Texas Bullion Depository vs Brink's Global Services
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Short on time? The essentials
- Texas Bullion Depository (TBD) is an agency of the State of Texas in Leander, established by state law signed by Governor Greg Abbott on June 12, 2015, with operations since 2017 (source: texasbulliondepository.gov and Texas Comptroller pages, checked August 2026).
- TBD operator: Lone Star Tangible Assets LP (LSTA); LSTA received IRS Nonbank Trustee approval in 2023, which is what made IRA storage at TBD possible (source: texasbulliondepository.gov IRA Storage page, checked August 2026).
- TBD IRA custodian named on the site: Equity Trust Company, described as the first custodian to work with TBD after LSTA obtained Nonbank Trustee status (source: texasbulliondepository.gov, checked August 2026).
- TBD storage model: segregated only, never commingled; assets insured through the Lloyd's of London insurance market (source: texasbulliondepository.gov Depository Insurance page, checked August 2026).
- Brink's parent: The Brink's Company (NYSE: BCO), headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, founded in 1859, S and P 400 component, with 2025 revenue of 5.26 billion dollars and 63,600 employees (source: Wikipedia entry on Brink's citing the company 2025 Form 10-K, checked August 2026).
- Brink's primary US IRA vault named on dealer paperwork: Salt Lake City, Utah, via Brink's Global Services U.S.A., Inc. (source: IRA Express IRAxp Precious Metals Depository Holdings Election Form, checked July 2026).
- Brink's SLC published pass-through IRA rates via IRA Express: 1.20 dollars per 1,000 dollars per year commingled (12 basis points, 125 dollar annual minimum) or 2.00 dollars per 1,000 dollars per year segregated (20 basis points, 200 dollar annual minimum).
- TBD IRA storage fees are stated as typically negotiated between the gold dealer, the IRA custodian, and the depository contractor, so the standard schedule shown on tbd.gov may not apply (source: texasbulliondepository.gov IRA Storage page, checked August 2026).
- Federal tax treatment of the IRA is identical either way; Texas has no state personal income tax, so no state layer applies at distribution (source: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, checked August 2026).
On this page
- TBD vs Brink's at a glance
- What the Texas Bullion Depository actually is
- What Brink's Global Services actually is
- Legal structure and oversight, side by side
- Storage models: segregated only vs both
- Insurance framing and disclosure
- Custodian access for a Texas IRA
- What each depository publishes on fees
- Published fee schedules compared
- Estimate your own annual fee drag
- How to open storage with each option
- Worked example: Austin retiree choosing between TBD and Brink's SLC
- Balanced pros and cons
- When each is a bad fit for you
- Frequently asked questions
- Sources
TBD vs Brink's at a glance
Both depositories can hold IRA metal for a Texas resident. They sit in different legal categories and offer a different reader experience. The table below summarizes what each side publishes on its own official pages and on dealer paperwork.
