U.S. Gold Bureau vs Texas Precious Metals: Fees, Storage, Buyback and Complaints Compared (2026)

U.S. Gold Bureau and Texas Precious Metals are both Texas bullion dealers that sell metal for IRAs, but they are tied to different vaults. Texas Precious Metals stores IRA metal in its own private vault in Shiner. U.S. Gold Bureau names no IRA vault, but its parent company runs the State's Texas Bullion Depository in Leander. So which one costs less, what does each put in writing, and who stands behind each vault? A bullion dealer is a store that sells coins and bars at set prices, and a depository is the vault that holds them.

Texas Precious Metals posts its coin prices online. The U.S. Gold Bureau Gold Eagle pages we read showed none (September 29 and November 6, 2026), so you get that price by phone. This page is part of our reviews of gold IRA companies and dealers, built from each dealer's terms, the custodians' fee schedules, Texas law and court records. A custodian is the trust company that holds your IRA and sends your statements.

We cover fees, storage, buyback and returns, then complaints and court records, including a 2026 trademark fight that puts U.S. Gold Bureau's parent and Texas Precious Metals on opposite sides. We end with a verdict by situation, not an overall winner.

The five key numbers are listed below, each with the date we checked it.

• Gold Eagle price online: none on the U.S. Gold Bureau pages we read (November 6, 2026) vs $4,508.06 at Texas Precious Metals, 8.68% over the spot bid (September 29, 2026).
• Cost to cancel a locked order: any price drop plus $50 vs any price drop plus $350 (terms read November 6, 2026).
• IRA vault: not named by U.S. Gold Bureau, whose parent runs the Texas Bullion Depository (IRA route: Equity Trust only), vs Texas Precious Metals' own vault (September 29 and November 6, 2026).
• BBB complaints in three years: 18 vs 0 (as of November 6, 2026).
• Disputes: private arbitration vs local Texas courts (terms read September 29 and November 6, 2026).

U.S. Gold Bureau vs Texas Precious Metals at a Glance: 18 Facts Side by Side#

The table compares 18 facts for U.S. Gold Bureau and Texas Precious Metals, each dated and sourced to a dealer page, a custodian schedule, a court docket or the BBB. Three terms help with the rows. Price over spot is the amount you pay above the raw metal price. Segregated storage means your coins sit apart, on their own shelf. Arbitration is a private hearing instead of a court.

Table: U.S. Gold Bureau vs Texas Precious Metals: 18 facts, checked September 29 and November 6, 2026

Company website links in this table: SafeOunce earns nothing from these links.

Where a cell says "not published", we found nothing on the dealer's site on the date shown.

Other pages get the basics wrong. LendEDU's review (updated September 4, 2026) lists U.S. Gold Bureau's storage cost as 0.05% in one place and 0.5% in another, with a Trustpilot score of 3.5. The depository's own schedule (effective April 1, 2026) says 0.49% a year for personal accounts, and Trustpilot showed 4.7 on September 29, 2026. Metals Radar's trust check (October 11, 2026) says U.S. Gold Bureau publishes prices; the Gold Eagle pages we read on November 6, 2026 showed none.

More head-to-head pages are in our gold IRA comparisons.

How Do U.S. Gold Bureau and Texas Precious Metals Fees Compare?#

As of November 6, 2026, Texas Precious Metals posts its coin prices and charges $350 to cancel, while U.S. Gold Bureau quotes Gold Eagle prices by phone and charges $50. Neither dealer sets the yearly IRA fees; the custodian does. Which cost is the biggest for an IRA buyer? The price over spot, because you pay it on every dollar you invest.

The price over spot is paid once, when you buy. Account fees are paid every year to the custodian for holding the IRA and storing the metal. Our guide to gold IRA fees lists every cost layer, from the coin price to the exit fee.

Coin prices: posted at Texas Precious Metals, by phone at U.S. Gold Bureau#

On September 29, 2026, Texas Precious Metals listed a 1 oz Gold Eagle at $4,508.06, 8.68% over the spot bid of $4,148.10. The U.S. Gold Bureau Gold Eagle pages we read showed no price. The spot price is the market price of one ounce of raw gold. The premium is the dealer's amount above spot. A tier is a lower price per coin for a larger order.

