CUSTODY & STORAGE
Precious Metals Storage
Make sense of precious metals storage with Warren Keane, your precious metals consultant. Warren helps you compare professional custody with personal possession and work through the questions that matter for your account, access needs and ongoing costs.
A storage decision involves more than a vault location. Review who holds the bullion, how ownership is recorded, what insurance applies and how you can later sell or request a withdrawal. Confirm the actual custodian, facility and written terms before buying or moving metals.
Is this the right option for you?
Clients considering vaulted bullion through an international wholesale account or an eligible Canadian registered account. These are distinct arrangements: a provider’s pooled account is different from individually segregated storage, and registered-plan rules can restrict personal possession.
Storage may be relevant when you want to compare professional custody with personal possession, or when an account requires an approved custody arrangement. Make access, record keeping and future exit procedures part of the discussion alongside location and cost.
01 Compare
Ask what pooled and segregated storage mean in the proposed program. Compare how holdings are recorded and what the agreement says about the bullion to which you have a claim.
02 Document
Identify the custodian and the agreed vault location. Request clear ownership records, statements and the applicable insurance wording rather than relying only on a summary description.
03 Plan
Review ongoing storage charges and the steps for a future sale or withdrawal. Confirm notice periods, available products and the costs associated with taking delivery.
What to compare in a bullion storage agreement
A vault location is only one part of a gold and silver storage decision. Ask which legal entity is responsible for custody, what records you receive and how the provider describes pooled or individually segregated holdings. Compare the answers with the terms in your own account documentation.
Plan the exit as carefully as the purchase. A future sale, a transfer to another arrangement and a request for physical delivery can involve different instructions and costs. Ask Warren to help you prepare a checklist covering access, required paperwork, insurance terms and the charges that apply to your chosen route.
How it works
- Discuss your holdings, intended access and storage priorities with Warren.
- Compare the available custody arrangements and identify the legal entities responsible for the bullion.
- Work through vault location, pooled or segregated holdings, ownership records and insurance terms.
- Review the provider’s storage, sale and withdrawal charges before approving an arrangement.
- Retain confirmations and statements, and ask how to reconcile your holdings and raise a discrepancy.
Costs and minimums
Ask Warren to help you compare the complete cost of the storage arrangement you are considering. Charges may be based on bullion value or include a minimum periodic fee. Confirm the rate, billing currency, taxes and any handling, transfer, fabrication or delivery charges.
Purchase minimums and storage minimums are separate questions and depend on the chosen account and products. Request an example based on your proposed holding value and storage period, including the cost of a future sale or physical withdrawal. Confirm when rates can change and how you will be notified.
Before you proceed
Vaulting does not eliminate price, custody, operational or jurisdiction risk. Insurance has conditions and exclusions. A review of aggregate holdings is not proof of title to a particular bar or a guarantee against loss. International storage does not exempt clients from applicable tax reporting or lawful disclosure. Access and withdrawals depend on provider procedures, product availability, destination and account restrictions.
YOUR QUESTIONS, ANSWERED
Frequently asked questions
Where will my gold and silver be stored?
Warren can help you understand the storage arrangements available for the account you are considering. Have the chosen provider identify the named facility, custodian and jurisdiction in writing. Availability depends on the program and product; a general description is not a vault reservation. Ask whether a later location change requires your consent.
What is pooled versus segregated storage?
These terms describe different ways holdings may be recorded and held. Ask Warren to help you compare the proposed arrangement, then have the custodian confirm whether your holding is part of a pool or identified separately, and whether particular bars are allocated to you. The account agreement governs; separation from a provider’s own inventory does not automatically mean individually identified bars.
Who legally owns the metals?
Ownership and custody rights are governed by the signed account agreement. Ask who has legal title, who is the custodian, whether holdings are allocated, and what happens on a provider’s insolvency. Retain confirmations and statements and request clarification of any difference between your account record and the vault’s record.
What insurance applies and what are its limits?
Warren can help you identify the insurance questions to put to the provider. Request the current certificate and relevant policy terms, including the insured party, covered events, valuation basis, limits, deductibles, exclusions, transit coverage and claims process. Do not assume coverage is unlimited or that a named insurer or vault operator covers every account and event.
Can I inspect or withdraw my bullion?
Ask the provider about inspection arrangements, identification, notice periods and any charges; unrestricted vault visits are not promised. Delivery requires confirmation of the product and destination and a written cost estimate. Registered-plan withdrawals may be restricted and may create tax consequences.
How do I sell stored metals?
Request a current sale quote through the account’s approved process. Confirm the resale spread, handling fees, settlement time and how cash can be withdrawn. An online account view does not mean purchases, sales or physical access are available around the clock.
Which documents should I keep for stored bullion?
Keep the signed account and custody agreements, purchase confirmations, fee schedule, statements and any insurance summary or wording supplied for your arrangement. Ask how to reconcile a statement with your purchase records and how to raise a discrepancy. Documentation should identify the parties and terms that apply to your holding.
Let’s talk through your options
Discuss your priorities, ask questions and request current written terms before deciding.
