3 to 5 candidates against the same 7-point checklist. For each company, pull the BBB profile for the specific legal entity (not just the marketing brand), request the fee schedule in writing, confirm which IRS-approved custodians they coordinate with, and list which depositories they can deliver to. Do this before any sales call.
Get a written quote naming the exact product. On the finalists, request a written quote naming the specific coin or bar, the fineness, the weight, and the total price including markup, delivered to your target depository. Verbal quotes shift over time; written quotes are what you actually pay. A company that will not put a quote in writing has told you something useful.
Verify the custodian on the IRS list. Cross-check the proposed custodian on the IRS list of approved nonbank trustees at irs.gov. Confirm the custodian’s own annual fees separately, since they are not always bundled into the dealer’s quote. A qualifying custodian is a hard IRS requirement; a dealer cannot substitute for one.
Confirm the buyback and exit path in writing. Ask the dealer to send their written buyback policy. Confirm the pricing basis (spot minus a set percentage, or bid at the time of sale), whether buyback is conditional on original purchase from them, and whether an in-kind physical distribution is available at RMD time. Exit terms matter as much as entry terms on a long-hold retirement account.

The steps above look identical from any Texas ZIP code. That is the point. A resident of a Panhandle county with no local gold IRA office runs exactly the same process as a resident of the Woodlands with a dozen operators within an hour’s drive. Distance changes nothing material.

The single biggest cost lever a Texan controls

Once you have moved past the “near me” framing, the dominant cost lever a Texas buyer controls is not location but the ratio of fixed annual fees (custodian plus storage) to account balance. Small balances carry a heavy fixed-fee drag. Larger balances dilute the same dollar figure into a fraction of a percent.

The chart below shows annual fixed-fee drag as a percentage of account balance, at seven balance sizes, using a $400 combined annual figure as the midpoint of published Equity Trust, STRATA Trust, GoldStar Trust, and Madison Trust retail schedules. The math is identical for a buyer in Amarillo or in League City. Your ZIP code does not change the arithmetic.

Horizontal bar chart showing the annual fixed-fee drag (custodian plus storage) as a percentage of a Texas gold IRA account balance, at seven balance levels. On a 25,000 dollar balance, a 400 dollar combined annual custodian and storage fee equals 1.60 percent annual drag. On 50,000 dollars, 0.80 percent. On 75,000 dollars, 0.53 percent. On 100,000 dollars, 0.40 percent. On 150,000 dollars, 0.27 percent. On 200,000 dollars, 0.20 percent. On 250,000 dollars, 0.16 percent. The chart shows that geographic proximity of a gold IRA dealer matters far less than the ratio of fixed fees to account balance. A distant national dealer with disciplined pricing on a 100,000 dollar Texas account carries only 0.40 percent annual fee drag; a nearby operator with the same fixed fees on a 25,000 dollar account carries four times that drag. — Annual fixed-fee drag (custodian plus storage, at a 400 dollar published midpoint) as a percentage of account balance. The physical location of a gold IRA dealer changes none of these numbers, since IRS-approved custodians and IRS-approved depositories operate on identical rules for Texas residents regardless of where the dealer sits. Fixed-fee midpoint drawn from the published Equity Trust, STRATA Trust, GoldStar Trust, and Madison Trust retail schedules, checked August 2026. This chart is illustrative math, not a specific company quote.

Two practical takeaways for a Texas buyer. First, if your rollover-eligible balance is below $25,000 or $30,000, the fixed-fee drag alone can outrun the potential diversification benefit of a small allocation to physical metal. Many operators publish a $50,000 minimum for that reason.

Second, on top of the fixed drag, dealer markup at entry is a separate cost. It can vary by 4 or 5 percentage points between operators on the same product. On a $100,000 rollover, a 4 percent difference in markup is a $4,000 difference in first-year cost.

A local operator quoting a 6 percent markup costs a Texas buyer $4,000 more at entry than a national operator quoting 2 percent on the same coin. Proximity does not offset that.