The table shows TPM's Gold Eagle tiers that morning.

Table: Texas Precious Metals 1 oz Gold Eagle by quantity, September 29, 2026, about 10:20 UTC; spot = Kitco bid $4,148.10

TPM's page did not label the payment type for these prices. IRA purchases are paid by wire from the custodian. Our explainer on gold IRA markups and spreads shows how to get the number in writing.

The table shows the same coin at the five dealers we priced that morning, plus U.S. Gold Bureau.

Table: One 1 oz Gold Eagle at six dealers, September 29, 2026; spot = Kitco bid $4,148.10

Texas Precious Metals was $248.45 a coin above the lowest and about $156 above Summit and Fisher. This is one snapshot on one morning, not a ranking over time.

The U.S. Gold Bureau Gold Eagle pages we read on November 6, 2026 showed no price. The site header reads "Call For Prices (800) 775-3504". Its 1 oz PAMP Fortuna bar page showed a sell-to-us payout of $4,022.62 that day. In plain English: you learn U.S. Gold Bureau's Gold Eagle price only on the phone. Ask for it in writing, with the percent over spot.

What does an 8% premium cost on a $100,000 IRA purchase?#

At Texas Precious Metals' 20-coin price, $100,000 buys 22 Gold Eagles for $98,605.32, and their gold was worth $91,258.20 at the spot bid that morning. The gap is the premium you pay up front. U.S. Gold Bureau cannot be placed in this example, because it posts no Gold Eagle price.

Add ten years of custody on TPM's route and the total is $10,757.12 with GoldStar ($7,347.12 + $3,410), or $10,997.12 with STRATA. That is about 10.8% to 11.0% of $100,000. In plain English: the one-time premium costs more than twice as much as ten years of account and storage fees (illustration, before any buyback discount).

Run your own numbers in the gold IRA break-even calculator.

IRA account fees: set by the custodian, not by either dealer#

Neither dealer publishes IRA fees, because the custodian charges them. On Texas Precious Metals' route, that is $315 to $325 a year with segregated storage at GoldStar or STRATA. At the Texas Bullion Depository, the vault U.S. Gold Bureau's parent runs, the IRA price is not published. A flat fee stays the same at any balance. Commingled storage, the cheaper option, pools your coins with other people's.

The table shows each Texas vault route, using the custodian schedules read on September 29, 2026.

Table: Custodian costs on each dealer's IRA route, $100,000 held 10 years, segregated storage; schedules read September 29, 2026

GoldStar's segregated storage charge is the greater of $225 or 0.18% of your metal's value. GoldStar Trust precious metals IRA fees rise with the balance above $125,000.

The state vault's IRA page says fees "are typically negotiated between the custodian, the gold dealer and the depository contractor". In plain English: the 0.49% a year on the depository's price list (effective April 1, 2026) is for personal accounts. Your IRA price comes from Equity Trust and the dealer, so get it in writing.

For scale only: 0.49% of $100,000 is $490 a year. Equity Trust's segregated storage line at its listed vaults is $160 a year (FS-0004-05 Rev. 081726, read September 29, 2026). That makes $3,180 over ten years with setup, one sale and exit. Whether that line applies at the Texas Bullion Depository is not established.

STRATA charges the same storage price whatever your metal is worth. STRATA Trust precious metals IRA fees are flat at any balance.

Commingled storage is cheaper at both custodians' other vaults: $125 a year at GoldStar and $115 at STRATA (September 29, 2026). But both Texas vaults are segregated only, so plan on the segregated price.

U.S. Gold Bureau's IRA landing page says it will cover IRA setup fees, including first-year maintenance, for a limited time (read November 6, 2026). We found no end date or conditions. If the account sits on Equity Trust's metals-only schedule, setup and one year of maintenance come to $175 ($50 + $125). One percentage point of premium on $100,000 is $1,000. In plain English: the offer is worth less than a fifth of one point of coin markup, so compare the coin price first.

Equity Trust runs more than one fee schedule, and the $125 above comes from its metals-only one. Its direct Universal IRA schedule charges $750 a year at $100,000 to $249,999 (read September 29, 2026). Equity Trust precious metals IRA fees depend on which of its schedules you are on.

