This review reflects current company information, public records, and independent consumer feedback as of January 2026.
Welcome to my ‘Is Strata Trust Company A Scam?’ article.
Nowadays, many investors are allocating a large share of their assets to various ventures. Moreover, diversification of portfolios is becoming quite the thing. Hence, investment opportunities such as self-directed IRAs are always a welcome sight.
That is why many investors are opening their accounts, utilizing several assets. But, the challenge here is to find the most suitable firm for your needs. Additionally, their pros should heavily outweigh the cons.
Furthermore, doing a background check is always an essential thing to do. For that, this Strata Trust Company review will provide you with important data. By using these, you can ascertain if this company if for you.
Strata Trust Company Review Quick Summary
- Name: Strata Trust Company
- Website: https://www.stratatrust.com/
- President: Kelli Celik
- Account minimum: $50,000
- Fees: Depends on account
- Promotion: Free silver
- Rating: 3/5
How I Reviewed Strata Trust Company
Before publishing this Strata Trust Company review, I personally reviewed the company’s public history, custodial role, fee structure, regulatory positioning, and real customer feedback across multiple platforms. I also compared Strata Trust’s services side by side with other self-directed IRA custodians I’ve researched over the years.
I focus heavily on how these firms operate in practice, not just what they claim on their websites. That includes how clear they are about fees, how accessible their support appears to be, and how well they communicate risk to investors. My goal with this review is simple: help you decide whether Strata Trust Company is a good fit for your investing style, not whether they are good at marketing.
What is Strata Trust Company?
For its history, Strata Trust Company was founded way back 2008. Formerly, it was known as the Self Directed IRA Services Inc. Under the wings of the bigger company, Horizon Bank, this firm started doing business right away.
Some time later, they re-branded into their current name, Strata Trust Company. By 2010, they positioned themselves securely in the industry by allowing institutional services. As such, they allow investors to invest in self-directed IRAs.
With self-directed IRAs, you are able to invest in properties ranging from precious metals such as gold and silver to stocks and assets. In addition, you are able to monitor movement of other assets on the market. For example, ETFs and mutual funds.
Currently, Strata Trust (re-branded again in 2017) has well over $3 billion in assets. Also, it is good that this custodian has a lot of connections to reputable bullion dealers. As such, business transaction are smoother than other firms.
Next, this company boasts to having ingenious solutions to your IRA problems. For instance, they have many offerings for you in terms of gold IRA. Plus, they employ the usage of the latest technologies to protect your assets.
Nevertheless, this article will unravel everything there is to know about Strata Trust. Put side by side, how does it compare to the giants of the IRA industry.
Moving on, to skip to my recommended firm, do click here. This will direct you to my review about Augusta Precious Metals, the best gold IRA firm out there.
Offered Services
By 2026, Strata Trust empowers their 40,000 investors with knowledge and service pertaining IRAs. Just by this statistic, you can tell that this company is confident about its work ethic and processes.
Are you itching to know what services there are the mostly suits your needs? Well, please take a look at all the offerings Strata Trust have in store for you.
- Precious Metals IRA – First off, this is among the top IRA accounts that investors wants a piece of. From gold and silver to the more abundant platinum and palladium, you have the power to choose. Admirably, you can buy and sell metals while not incurring taxes! Do remember, however, that there are certain regulations about this set by the IRS. Lastly, metal storage at home is not allowed!
- Real Estates – For retirees, this might be the best one for you. Essentially, you buy and acquire ownership of several physical assets. To cite, you can invest in a lot, commercial building, large facilities, and public property. Consequently, this requires knowledge and extensive experience about property management.
- Private Equity – Quite frankly, there are a lot of problems regarding buying and trading stocks. For that reason, private equities exists. This allows one to use the assets of his self-directed IRAs for assets that are not on the stock exchange. Similarly, it operates like the real estate one by which supplemental knowledge is imperative.
- Others – Commendably, Strata Trust offers their investors a lot of options for their individual retirement accounts. To illustrate, one can invest in private debts, structured elements like government bonds, and crowdfunding.
Who Strata Trust Company Is Best Suited For
Based on my research, Strata Trust Company is best suited for experienced investors who already understand self-directed IRAs and are comfortable making their own investment decisions.
This is not a company that holds your hand through every step. If you already know how alternative assets work, such as real estate, private equity, or precious metals inside an IRA, Strata Trust provides the custodial structure to execute those strategies.
However, if you are new to self-directed IRAs or want guided support throughout the entire process, this may not be the easiest platform to start with. In my experience, beginners tend to struggle more with firms that assume prior knowledge and place responsibility squarely on the investor.