Check your rollover eligibility

Most Texas buyers fund a new gold IRA via a rollover or trustee-to-trustee transfer from an existing qualified account. The calculator below identifies which account types are eligible and gives you a first-pass tax view. Because Texas has no state personal income tax, your federal estimate is your complete tax estimate for a properly executed direct rollover.

Can you roll your account into a gold IRA? Eligibility checker

Most retirement money can move into a gold IRA once it is an eligible rollover distribution. Pick your account and situation for a general answer. Always confirm the specifics with your plan administrator or custodian.

Account type Your situation

General guidance only, not tax or financial advice. Eligibility depends on your specific plan document and IRS rules; confirm with your plan administrator and a tax advisor. A direct trustee-to-trustee transfer avoids the 60-day rule and 20% withholding.

Picking a company that explains every fee up front is the first step. Get the free gold IRA company checklist.

Worked example: a McKinney buyer’s shortlist

Worked example

Susan, 64, lives in McKinney (Collin County) and retired last year from a healthcare employer. She holds a $210,000 balance in her former 403(b) and searches “gold IRA companies near me” expecting to shortlist local Dallas-area operators. She learns that all reputable operators serve her account remotely, and the “near me” filter narrows nothing that matters.

She widens the search to national operators and runs the 7-point checklist on five candidates. She requires three things of every finalist. First, a written fee schedule sent before commitment. Second, an IRS-approved custodian on the current nonbank trustee list. Third, willingness to deliver metal to the Texas Bullion Depository in Leander through Equity Trust Company, so her metal stays inside Texas even though she is roughly 200 miles north of the depository.

Three of the five candidates clear all seven checkpoints. She requests written quotes from all three for the same product: 90 ounces of American Gold Buffalo coins (.9999 fineness) delivered to the Texas Bullion Depository, custodied by Equity Trust.

Company A quotes a 3 percent markup ($4,050 on $135,000). Company B quotes a 4 percent markup ($5,400). Company C quotes a 6 percent markup ($8,100). All three quote the same $400 combined annual custodian and storage fee. On identical product, Susan saves $4,050 by choosing Company A on entry alone.

The rollover itself: Susan requests a direct trustee-to-trustee rollover of $135,000 from the 403(b). Form 1099-R shows Code G. Federal tax owed on the rollover: $0. Texas state tax owed: $0. No 10 percent early-withdrawal penalty (a direct rollover is not a distribution). Total first-year cost on the SDIRA: $4,050 markup at entry plus $400 annual fees, equal to $4,450, or 3.30 percent of the rollover amount. She keeps $75,000 in a low-cost rollover IRA at her existing brokerage.

This example is illustrative. Actual quotes depend on the specific companies and the product mix. The distance from McKinney to Leander (roughly 220 miles by road) had no bearing on the transaction. Consult a CPA or enrolled agent for your specific situation. Sources: IRC 408(m), IRS Publication 590-A, texasbulliondepository.gov, checked August 2026.

When a local Texas coin shop is a better fit

There is a category where “near me” genuinely matters, and it is worth naming so this page does not overstate its case. If your goal is to buy a small amount of physical gold or silver for personal (non-IRA) ownership, a local coin shop is often a reasonable fit. You walk in, pay in cash or by wire, walk out with the metal, and store it yourself.

That transaction is fundamentally different from a gold IRA. It is taxable at the federal collectibles rate (currently up to 28 percent on long-term gains, per IRC Section 408(m) as referenced by the IRS). It is not tax-deferred. It does not sit inside a retirement account. And it does not benefit from the federal contribution or rollover structure that makes an IRA a retirement vehicle.

The distinction matters because Texas has an active bullion market. Dealers, coin shops, and private-party sellers operate across every metro. Sales of coins, currency, and precious-metal bullion above a certain aggregate threshold are exempt from Texas sales tax under Texas Tax Code Section 151.336, verified against the Texas Comptroller’s taxability page (checked August 2026). That exemption applies to personal-ownership purchases inside Texas, not to the IRA structure.