Cancellation fees: $50 vs $350 plus any price drop#

Cancel after the price is locked and U.S. Gold Bureau charges any price drop plus $50, while Texas Precious Metals charges any price drop plus $350. Both sets of terms were read on November 6, 2026. A price lock fixes your price when you order. The market loss is the drop in price between your order and the cancellation. An offset means the dealer sells the metal back at the day's price instead of tearing up the order.

U.S. Gold Bureau's terms say "any deficit between the sale price and the offset purchase price is your responsibility, plus a $50 cancellation fee." Texas Precious Metals' terms say that once a confirmation number is issued, "the price is locked in for you (firmly fixed)". The order "may not be cancelled, but only offset at our current ask price", "plus a $350.00 cancellation fee." In plain English: at both dealers, you pay the market loss plus a flat fee.

The table shows what cancelling costs after a 2% price drop.

Table: Cost to cancel a locked order after a 2% price drop, terms read November 6, 2026

Texas Precious Metals' terms keep any market gain for TPM. U.S. Gold Bureau's terms, as we read them, do not say what happens to a gain, so ask. TPM requires payment within 24 hours, and orders of $25,000 or more by "Bank Wire (must be pre-approved)" (policies read September 29, 2026). So lock a price only after the custodian confirms the wire is approved and ready.

A dealer's cancellation fee is separate from your right to revoke a new IRA. Our page on how to cancel a gold IRA separates the IRS 7-day right from a dealer's terms.

Storage: The State's Texas Bullion Depository vs the Private Vault in Shiner#

Texas Precious Metals stores IRA metal in its own vault in Shiner. U.S. Gold Bureau names no IRA vault, but its parent runs the State's Texas Bullion Depository in Leander. Ask U.S. Gold Bureau in writing which vault it would use. Why does the vault matter when you buy from a dealer? The vault decides which custodian you can use, what storage costs and what you can recover if metal goes missing.

The State of Texas owns the Texas Bullion Depository, and a private company runs it. Fees, insurance and the law behind the state vault are on our Texas Bullion Depository page.

The Shiner vault is a private business inside the dealer, so its rules come from its own contract rather than from state law.

Which custodians can use each Texas vault?#

As of September 29, 2026, the Texas Bullion Depository takes IRA metal only through Equity Trust. The Texas Precious Metals Depository is on the vault lists of GoldStar, STRATA and Digital Trust, and TPM's IRA page adds Horizon Trust. An approved storage facility is a vault the custodian has agreed to use. The depository's IRA route through Equity Trust began on June 12, 2025.

The table shows which IRA custodians reach which Texas vault. Horizon Trust appears only on TPM's list; its fees and vaults are in our Horizon Trust review.

Table: Which IRA custodians reach which Texas vault, checked September 29 and November 6, 2026

So the custodian you already have can decide the dealer. If your IRA is at Equity Trust, the state vault is your Texas option. If it is at GoldStar or STRATA, TPM's vault is. U.S. Gold Bureau names no custodian or vault, so ask it for both in writing.

TPM's IRA page says its vault "is currently an approved storage facility" with all four of its custodians.

Every custodian's vault list is compared on our hub of gold IRA custodians.

Who owns what: dealer, IRA trustee and vault operator#

U.S. Gold Bureau's parent, Lone Star Tangible Assets, runs the state depository and is on the IRS list of approved nonbank trustees. Texas Precious Metals runs the Shiner vault as one of its divisions. An operator is the private company paid to run a vault. A division is a part of the same company, not a separate firm.

LSTA holds the four roles listed below, as of November 6, 2026.

1. Owner of the dealer U.S. Gold Bureau, at the same street address, 203 Heritage Grove Road, Leander.
2. Private operator of the Texas Bullion Depository, chosen by the Comptroller on June 14, 2017.
3. Nonbank trustee on the IRS list, approved November 30, 2023 (list as of April 1, 2026).
4. Holder of the State's commemorative-coin contract (August 2024), which it passed to two mints, Scottsdale Mint and Valaurum, according to the State's own court complaint.