| Attribute | Texas Bullion Depository | Brink's Global Services (SLC) |
|---|---|---|
| Legal category | Agency of the State of Texas | US subsidiary of NYSE-listed The Brink's Company (BCO), S and P 400 component |
| Primary location | Leander, Texas (Williamson County, north of Austin) | Salt Lake City, Utah (metals vault named on IRA paperwork) |
| Founding | Established by state law signed June 12, 2015; operations since 2017 | Parent founded 1859 by Perry and Fidelia Brink of Chicago |
| Operator | Lone Star Tangible Assets LP (LSTA) as depository contractor | Brink's Global Services U.S.A., Inc. (direct operator) |
| Oversight | Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts; regular audits by Comptroller staff | SEC filings for the public parent; private commercial custody at the vault level |
| Storage models | Segregated only; never commingled | Commingled or segregated, per IRA Express IRAxp form |
| Insurance framing | Underwritten on the Lloyd's of London insurance market; automatic coverage at metal value with option to declare a higher value | Full transport and storage liability per dealer sources citing Brink's terms; specific vault dollar cap not published on the public Brink's Global site |
| IRA custodian access | Equity Trust Company (first custodian named on tbd.gov IRA Storage page) | Multiple custodians, including IRA Express; also named on Birch Gold storage overview and other dealer intake forms |
| Non-IRA published rate | Full flat-rate schedule published: 0.49 percent on the first tier, dropping to 0.34 percent at higher tiers, 25 dollar quarterly minimum | Retail non-IRA schedule not published on the public Brink's Global site |
| IRA published rate | Not publicly disclosed; typically negotiated between dealer, custodian, and depository contractor | Via IRA Express: 12 basis points commingled (125 dollar annual minimum); 20 basis points segregated (200 dollar annual minimum) |
| In-state for a Texan? | Yes; the vault sits in Leander, Texas | No; the primary IRA vault sits roughly 1,200 miles from Dallas |
Sources: texasbulliondepository.gov Pricing, IRA Storage, and Depository Insurance pages, checked August 2026. Wikipedia entry on Brink's citing the 2025 Form 10-K. IRA Express IRAxp form for Brinks Global Services U.S.A., Inc., checked July 2026. Birch Gold Group storage overview, checked July 2026.
What the Texas Bullion Depository actually is
The Texas Bullion Depository is an agency of the State of Texas. It is the only state-administered precious metals depository in the United States and is a registered trademark of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. The physical facility sits in Leander, Texas, north of Austin in Williamson County.
The depository was established by state legislation, House Bill 483, signed by Governor Greg Abbott on June 12, 2015. Operations began in 2017 under a vendor arrangement with Lone Star Tangible Assets LP, the private company selected by the state as the depository contractor to run day-to-day operations.
State oversight is not marketing language. The tbd.gov site states that TBD operates under the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts and is audited on a regular basis by a representative from the Comptroller's office (source: texasbulliondepository.gov IRA Storage page, checked August 2026). That is a different accountability layer than what a private commercial vault answers to.
For a Texas resident, the practical draw is that IRA metal can sit inside Texas borders at a state-run facility rather than at a private vault out of state. The federal tax treatment of the IRA does not change based on vault geography, but the geographic and legal setup does change for readers who care about it.
What Brink's Global Services actually is
The Brink's Company is a publicly traded American logistics and secure-transport firm listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker BCO. Brink's Global Services U.S.A., Inc. is the US subsidiary that handles precious metals vaulting and custody for retail and institutional clients.
The parent was founded in 1859 in Chicago by Perry and Fidelia Brink, and its corporate headquarters sits in Richmond, Virginia. Per the 2025 annual report cited on Wikipedia, the parent reported 5.26 billion dollars of revenue against 586 million dollars of operating income, with 63,600 employees, 1,238 branches, and 15,889 vehicles worldwide.
Brink's is an S and P 400 index component and files periodic disclosures with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For a gold IRA holder, what matters is not the parent's global scale. What matters is that Brink's Global Services U.S.A., Inc. operates specific vault sites in the United States that are named on approved custodian paperwork for IRA-eligible bullion.
The Brink's vault most often named on gold IRA paperwork sits in Salt Lake City, Utah. The IRA Express IRAxp Precious Metals Depository Holdings Election Form directs new account holders to Brink's Salt Lake City for IRA storage (source: IRA Express form, checked July 2026). Birch Gold Group also names Los Angeles and New York City as Brink's metals sites.
Legal structure and oversight, side by side
The two depositories answer to different governance regimes. TBD answers to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts under state law, with regular audits by Comptroller staff. Brink's answers to shareholders of a publicly traded parent, plus SEC and state commercial regulators, plus private commercial insurance carriers at the vault level.
Neither structure is inherently safer than the other. State oversight has the advantage of a specific statutory duty of care and a public accountability trail. Public-company oversight has the advantage of quarterly financial disclosure and a well-capitalized parent balance sheet standing behind the operating subsidiary.