If you want physical gold for personal ownership, a local shop is a reasonable starting point. If you want a tax-advantaged retirement account holding IRS-approved bullion, you are shopping for a gold IRA operator, and physical proximity is not a relevant filter. The two decisions are separate and should not be conflated.

Limits and caveats

Cases where the “near me” search will not help, and a gold IRA may not fit at all:

Small starter balance. On a $25,000 account, $400 in annual fixed fees is a 1.60 percent drag before any dealer markup. Some operators impose a $50,000 minimum for that reason. Choosing a local Texas operator does not lower the fixed-fee math. It is set by the custodian and the depository, not by geography.

Short holding horizon. A gold IRA held for two or three years absorbs the entry markup plus a sell-side cost at exit, spread across too few years. This account structure is built for a long hold as part of a retirement portfolio, not a short-term position, whether the operator sits in Texas or California.

Push toward high-premium proof or numismatic sets. Markups of 30 to 100 percent over spot on premium sets erode the account for years. The Texas no-state-income-tax advantage does not offset a 40 percent entry cost. Ask any candidate operator for a written quote naming a common bullion product (Buffalo, Eagle, Maple Leaf, LBMA bar) at standard markup, and use that as your baseline.

Active employer 401(k) with no in-service rollover option. Most Texas employer plans do not permit in-service rollovers until age 59 and a half. You typically must separate from the employer first. Verify with your plan administrator before contacting any dealer.

Public pension member expecting to roll a monthly annuity. TRS, ERS, TMRS, TCDRS, COAERS, HPOPS, HMEPS, HFRRF, and DPFP all provide defined monthly benefits that cannot be rolled to an IRA. Only a lump-sum refund of your own member contributions after separation from service may qualify. Confirm your options with your pension administrator before beginning any process.

Home storage arrangement pitched by any operator. The U.S. Tax Court held in McNulty v. Commissioner (2021) that home storage of IRA gold is a taxable distribution. Any company suggesting a home-storage LLC structure is offering an arrangement the Tax Court has already tested and rejected. Walk away, whether the operator claims a Texas mailing address or not.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to find a gold IRA company located in my Texas city?

No. A gold IRA is a federally regulated remote account. The dealer, the custodian, and the depository may sit in three different states, and none of them needs to be in your city or county. What matters is that the custodian is on the IRS list of approved nonbank trustees and that the depository is IRS-approved. A national operator with the right custodian relationships serves a Texas resident just as well as a local one.

Is there a gold IRA depository inside Texas?

Yes. The Texas Bullion Depository, an agency of the State of Texas located in Leander (Williamson County), has been available for IRA storage since its operator, Lone Star Tangible Assets LP, received IRS nonbank trustee approval in 2023. Equity Trust Company is the first custodian publicly coordinating IRA accounts with the depository. Source: texasbulliondepository.gov/ira-storage, checked August 2026.

Can I visit my gold at the Texas Bullion Depository?

The depository is a working state facility with published security procedures. Any customer visit is coordinated in advance through the depository and your custodian. Contact the depository directly (published number: 1-844-416-GOLD, Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM Central) to confirm the current visit procedure. The federal tax treatment of your IRA metal is unchanged whether you visit or not.

Why do gold IRA companies advertise locally in Dallas, Houston, and Austin?

Local advertising in major Texas metros is a marketing signal, not an operational one. The account still opens remotely and is administered by an IRS-approved custodian. Local presence may reflect a satellite sales office, a paid regional media buy, or a search-engine bid on metro terms. It does not change the fee schedule, the custodian, or the depository options you receive.

Do Texas residents pay Texas state tax on gold IRA distributions?