A nonbank trustee is a company that is not a bank but may act as an IRA trustee with IRS approval (Treas. Reg. 1.408-2(e)). LSTA is the only metals business on that list of 73 entities. What the IRS list covers is on IRS-approved gold IRA custodians.

The Texas Precious Metals Depository is a division of TPM, launched in 2018 by TPM's own account; its 2025 page calls the facility fully owned. It is listed on the COMEX gold report as "Texas Precious Metals, LLC", with 40,317 oz of gold on September 28, 2026. TPM's own court filing calls TPM "a subsidiary of Kaspar Companies".

Both are dealer-linked vaults. That is legal and common: other dealers own vaults too. A Reddit thread that ranks for this comparison calls U.S. Gold Bureau "affiliated with the Texas State Depository, so pretty legit". The tie is ownership by its parent, not a State endorsement. The depository itself says it "does not endorse any specific precious metals dealers".

Ask for prices in writing, and check that your custodian statement lists each coin by name and quantity. The dealer side is covered in our U.S. Gold Bureau review.

Insurance, audits and what you can recover#

Both vaults name Lloyd's of London insurance but publish no policy limit. Only the state vault limits by law what you can recover if metal goes missing. The table sets the two side by side.

Table: Insurance and audits at the two Texas vaults

Texas law caps claims against the state vault.

The Texas Precious Metals Depository is privately owned, so ordinary contract law applies to it. We have not read its storage agreement; its terms will be covered on our Texas Precious Metals Depository page. Neither FDIC nor SIPC insurance covers IRA metal at either vault.

Texas rounds and State coins: which can go in an IRA?#

A Texas round is a private-mint product, not a coin. It can go in an IRA only if it meets the bullion purity rule and your custodian accepts it. Legal tender means money a government issues with a face value. Fineness is purity: .999 means 99.9% pure.

TPM's own filing, as quoted by the court (ECF 50, note 1), says a "'round' is minted by a private manufacturer and has no legal tender status". It defines a coin as "official coinage by sovereign-governments with face value and legal tender status". How custodians treat rounds in an IRA is on our rounds page.

The four Texas-linked products below have different IRA status, as of November 6, 2026.

• Texas rounds (TPM): eligible only as bullion under 26 U.S.C. 408(m)(3)(B), at gold .995 or silver .999, held by the trustee, and only if your custodian accepts them.
• The State's Modern Redbacks: the depository says they "do not qualify for holding in an IRA".
• The State's 2026 Lone Star coins: the tax code allows "a coin issued under the laws of any State" (408(m)(3)(A)(iv)), but SafeOunce has not established whether Equity Trust accepts them. Ask in writing.
• US Gold Eagles: named in the tax code and accepted at both vaults.

U.S. Gold Bureau's buy-back page also lists Texas State coins from 2025 onward among the products it takes on consignment (November 6, 2026). The full list of IRA-approved precious metals is set by the tax code.

Buyback and Returns: What Each Dealer Puts in Writing#

U.S. Gold Bureau publishes its buyback methods and a consignment fee, while Texas Precious Metals asks you to call for a bid; neither promises a buyback price. Why does the written wording matter more than the sales call? Disputes are decided on the signed terms.

Buyback wording: "a market, not a guaranteed profit" vs "Call for Bid"#

U.S. Gold Bureau's terms describe its buyback as "a promise to provide a market for qualifying Products, not a guaranteed profit". Texas Precious Metals shows "Call for Bid" instead of a buyback price. A bid is the price a dealer pays you. Liquidation means selling your metal for cash.

The table quotes each dealer's own buyback wording. Other dealers' terms are set side by side in gold IRA buyback programs compared.

Table: Buyback wording at U.S. Gold Bureau and Texas Precious Metals

In plain English: both will buy back. Neither tells you in advance what it will pay for a Gold Eagle. Ask each for its bid on the day you buy, in writing, so you know the round trip: what you lose buying and selling back the same day.

In an IRA, the custodian sells for you, and the dealer pays the custodian, not you. Custodian sale fees apply, such as Equity Trust's $30 per sale and STRATA's $75 per trade (schedules read September 29, 2026).

The whole exit, from the sale to the tax bill, is covered in how to sell gold in your IRA.