Prices and Fees
For the IRA-related fees, please take a look at the following image from Strata Trust Company’s website.
Important Notes About Custodial Fees and Responsibilities
One thing many investors misunderstand about self-directed IRA custodians is the role they actually play. Strata Trust Company acts strictly as a custodian, not an investment advisor. That means they process transactions and hold assets, but they do not evaluate whether an investment is good or bad.
Fees can add up depending on how active your account is, especially if you are making frequent transactions or holding complex assets. This is not unique to Strata Trust, but it is something investors often overlook when comparing custodians.
From what I’ve seen, investors who plan carefully and keep their account activity organized tend to have a smoother experience. Those who enter without a clear strategy often feel frustrated by costs and administrative complexity.
How Does It Work?
Being an IRA custodian, Strata Trust Company provides services centered around investment opportunities. Therefore, you must first examine yourself if you have the potential and necessary knowledge needed before starting.
Most importantly, you have to make an effort on understanding the IRA account you chose. For this reason, Strata Trust allows you to gain knowledge using their numerous blogs, articles, and videos.
After everything, if you are sure about your decision, you need to follow these to start investing:
- Choose and open your account – To start, you have the choices from precious metals, basic, and flex IRAs. If you are unsure about what to pick, I suggest reading this article of mine.
- Fund your IRA – Coming up next, you need to transfer funds into your account to accommodate your assets. As such, you can either do a direct deposit, a rollover, or annual contributions.
- Monitor your account – After which, you can now monitor the performance of your account. On top of this, you can now engage in various business transactions such as purchasing metals, acquiring properties, etc.
A quick note, if you are inclined with having a precious metals IRA, you can store them at partner depositories. Strata Trust Company strongly suggests choosing Brinks Global Services or Delaware Depository for this service.
What You Should Understand Before Opening an Account
Self-directed IRAs come with more freedom, but they also come with more responsibility. With Strata Trust Company, you are responsible for choosing investments, understanding IRS rules, and ensuring compliance.
I always advise investors to take time reviewing prohibited transactions, storage rules for precious metals, and reporting requirements before funding an account. Mistakes in a self-directed IRA can result in penalties that outweigh any potential gains.
Strata Trust provides educational materials, but ultimately, the burden of due diligence rests on you. Knowing that ahead of time can prevent costly surprises later.
Customer Ratings and Reviews
Now, here is something that Strata Trust Company must improve. Right off the bat, one may be dismayed by the lack of reliable and excellent reviews. In my book, that is certainly a big red flag.
Nevertheless, I was still baffled that on a reliable organization, they received a dreary rating while having an entirely different setting on another. These mixed reviews may confuse customers and will lead them to find another alternative due to the firm’s inconsistency.
- Better Business Bureau – 2.3 out of 5 rating, not accredited
- TrustPilot – 4.5 out of 5 rating based on 898 reviews
- Google Reviews – 4.3 out of 5 based on 92 reviews
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Services are varied and commendable
- Self-directed IRAs’ information are unbiased and simple
- In the industry for quite a time
- Secure depositories
- Transparency is one of their best suits
Cons
- Mixed reviews
- Inconsistent online presence
- No reason cited for re-branding
- Poor customer service
- High account minimum start-up
Why This Review Is Independent
I don’t rank companies based on promotions, bonuses, or incentives. This review is based on publicly available data, platform comparisons, and my experience analyzing IRA custodians and precious metals firms.
When a company has strengths, I highlight them. When there are concerns or limitations, I point those out clearly. My goal is to help readers make informed decisions, not to push them toward a specific outcome.
Is Investing Here Worth It?
To conclude, this ‘Is Strata Trust Company A Scam?’ article gives valuable input regarding this firm. Overall, this company is not a scam and offers self-directed IRA services.
First off, they have varied IRA services available. Furthermore, you have the option to invest in several assets such as precious metals and bonds. As such, this becomes a way to diversify your portfolio.
Additionally, they have quite the arsenal in terms of educational materials. Fortunately, they also have partnerships with reputable depositories such as Delaware Depository.
However, there are still some red flags about this company. For its major concern, its online presence has inconsistent reviews. Plus, they are rumored to have poor customer service.
Bottom-line, this company is a legit IRA custodian. But, there are other better alternatives. As an example, Augusta Precious Metals has maintained their spot as the top gold IRA firm in the industry.
As usual, I thank you for reading this ‘Is Strata Trust Company A Scam?‘ article. For any comments and suggestions, do leave them in the appropriate section below.
