Opening a gold IRA doesn’t have to be complicated. Priority Gold manages the process from start to finish, working alongside Equity Trust Company — one of America’s most established self-directed IRA custodians — so your retirement savings move into precious metals efficiently, compliantly, and with expert guidance at every step.
Why the Right Custodian Relationship Matters
Most investors who want to hold physical gold or silver in a retirement account face the same problem: the process looks straightforward on paper, but the reality involves IRS compliance requirements, account paperwork, depository logistics, and a chain of parties who all need to communicate clearly. When any one of those links is weak, transactions slow down, frustration builds, and investors lose confidence in the strategy entirely.
Priority Gold exists to be that strong link. We don’t hand you a custodian’s phone number and leave you to figure it out. We work alongside you — and alongside our custodian partner, Equity Trust Company — so the entire process is coordinated, explained, and handled on your behalf. You make the investment decisions. We make sure everything around those decisions runs smoothly.
What Is a Precious Metals IRA Custodian?
Federal law requires that all IRA assets — including physical precious metals — be held by an IRS-approved custodian. This is not optional, and it isn’t a technicality. It is the legal structure that allows your gold and silver holdings to remain inside a tax-advantaged account. Without a qualified custodian, the IRS considers the metals distributed, triggering taxes and potential penalties.
A custodian’s role is administrative, not advisory. They open and maintain the account, process purchase and sale instructions, facilitate transfers, and ensure the account remains compliant with IRS regulations. They do not tell you what to buy or how to allocate your retirement savings — that guidance comes from Priority Gold.
Our Partner: Equity Trust Company
Priority Gold works with Equity Trust Company as our preferred IRA custodian. Equity Trust is one of the most experienced self-directed IRA custodians in the United States, with a history dating back to 1974 and IRS-approved custodian status since 1983. They serve investors across a wide range of alternative asset classes, including precious metals, real estate, and private equity.
For Priority Gold clients, the Equity Trust relationship offers a number of important advantages:
- Over 50 years in the industry — Equity Trust’s longevity reflects a level of institutional stability that newer custodians simply cannot match.
- IRS-approved since 1983 — their custodian status has been continuously maintained under full regulatory oversight.
- Multiple account types supported — Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA, SIMPLE IRA, Solo 401(k), HSA, and more, meaning we can work with your existing retirement structure rather than requiring you to start over.
- The myEQUITY online portal — clients have 24/7 digital access to their account, documents, contribution history, and transaction records.
Because Priority Gold is a recognized dealer on Equity Trust’s platform, our transaction submissions are processed through an established, streamlined workflow. That means fewer delays, less back-and-forth, and a faster path from decision to ownership for our clients.
How the Process Works
From your first conversation with Priority Gold to the moment your metals are secured in an approved depository, we manage the process. Here is how it works in practice.
Step 1: Priority Gold Assesses Your Goals and Guides You Through Account Setup
Everything begins with a conversation. A Priority Gold specialist takes the time to understand your retirement goals, your current account structure, and what you are trying to achieve by adding precious metals. We explain the options clearly — including which account type makes most sense for your situation — and we walk you through exactly what to expect from the process before anything is signed or submitted.
Once you are ready to move forward, we guide you through opening your Equity Trust account. Whether you are rolling over an existing 401(k) or IRA, transferring from another custodian, or making a new contribution, we explain each step, help you complete the necessary paperwork, and coordinate directly with Equity Trust on your behalf to get the account open and funded as efficiently as possible.
Step 2: Select Your Precious Metals with Priority Gold
With your account open and funded, your Priority Gold specialist works with you to select the right products for your IRA. We offer a broad range of IRS-eligible gold, silver, platinum, and palladium in bar and coin form, and we confirm eligibility for every item before it is purchased. There are no surprises.
Priority Gold operates with a lowest-price guarantee and charges no buyback fees. Our specialists are compensated to give you the right advice, not to upsell you into products that don’t fit your goals. Qualified purchases include free precious metals storage — your specialist will confirm the terms that apply to your order.
IRS-eligible metals include:
- Gold — bars and coins at .995+ purity
- Silver — bars and coins at .999+ purity
- Platinum — bars and coins at .9995+ purity
- Palladium — bars and coins at .9995+ purity
- American Eagle coins — gold, silver, and platinum editions
- Other qualifying coins — national mint-issued, meeting required IRS fineness standards
Step 3: Priority Gold Coordinates the Purchase and Storage with Equity Trust
Once you have confirmed your selection, Priority Gold submits the purchase instruction directly to Equity Trust. We handle the coordination between the two parties — you do not need to navigate that process yourself. Equity Trust processes the transaction and arranges for the metals to be delivered to your chosen IRS-approved depository, where they are held securely in your name.
At no point during this process are you required to take possession of the metals. IRS rules prohibit personal possession of IRA-held precious metals, and our process ensures full compliance with that requirement from purchase through storage.
IRS-Approved Storage Facilities
Your IRA-held metals are stored at one of several leading independent depositories. These facilities are fully insured, regularly audited, and approved under IRS requirements for precious metals IRA storage. Equity Trust works with the following depositories:
- A-Mark Global Logistics / Loomis International (AMGL)
- Brink’s Global Services
- Delaware Depository Service Company (DDSC)
- International Depository Services (IDS)
- Texas Bullion Depository
Your Priority Gold specialist will help you select the depository that best suits your needs and walk you through what segregated and non-segregated storage options mean for your holdings.
The Difference Guided Service Makes
There is no shortage of companies that will sell you gold coins and point you toward a custodian. What is far less common is a dealer that treats the custodian relationship as part of its own service commitment — one that takes ownership of the process rather than handing it off at the first opportunity.
Priority Gold has been in the precious metals industry since 2001. That experience translates directly into a smoother, faster, less stressful process for our clients. We know what Equity Trust needs, we know how to prepare paperwork correctly the first time, and we know how to keep transactions moving when questions arise. Our A+ Better Business Bureau rating and 5-star TrustLink rating reflect the experience our clients have when they work with us — not just the quality of the metals we sell.
If you are considering a precious metals IRA — whether as a first-time buyer or someone looking to expand an existing position — the starting point is a conversation with Priority Gold. We will assess your situation, explain your options, and manage everything that follows.
Speak with a Priority Gold Specialist Today
Our team is available to answer your questions, walk you through the process, and help you determine whether a precious metals IRA is right for your retirement strategy. There is no obligation, and no pressure — just straightforward guidance from specialists who have helped clients protect and diversify their retirement savings for over two decades.
Call us or visit www.prioritygold.com to get started.
Sources:
https://www.trustetc.com/investments/precious-metals/