U.S. Gold Bureau consignment: 18% or 9% after 60 months#

U.S. Gold Bureau's consignment program sells select coins for you at its retail asking price minus 18% for certified coins or 9% for raw proofs. You must have held the coins at least 60 months. Consignment means the dealer sells for you and keeps a fee. A certified coin is graded and sealed in a plastic holder. A raw proof is a proof coin that is not graded.

Its buy-back page (November 6, 2026) says consigned coins are "priced based on our current retail ask price, minus an 18% fee (Certified Coins) or 9% fee (Proof Raws)". Investment Grade coins need "a minimum of 60 months from the original purchase date". In plain English: you wait five years, then give up 9% or 18% of the dealer's own selling price.

Consignment is for collector-priced coins; bullion is sold only through immediate liquidation. Texas Precious Metals publishes no consignment program.

Why custodians and resale prices treat proof and graded coins in an IRA differently is on our proof coins page.

Returns, delivery and lost-package deadlines#

U.S. Gold Bureau gives you 5 calendar days after delivery to report a missing package, while Texas Precious Metals gives 30 days from shipment. An RMA is a return authorization number the dealer issues. A restocking fee is a charge for taking an item back.

The table compares six rules from each dealer's terms.

Table: Returns and delivery rules, U.S. Gold Bureau terms read November 6, 2026; Texas Precious Metals policies read September 29, 2026

IRA metal ships to the vault, not to you, so the vault's receipt and your custodian statement are your check. In plain English: if you buy metal outside the IRA, open the box the day it arrives. Our steps to check delivery of IRA metal start with the custodian statement.

Complaints, Lawsuits and Regulatory Records Compared#

As of November 6, 2026, U.S. Gold Bureau has 18 BBB complaints in three years and Texas Precious Metals has none. U.S. Gold Bureau's past lawsuits ended with no finding against it, and TPM's 2026 cases are a trademark fight with the State, not customer claims. Each dealer's full record will sit on its own page: U.S. Gold Bureau complaints and the Texas Precious Metals review.

BBB and Trustpilot: 18 complaints vs none in three years#

On November 6, 2026, the BBB showed 18 complaints in three years for U.S. Gold Bureau and none for Texas Precious Metals. Two of U.S. Gold Bureau's came in the last 12 months, and both dealers have an A+ grade. BBB accreditation is a paid membership. A closed complaint is one the BBB has finished handling, not one the customer won.

Table: BBB and Trustpilot records, BBB read November 6, 2026; Trustpilot read September 29, 2026

We read U.S. Gold Bureau's 20 latest one- and two-star Trustpilot reviews, posted June 2, 2025 to September 17, 2026. Reviewers report delivery delays in 7 (35%), empty, lost or loose packages in 5 (25%), and losses on premium or proof coins in 4 (20%). The other 4 cover single issues, such as a price lock and a cancellation. In plain English: bullion buyers complain about shipping, and the costly complaints come from people sold collector coins. That sales pattern is covered in numismatic coin upsells.

U.S. Gold Bureau replies to 83% of its negative Trustpilot reviews, "typically taking over one month" (September 29, 2026). Texas Precious Metals has 4 Trustpilot reviews and 2 BBB reviews, too few to show a pattern. These review posts are not verified, and none is a finding.

The BBB grade rests mostly on complaint handling, not reviews: 90 of its 100 points, by the BBB's own method.

U.S. Gold Bureau has far more online reviews (1,571 on Trustpilot vs 4, September 29, 2026), so raw complaint counts are not comparable. What these scores can and cannot tell you is covered in BBB, BCA and Trustpilot ratings.

U.S. Gold Bureau lawsuits: the Mugg fraud suit and the Regal review-site case#

Edward Mugg sued U.S. Gold Bureau, its parent and three individuals for fraud in 2018, and the case ended by agreement in 2019 with no finding against them. RICO is a federal racketeering law. A stipulation of dismissal is when both sides agree to end a case. A plaintiff is the side that sues.

Table: U.S. Gold Bureau court cases, from the court dockets

The Mugg suit named John W. Hutmacher, Matthew A. Ferris and J. Michael Buckley with their holding companies (W.D. Tex. No. 1:18-cv-00732-RP). On August 2, 2019, the court denied dismissal, finding that "Mugg adequately alleged the elements of fraud with enough particularity". In plain English: a judge let the case go forward, then it was dropped by agreement, so no court decided who was right.