No. Texas does not impose a state personal income tax. Distributions from a gold IRA (RMDs, early withdrawals, Roth conversions) are taxed at the federal level only. There is no Texas state return covering personal IRA income, and no Texas withholding is requested on Form 1099-R distributions. Source: Texas Constitution, Article 8, Section 24, as amended by Proposition 4 in 2019.

What are the 2026 IRA contribution limits for a gold IRA?

The IRS-published limits for tax year 2026 are $7,500 standard, or $8,600 for age 50 or older (includes a $1,100 catch-up). These limits apply across all of a person’s IRAs combined, not per account. Source: IRS Retirement Topics, checked August 2026. A gold IRA follows the same annual contribution limit as any traditional IRA.

Can I buy gold at a local Texas coin shop and put it in my IRA later?

No. IRA-titled metal must be purchased through the custodian and shipped directly to the IRS-approved depository. Metal already owned by you personally cannot be contributed in-kind to a self-directed IRA (that would be a prohibited transaction under IRS rules). If you want personal-ownership physical gold, a local coin shop is a fit; if you want IRA-titled metal, the transaction must run through the custodian.

How do I verify that a gold IRA company’s custodian is IRS-approved?

The IRS publishes a list of approved nonbank trustees and custodians on irs.gov. Check that the specific legal entity the company proposes as your custodian appears on that list. A dealer cannot substitute for a qualifying custodian. If a dealer refers you to a proprietary account structure without naming a specific IRS-approved trustee, treat that as a red flag and request the trustee’s exact legal name for independent verification.

Want a structured starting point for your shortlist?

If you have at least $50,000 in a rollover-eligible retirement account, Augusta Precious Metals publishes a free gold IRA checklist that walks through rollover eligibility, custodian selection, and depository options. We may earn a commission if you open an account, at no cost to you. Use it as one input to your 7-point vetting, not a substitute for it.

Sources

Internal Revenue Code Section 408(m). Collectibles prohibition and bullion or coin exceptions for IRAs. Office of the Law Revision Counsel. uscode.house.gov. Checked August 2026.
Internal Revenue Service. Publication 590-A: Contributions to Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs). irs.gov/publications/p590a. Checked August 2026.
Internal Revenue Service. Publication 590-B: Distributions from Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs). irs.gov/publications/p590b. Checked August 2026.
Internal Revenue Service. Retirement Topics: IRA Contribution Limits. Standard limit $7,500; $8,600 for age 50 or older (2026 tax year). irs.gov/retirement-plans. Checked August 2026.
Internal Revenue Service. Approved Nonbank Trustees and Custodians. irs.gov/retirement-plans/approved-nonbank-trustees-and-custodians. Checked August 2026.
McNulty v. Commissioner, 157 T.C. No. 10 (2021). Home storage of IRA gold coins constitutes a taxable distribution. U.S. Tax Court. ustaxcourt.gov. Checked August 2026.
Texas Constitution, Article 8, Section 24 (as amended by Proposition 4, November 2019). State personal income tax prohibition. statutes.capitol.texas.gov. Checked August 2026.
Texas Bullion Depository. IRA Storage Services. LSTA IRS nonbank trustee approval (2023); Equity Trust Company named first IRA custodian partner; segregated storage; Lloyd’s of London insurance; Class 3 vault. texasbulliondepository.gov/ira-storage. Checked August 2026.
Texas Legislature. House Bill 483, 84th Regular Session (2015). Texas Bullion Depository Act, signed by Governor Greg Abbott on June 12, 2015. capitol.texas.gov. Checked August 2026.
Texas Tax Code Section 151.336. Sales tax exemption for coins, currency, and precious-metal bullion sales. statutes.capitol.texas.gov. Checked August 2026.
Office of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Texas Taxes overview. No state personal income tax confirmed. comptroller.texas.gov/taxes. Checked August 2026.
Better Business Bureau. Business profile methodology. bbb.org. Checked August 2026.

By the Harry’s Coins Editorial team. Last reviewed August 5, 2026.