The difference matters most for readers who care about the specific chain of accountability. A Texas retiree who wants a state-audited setup gets that with TBD and does not get that with Brink's. A retiree who values the balance sheet of a public parent as a backstop gets more of that with Brink's than with a state agency.
Neither depository is the IRA custodian. The IRA custodian is a separate IRS-approved trust company that holds legal title on the account and instructs the depository to receive metal shipped by the dealer. That distinction applies to both TBD and Brink's.
Storage models: segregated only vs both
TBD stores metal on a segregated basis only. The tbd.gov IRA Storage page states that precious metals are stored separately and never commingled, so the account holder receives the exact metals originally deposited at withdrawal (source: texasbulliondepository.gov IRA Storage page, checked August 2026).
Brink's Salt Lake City offers both commingled and segregated storage through the IRA Express IRAxp form. Commingled means fungible bullion is pooled with other holdings of the same type. Segregated means bullion is physically separated under the individual account and the same original bars come back at withdrawal.
Commingled storage is normally the cheaper option because the labor and space demands are shared. Segregated storage costs more because the vault must maintain physical separation and dedicated storage space per account. TBD skips the cheaper option and quotes only the segregated model.
For a reader who wants the cheapest possible storage line on paper, Brink's SLC commingled through IRA Express is the lower published number. For a reader who wants a segregated model with the reassurance that only segregated is offered, TBD is the cleaner fit.
Insurance framing and disclosure
TBD publishes its insurance approach on the Depository Insurance page. Coverage is underwritten on the Lloyd's of London insurance market. Items are automatically covered at the value of the metal content, and the account holder can declare a higher value on a deposit for numismatic items where premium value matters (source: texasbulliondepository.gov Depository Insurance page, checked August 2026).
TBD also states that the depository insures the return shipment of client assets to the account holder's address of record. If items are lost or stolen in transit, they are either replaced with like-kind precious metals or reimbursed in US dollars up to the insured value.
Brink's Global Services publishes less granular insurance detail on its public site. Dealer sources describe the vault operation as fully insured and state that Brink's assumes full liability for assets it is transporting or storing on the customer's behalf (source: Birch Gold Group storage overview, checked July 2026). The specific dollar cap on Brink's vault insurance is not published in the same detailed form.
The practical prudent step for a Brink's IRA holder is to ask the custodian in writing what the vault insurance limit is on the specific account and whether coverage is on an all-risk or a named-perils basis. The custodian is the party that can put that answer in writing.
Custodian access for a Texas IRA
TBD names Equity Trust Company as the first IRA custodian to work with the depository after LSTA obtained IRS Nonbank Trustee status in 2023. The tbd.gov IRA Storage page states that the depository will continue to expand custodial relationships over time (source: texasbulliondepository.gov, checked August 2026).
For a Texas reader today, the practical path to TBD IRA storage is through Equity Trust as custodian. The dealer needs to be willing to work with Equity Trust and to route the metal shipment to TBD in Leander rather than to a private out-of-state vault.
Brink's Salt Lake City has broader IRA custodian access. IRA Express publishes the pass-through fee schedule for Brink's SLC on its IRAxp form. Multiple dealers, including Birch Gold Group, name Brink's on their storage overview pages, which implies wider custodian partnerships than a single-custodian setup.
If your dealer is already tied to a specific custodian that does not work with TBD, moving to TBD storage requires either switching custodian or asking the dealer to route through Equity Trust. Brink's SLC tends to fit into more existing dealer stacks without a custodian change.
What each depository publishes on fees
Fee transparency is where the two depositories look most different on the record. TBD publishes a full non-IRA schedule on its Pricing page with tier boundaries, annual rates, and minimum fees. Brink's Global publishes far less on its own site and routes retail buyers through the IRA custodian for the actual quote.
TBD publishes a flat-rate model for non-IRA accounts effective April 1, 2026. The rate is 0.49 percent on average daily value from 0.01 dollars to 499,999.99 dollars, with a 25 dollar per quarter minimum. Higher tiers drop the rate: 0.44 percent from 500,000 dollars, 0.39 percent from 1,000,000 dollars, and 0.34 percent from 2,500,000 dollars.