In the Regal case (C.D. Cal. No. 2:14-cv-09679-DDP), U.S. Gold Bureau sued as the plaintiff. It alleged that Regal paid affiliates "up to $100 per 'qualified lead' and an additional 3%" of sales to post Regal-written reviews. U.S. Gold Bureau's complaint says some of those sites wrongly gave it a BBB "B" grade when it had an A+. That company's later history is on our Regal Assets page.

A different company with a similar name, North American Gold Bureau, LLC, appears in other court records. It is not U.S. Gold Bureau. Match the full legal name before you read any lawsuit.

The Texas trademark fight: Texas Precious Metals vs the State, with U.S. Gold Bureau's parent on the State's side#

Texas Precious Metals sued Texas officials in 2026 to stop the State's Texas-shaped commemorative coins, and the State sued to cancel its trademarks. U.S. Gold Bureau's parent asked to join on the State's side. A trademark is a protected brand mark. A TRO is a short emergency order. A preliminary injunction is a court order made before trial.

TPM holds registrations on a Texas-outline mark: U.S. Reg. No. 4,404,997 (Supplemental Register, September 2013) and Nos. 5,113,004 and 5,113,005 (January 2017). The State says 15 U.S.C. 1052(b) bars trademarks that consist of the "insignia ... of any State".

The timeline below shows each step, with its docket. An interlocutory appeal is an appeal made before a case ends. To intervene is to ask to join a case.

Table: The 2026 Texas trademark fight, from the court dockets, read November 6, 2026

This is a fight over who may put the shape of Texas on gold products. Neither case accuses TPM of cheating customers, and neither involves IRA accounts. It does show that U.S. Gold Bureau's parent and TPM compete head to head: LSTA holds the State's coin contract, and TPM sells its own Texas-themed rounds. The stake is real. In its May 26 ruling, the court noted the State's evidence of "the doubling of new precious metals storage accounts at TBD since the launch of the commemorative coins".

Kelly Hancock was Acting Comptroller when the cases were filed; Don Huffines became Comptroller on August 1, 2026.

Regulator actions: none found for either dealer#

We found no CFTC, SEC, FTC or state regulator action against U.S. Gold Bureau or Texas Precious Metals as of September 29, 2026. Every case we track is in our list of gold IRA enforcement actions.

We searched CFTC press releases, SEC litigation releases, and state attorney general and securities regulator sites. That sweep does not cover every state.

Disputes: private arbitration vs a Texas courtroom#

U.S. Gold Bureau sends disputes to private arbitration in Williamson County, Texas, or by video. Texas Precious Metals sends them to courts near Shiner, with no jury and no arbitration. A class waiver means you cannot join a group lawsuit. A liability cap is the most a company agrees to pay.

U.S. Gold Bureau's Client Agreement calls for "binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association in accordance with its Consumer Arbitration Rules". It adds that "you will not participate in any class action" and that "Any Dispute must be commenced within one (1) year after the occurrence of the events". Texas Precious Metals' terms send disputes to courts "located in or around Shiner, TX". Each party "waive[s] its right to trial by jury" and "any arbitration requirements".

In plain English, three differences matter, listed below.

• Deadline: 1 year at U.S. Gold Bureau; none stated at Texas Precious Metals.
• Forum: a private arbitrator, possibly by video, vs a public Texas court in person.
• Group claims: barred at U.S. Gold Bureau by the class waiver; not addressed in TPM's terms.

Both dealers cap their liability at "the greater of" the amount you paid in the transaction "or $100". Our table of gold IRA company contracts compared shows these clauses at other firms.

Marketing claims vs the record#

Both dealers make claims on their own pages that their terms, the BBB or their court filings do not support, from price transparency to order counts. The table puts five claims next to the record.

Table: Marketing claims vs the record, read September 29 and November 6, 2026

A dealer's own page is not proof, so ask for the document behind any claim.

