Private Vault Storage for Gold You Own: Costs, Segregated vs. Pooled

A depository is a private vault built to store precious metals for other people. You pay a yearly fee, and in return your gold and silver is kept under guard, insured and counted, and you get regular statements.

People choose a depository for different reasons. Some own more than they want to keep in the house. Some own a lot of silver, which takes up far more room than gold. Others simply prefer not to think about a safe at home.

This page explains how depository storage works for metal you bought with regular savings and own outright. If you are still comparing options, our guide to where to store gold and silver puts home, bank box and vault side by side.

How does depository storage work?

You open an account with the depository, your metal is delivered and checked in, and it stays in the vault under your name until you ask for it back.

The usual steps are:

1. Open an account. This is often done online, with proof of identity.
2. Send in your metal. A dealer can ship your purchase straight to the depository, or you can send metal you already own.
3. Check-in. The depository receives, inspects and accepts the items, then lists them on your account.
4. Statements and fees. You get regular statements of what you hold, and storage fees are billed, often every quarter.
5. Withdrawal. When you want metal back, you can pick it up by appointment or have it shipped to you.

If you may want to sell while the metal is still in the vault, ask how that works before you open an account.

Where is gold kept when you buy it?

Most of the time it ships to your home. If you open a depository account, you can ask a dealer to ship it there instead, and you never handle it yourself.

Some sellers offer to "store it for you" as part of the purchase. That can be fine, but it is also where several well-known frauds have happened (see below). Always get the name and address of the facility that will hold your metal.

Segregated or pooled storage: what is the difference?

Segregated storage keeps your exact pieces apart. Pooled storage mixes your metal with other customers' metal of the same type and usually costs less.

For common bullion, such as 1 ounce American Eagles or 10 ounce silver bars, pooled storage is often fine, because one coin of the same type is worth the same as another. If you own collector coins, where the exact piece matters, segregated storage makes more sense.

Some depositories offer only one type. The Texas Bullion Depository, for example, says it currently offers only segregated storage, with pooled storage planned.

How much does it cost to store gold in a vault?

Most depositories charge a yearly fee based on the value of your metal, with a minimum charge. Some charge a flat fee instead. There may also be fees for account setup, withdrawals, shipping and pickup.

One depository that publishes its full fee schedule is the Texas Bullion Depository, an agency of the state of Texas. Its non-IRA fees, effective April 1, 2026, are:

• Storage: 0.49% a year for accounts under $500,000, with lower rates for larger accounts. The same rate applies to gold, silver, platinum and palladium.
• Minimum: $25 a quarter.
• Setup and withdrawal: no account setup fee and no withdrawal fee, according to its pricing page. Shipping and in-person pickup have their own charges.
• Billing: fees build up daily and are billed every quarter.

A worked example. The depository's own example uses $100,000 of metal. At 0.49% a year, that comes to about $490 a year. On a small account, the minimum fee can be more than the percentage would be, so check the minimum if you are storing a modest amount.

Keep two things in mind with a percentage fee. It rises when metal prices rise, and it is charged every year whether prices go up or down. Gold and silver pay no interest or dividends, so storage fees come out of any gain you make when you sell.

Is metal in a depository insured?

Usually yes, and the cost is often built into the storage fee. What matters is what the policy covers and up to what value.

The Texas Bullion Depository, for example, says stored metal is insured through the Lloyd's of London market against loss or damage. Coverage starts once the depository has received, inspected and accepted a deposit. Items are insured up to their metal value, and you can declare a higher value for a collector coin worth more than its metal. Its withdrawal shipments back to your address are insured too. Shipping metal in to the depository is your responsibility, so you need your own insurance for that leg.

Questions to ask any depository:

• Who is the insurer, and what does the policy cover?
• Is my metal insured at full value, and is it insured at metal value or a declared value?
• When does coverage start and end?
• Is shipping to and from the vault insured, and by whom?

Our page on insurance for gold and silver covers home and shipping insurance too.

How do I know my metal is really there?

Look for regular statements that list your items, outside audits, and a way to see or visit your metal.

The Texas Bullion Depository describes three layers of checking: daily reports from the private company that runs it, audits by the Texas Comptroller's staff, and regular audits by an outside accounting firm. It also says account holders can view photos of their deposits and withdrawals online.

Ask any depository:

1. How often are holdings audited, and by whom?
2. Can I see an audit letter or a summary?
3. Do my statements list each item, with serial numbers for bars?
4. Can I visit to view my metal, and what does that cost?

How do I get my metal back from a depository?

Most depositories let you pick metal up in person by appointment or have it shipped to you. Some also let you move it to another account or sell it.

Before you open an account, find out:

• The cost. Withdrawal fees, shipping fees and pickup fees.
• The time. How many business days it takes to release or ship your metal.
• The rules. Whether shipments go only to your address on record, and what ID you need for pickup.
• Insurance. Whether the shipment is insured until it reaches you.

What should I check in the storage agreement?

Read the agreement before you sign, and keep a copy. The key points are:

What storage scams should I watch for?

The main one is being charged for storing metal that doesn't exist. The CFTC and FINRA warn that "some fraudulent dealers have charged storage and insurance fees for metal that never existed."

The CFTC's fraud advisory gives more detail. Warning signs include sellers who claim they will store your metal in a "storage facility or bank" without naming it, and agreements that don't identify where the metal is. Some companies, it says, don't store metal with an independent facility at all, but still charge storage fees.

A related pitch is the financed or "leveraged" deal, where you pay part of the price and the seller lends you the rest and holds the metal. The CFTC says that unless the seller is a registered exchange or actually delivers the metal within 28 days, these deals break the law and may be fraud. In past schemes, no metal was bought at all, but customers were charged interest, storage and insurance.

Simple protections:

• Choose the depository yourself, and contact it directly to confirm your account and holdings.
• Get every fee in writing before you pay. The CFTC and FINRA call missing written fees "a red flag."
• Be wary of any storage offer that comes with a cold call or pressure to decide fast.

Our pages on gold and silver buying scams and the 12 questions to ask a gold dealer cover these warning signs in more depth.

Is depository storage the same as IRA storage?

No. This page is about metal you own outright, which you can store anywhere and take home at any time. Gold and silver inside an IRA must be held by a bank or approved trustee, and the custodian, not you, deals with the depository. Our main storage guide links to the IRA rules.