Critically, the tbd.gov IRA Storage page states that IRA fees are typically negotiated between the gold dealer, the IRA custodian, and the depository contractor, and that the standard non-IRA schedule may not apply. So the published TBD rate is not a direct proxy for what a TBD IRA holder actually pays.
Brink's SLC has a published pass-through fee schedule via IRA Express. The commingled rate is 1.20 dollars per 1,000 dollars per year, or 12 basis points, with a 125 dollar annual minimum. The segregated rate is 2.00 dollars per 1,000 dollars per year, or 20 basis points, with a 200 dollar annual minimum (source: IRA Express IRAxp form, checked July 2026). Other Brink's IRA custodians may publish different pass-through numbers.
Published fee schedules compared
The table below shows what each side publishes today. TBD figures are the non-IRA schedule and are shown as a benchmark for what TBD makes public, not as an IRA quote. The Brink's SLC figures are the IRA-specific pass-through rates via IRA Express.
| Line item | TBD non-IRA schedule | Brink's SLC via IRA Express (IRA) |
|---|---|---|
| Storage rate (tier 1) | 0.49 percent per year on ADV up to 499,999.99 dollars | 12 basis points commingled or 20 basis points segregated |
| Storage rate (higher tiers) | 0.44 percent from 500,000 dollars; 0.39 percent from 1,000,000 dollars; 0.34 percent from 2,500,000 dollars | Same 12 or 20 basis point rate applies at all balances above the annual minimum |
| Annual minimum | 25 dollars per quarter, so 100 dollars per year | 125 dollars per year commingled; 200 dollars per year segregated |
| Account setup fee | None on the current schedule | Set by the IRA custodian, not the depository |
| Withdrawal fee | None; shipping charged as 17.95 dollars plus 0.0018 of spot or declared value | 25 dollars per shipment out-shipment; 25 dollars per package handling plus postage and insurance |
| Personal pickup fee | 35 dollars per transaction by appointment | Set by the depository and custodian; ask in writing |
| Credit card surcharge | Not shown on the current non-IRA schedule | 3.75 percent processing surcharge on card payments (IRA Express) |
| IRA fee availability | Not publicly disclosed; typically negotiated between dealer, custodian, and depository contractor | Published on the IRA Express IRAxp form |
Sources: texasbulliondepository.gov Pricing page, effective April 1, 2026 for non-IRA accounts, checked August 2026; texasbulliondepository.gov IRA Storage page, checked August 2026; IRA Express IRAxp Precious Metals Depository Holdings Election Form for Brinks Global Services U.S.A., Inc., checked July 2026.

The chart above plots the Brink's SLC annual IRA storage fee at three balance points against the TBD published non-IRA schedule at the same balances. Read the third series with care: it is what TBD publishes for non-IRA accounts, not a direct IRA quote. The actual TBD IRA number depends on what the dealer, custodian, and depository contractor negotiate.
Estimate your own annual fee drag
Use the calculator below to enter your planned rollover balance and see the estimated annual carrying cost and fee drag as a percentage. Adjust the storage rate to match the schedule you actually get on paper from your dealer, custodian, and depository combination.
Texas gold IRA fee-drag calculator
Texas gold IRAs charge mostly flat dollar fees (setup, annual custodian, storage). Flat fees take a much bigger bite out of a small account than a large one. Enter your numbers to see the drag.
Estimate only. Fee amounts vary by provider and are often not published; enter figures you confirm in writing. This tool ignores metal price changes and the dealer spread, which also affect returns. Not financial advice.
How to open storage with each option
The intake paperwork looks different depending on whether you route to TBD in Leander or to Brink's Salt Lake City. Both flows run through a qualified custodian, not the depository directly.