U.S. Gold Bureau or Texas Precious Metals: Which Fits Your Situation?#

Neither dealer is better for everyone. The right one depends on where your IRA is held, whether you want prices before you call, and how you want disputes handled. Buying from a bullion dealer means you choose the custodian yourself, while other buyers prefer a firm that arranges it. The trade-off is covered in bullion dealer vs gold IRA company.

The table matches nine situations to the dealer that fits and the fact that decides it.

Table: Which dealer fits which situation, facts as of September 29 and November 6, 2026

SafeOunce rates companies on public records and a buyer-style written quote test. Neither dealer has been rated yet; both show "Rating pending", so we name no overall winner. The rules are in how SafeOunce rates gold IRA companies.

What Should You Ask U.S. Gold Bureau or Texas Precious Metals Before You Buy for an IRA?#

Ask both dealers for the same written quote on the same morning, before your custodian wires any money. The six requests are listed below in the order you should make them.

1. Ask for the wire price of 22 one-ounce Gold Eagles and the percent over spot.
2. Ask what each would pay you for the same coins that day.
3. Ask which custodian and which vault, by name.
4. Ask the custodian, in writing, for the yearly account and storage fee at that vault.
5. Ask for the cancellation fee, when the price lock starts and whether the wire must be pre-approved.
6. Ask for the full terms of sale by email.

All 12 questions are in how to choose a gold IRA company. The table below turns the six requests into a form.

Table: Print this and fill it in on the same morning

Under the Telemarketing Sales Rule, a telemarketer must disclose the total cost before you pay (16 CFR 310.3(a)(1)(i)). Section 310.6(b)(5) keeps precious metals investment sales under the rule even when you called first. In plain English: you are entitled to the full price before you pay.

Put both written quotes side by side in our gold IRA company comparison tool.

How are review sites paid to recommend gold dealers?#

Some review sites are paid per lead or per sale. A 2014 lawsuit by U.S. Gold Bureau itself described how that worked: up to $100 per lead plus 3% of sales. That was U.S. Gold Bureau's allegation against Regal Assets, and the case settled without a ruling, according to the court docket. How to spot that is covered in are gold IRA reviews paid.

SafeOunce takes no money from any company named on this page. No company can pay to change its rating or its place on SafeOunce. See who pays SafeOunce and what money cannot buy.

How do U.S. Gold Bureau and Texas Precious Metals compare with other bullion dealers?#

Other bullion dealers with IRA programs are compared head to head on their own pages. The pairs and the vault guide are listed below.

• JM Bullion vs SD Bullion
• APMEX vs JM Bullion
• APMEX vs Monex
• Dealer-owned vaults, including the Shiner vault

Is U.S. Gold Bureau a government agency?#

No: U.S. Gold Bureau is a private company, USGB, LLC, owned by Lone Star Tangible Assets. The State of Texas owns the depository its parent runs, not the dealer. The name sounds official, but the "Bureau" is a brand.

Is the Texas Bullion Depository the same as the Texas Precious Metals Depository?#

No: the Texas Bullion Depository is a state agency in Leander, and the Texas Precious Metals Depository is TPM's private vault in Shiner. They take IRA metal through different custodians and run under different law. Both appear among the gold IRA depositories we compare.

Can you move IRA metal from one Texas vault to the other later?#

Yes, but usually by changing custodian too, because no custodian on these lists uses both Texas vaults. A trustee-to-trustee transfer in kind moves the coins themselves and avoids the 60-day rule. Exit fees apply, such as Equity Trust's $125 per in-kind transfer out and $250 to close, GoldStar's $150 and STRATA's $250 to close (September 29, 2026). How an in-kind move works is in IRA to gold IRA transfer.

Can you keep IRA gold from either dealer at home?#

No: IRA bullion must be held by the trustee under 26 U.S.C. 408(m)(3)(B). Taking it home is a taxable distribution under McNulty v. Commissioner, 157 T.C. No. 10 (2021). The ruling is explained under home storage gold IRA.

Can you visit your IRA metal in Texas?#

Yes, by arrangement through your custodian. The Texas Bullion Depository charges $35 per half hour in its viewing room (September 29, 2026). The Texas Precious Metals Depository listed visits at $0 on its 2025 page. The rules elsewhere are in visit your gold IRA metals.