- Confirm the depository name on the dealer intake sheet. Ask the dealer, in writing, which depository the buy instruction names. TBD in Leander and Brink's Salt Lake City are two different lines on the dealer form and route to two different custodians.
- Confirm the custodian. For TBD, the tbd.gov page today names Equity Trust Company. For Brink's SLC, IRA Express is one common custodian with a published pass-through fee schedule. Other custodians work with Brink's as well.
- Choose the storage model. TBD is segregated only. Brink's SLC offers commingled or segregated; commingled costs less on the IRA Express schedule but pools fungible bullion.
- Ask the depository fee question in writing. At TBD, IRA fees are typically negotiated, so ask for the written IRA quote before you commit. At Brink's via IRA Express, ask for the applicable minimum and the basis-point rate on your balance range.
- Fund the IRA at the custodian. Roll over from a former 401(k), 403(b), TSP, or existing IRA. A trustee-to-trustee transfer avoids the 60-day rollover risk under IRC section 402. The custodian receives cash before any coin buy can settle.
- Sign the buy instruction naming the depository. The dealer prepares a buy instruction that names the coins or bars, the price, and the depository (TBD Leander or Brink's SLC). The custodian wires funds once you sign.
- Confirm the depository receipt. The custodian issues a written receipt confirming the metal is in vault. That is the moment the account holds physical bullion rather than cash. Ask for the receipt in writing.
- Reconcile the first statement. The first quarterly custodian statement should show the metal in vault and any storage charge posted to the account. Reconcile the storage line against the written fee quote you received at intake.
Worked example: Austin retiree choosing between TBD and Brink's SLC
Worked example
Consider an Austin resident, age 63, rolling 150,000 dollars from a former employer 401(k) into a self-directed IRA that will buy IRA-eligible gold coins and bars. The reader is choosing between TBD in Leander through Equity Trust or Brink's Salt Lake City through IRA Express.
At Brink's SLC via IRA Express, commingled storage costs 150,000 dollars times 12 basis points, which is 180 dollars per year. The minimum 125 dollar floor does not apply because the asset-based number is higher. Segregated at the same balance costs 300 dollars per year.
At TBD, the reader must ask for a written IRA fee quote. The published non-IRA schedule at that balance would be 150,000 dollars times 0.49 percent, or 735 dollars per year with the 100 dollar annual minimum easily cleared. That is not the IRA quote, only a public reference point for what TBD publishes; the actual IRA number is negotiated.
The IRA custodian account fee is separate from the depository line and depends on the custodian selected. Common flat custodian fees run 80 to 275 dollars per year in the retail self-directed IRA market. The dealer coin premium is a third line and is almost always the largest year-one cost.
At the point of distribution, no Texas state income tax applies to either arrangement because Texas has no state personal income tax (source: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, checked August 2026). Federal ordinary income tax is the complete tax picture. Consult your tax advisor for your specific bracket.
Balanced pros and cons
Why a Texas reader picks TBD
- State agency status; state oversight by the Texas Comptroller with regular audits by Comptroller staff.
- In-state vault in Leander, Texas; metal never leaves state lines during storage.
- Segregated storage only, so there is no pooled-inventory option to opt into by accident.
- Lloyd's of London insurance market coverage published openly on the depository site.
- Published non-IRA fee schedule with tier boundaries and rate, no account setup fee on the current schedule.
- No cross-selling or upsell of financial products, per the tbd.gov IRA Storage page.
Where TBD is thinner
- Only one IRA custodian named today (Equity Trust Company), so the dealer must be willing to work with that custodian.
- IRA fees are not publicly disclosed; you have to ask for a written quote from the dealer, custodian, and depository contractor.
- No commingled option, so the pooled-inventory cost saving Brink's SLC offers is not available.
- Newer institution: state law passed in 2015, operations began in 2017, LSTA nonbank trustee approval in 2023.
Why a Texas reader picks Brink's SLC
- Backed by a publicly traded NYSE parent with 5.26 billion dollars of 2025 revenue and 63,600 employees worldwide.
- Multiple IRA custodians work with Brink's, including IRA Express with a published pass-through fee schedule.
- Commingled and segregated options both available on the IRA Express IRAxp form.
- Alternative Brink's US vault sites in Los Angeles and New York City are also named by dealers.
- Published IRA fee schedule via IRA Express: 12 basis points commingled or 20 basis points segregated, minimums 125 and 200 dollars per year.
- Full transport and storage liability per dealer citations of Brink's terms.
Where Brink's SLC is thinner
- Not in Texas; the primary IRA vault sits in Utah, roughly 1,200 miles from Dallas.
- Specific vault insurance dollar cap not published on the public Brink's Global site; ask the custodian in writing.
- No state-agency oversight; accountability runs through SEC filings, commercial insurance, and the custodian.
- Credit card payments carry a 3.75 percent processing surcharge on the IRA Express schedule.
When each is a bad fit for you
Not every reader belongs at either vault, and this section is honest about who should look elsewhere.
If keeping IRA metal inside Texas is a hard requirement, Brink's Salt Lake City does not fit. The primary IRA vault is in Utah, and geographic proximity to your address is not part of the value proposition. TBD is the natural in-state alternative.
If your dealer is already tied to a custodian that does not work with TBD, moving to TBD storage means either switching custodians or asking the dealer to route through Equity Trust Company. That is friction and should be priced in before signing anything.
If your total IRA balance is under 25,000 dollars, the storage minimum at either vault eats a large slice each year before you count the dealer premium on the coins. On a 25,000 dollar account, 100 dollars per year is 0.40 percent and 125 dollars per year is 0.50 percent, hard to justify unless a specific reason drives you to physical metal.
If you want a specific published dollar cap on vault insurance stated openly on the depository's own site, Brink's Global does not present the number in that detailed form. TBD publishes the Lloyd's of London framing and describes coverage at metal value or declared value, but neither depository publishes a single simple cap number on retail marketing pages.
If you are under age 59 and a half and might need the money before retirement, depository choice is not the bigger issue. An early distribution triggers the federal 10-percent early-withdrawal tax plus ordinary federal income tax on the distribution (source: IRS Publication 590-B, checked August 2026). Neither TBD nor Brink's changes that outcome.
If you object to any state involvement in your metals custody on principle, TBD is not for you regardless of the geographic advantage. A privately operated vault backed by a publicly traded parent is the model you are looking for.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions from Texas readers
Is the Texas Bullion Depository IRS-approved for gold IRA storage?
Yes. The tbd.gov IRA Storage page states that Lone Star Tangible Assets LP, the depository contractor for TBD, received IRS Nonbank Trustee approval in 2023. That approval is what enables retirement assets to be stored at the Texas Bullion Depository (source: texasbulliondepository.gov IRA Storage page, checked August 2026).
Is Brink's Global Services IRS-approved for gold IRA storage?
Brink's Global Services U.S.A., Inc. is named on the approved depository list of multiple gold IRA custodians and is treated as an IRS-approved depository under IRC section 408(m). The IRA Express IRAxp Precious Metals Depository Holdings Election Form directs new account holders to Brink's Salt Lake City for IRA storage (source: IRA Express form, checked July 2026).
Which custodian do I use to store IRA metal at the Texas Bullion Depository?
The tbd.gov IRA Storage page names Equity Trust Company as the first custodian to work with TBD after LSTA obtained IRS Nonbank Trustee status. The page also states that TBD will continue to expand its custodial relationships over time, so ask your dealer whether additional custodians are approved by the time you open the account.
What does IRA storage at TBD cost?
TBD does not publish an IRA-specific fee schedule. The tbd.gov IRA Storage page states that IRA storage fees are typically negotiated between the gold dealer, the IRA custodian, and the depository contractor, so the standard schedule may not apply. Ask the dealer for a written IRA quote before you commit.
What does storage at Brink's Salt Lake City cost through IRA Express?
The IRA Express IRAxp form lists 1.20 dollars per 1,000 dollars per year commingled (12 basis points, 125 dollar annual minimum) and 2.00 dollars per 1,000 dollars per year segregated (20 basis points, 200 dollar annual minimum). Other Brink's IRA custodians may publish different pass-through numbers.
Does TBD offer commingled storage like Brink's does?
No. TBD stores metal on a segregated basis only. The tbd.gov IRA Storage page states that metals are stored separately and never commingled, so the account holder receives the exact metals originally deposited at withdrawal. Brink's Salt Lake City offers both commingled and segregated on the IRA Express form.
Does the vault location change my Texas taxes?
No. Federal ordinary income tax applies to IRA distributions regardless of where the metal is stored. Texas has no state personal income tax (source: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, checked August 2026), so no Texas state tax layer applies whether the metal sits in Leander or in Salt Lake City. Consult your tax advisor for your specific situation.
Can I visit either vault in person?
TBD lists a personal pickup fee of 35 dollars per transaction and a customer room usage fee of 35 dollars per half hour for scheduled appointments (source: texasbulliondepository.gov Pricing page, checked August 2026). Brink's vault visits are typically by advance appointment through the custodian; ask the custodian for the exact procedure.
How is insurance different between the two vaults?
TBD coverage is underwritten on the Lloyd's of London insurance market and applies at the metal value with an option to declare a higher value on deposit. Brink's dealer sources describe the vault operation as fully insured and state that Brink's assumes full liability during transport and storage; the specific vault dollar cap is not published on Brink's public site.
Sources
- Texas Bullion Depository, IRA Storage Services page, describing state agency status, Lone Star Tangible Assets LP as operator, IRS Nonbank Trustee approval in 2023, Equity Trust Company as first IRA custodian, segregated-only storage, and negotiated IRA fees, texasbulliondepository.gov/ira-storage, checked August 2026.
- Texas Bullion Depository, Schedule of Fees (Pricing) page, non-IRA flat-rate storage schedule effective April 1, 2026, non-storage fees, and previous fee schedule reference, texasbulliondepository.gov/pricing, checked August 2026.
- Texas Bullion Depository, Depository Insurance page, Lloyd's of London insurance coverage, declared value option, and return shipment insurance, texasbulliondepository.gov/depository-insurance, checked August 2026.
- IRA Express, Precious Metals Depository Holdings Election Form for Brinks Global Services U.S.A., Inc., commingled and segregated storage rates, minimums, out-shipment and handling fees, and credit card surcharge, iraxp.com, checked July 2026.
- Wikipedia entry on Brink's, founding year 1859, NYSE ticker BCO, S and P 400 component, 2025 revenue and operating income, headquarters in Richmond Virginia, branch and vehicle counts, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brink%27s, checked August 2026.
- Brink's Global Services, corporate site describing the precious metals custody and secure logistics services, brinksglobal.com/en/precious-metals, checked August 2026.
- Birch Gold Group, storage overview page describing Brink's US vault sites in Los Angeles, New York City, and Salt Lake City, plus Brink's transport liability terms, birchgold.com storage overview, checked July 2026.
- Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, confirmation that Texas has no state personal income tax and reference for the Texas Bullion Depository, comptroller.texas.gov, checked August 2026.
- Internal Revenue Service, Publication 590-B, distributions from individual retirement arrangements, including the 10-percent early-distribution tax, irs.gov/publications/p590b, checked August 2026.
- 26 U.S.C. section 408, requirements for individual retirement accounts, including approved trustees and IRA-eligible bullion, law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/408, checked August 2026.
The depository is the last link in the chain. The dealer sets the coin premium, which is usually your biggest cost line.
Choosing between TBD and Brink's is a real decision, but the dealer who picks the coins and sets the premium over spot moves your total cost more than the storage line does. The dealer we work with the most publishes a 10-point company checklist that covers fees, buyback terms, and legal structure. It is a fair sheet to hold any dealer's paperwork against.