The dealer sells you the metal
The dealer is the company running the ads. It helps you pick products, sets the price, arranges delivery to the depository, and usually offers to buy the metal back later. Get a written purchase agreement that names the exact product and the company you're buying from.
The custodian runs the account
A self-directed IRA custodian handles the tax paperwork, the reporting, and the rules about what the account can hold. Ask about its fees, how you send instructions, and how you'd move or close the account. Dealers usually recommend a custodian. That's a starting point, not a decision.
The depository holds the bars
The storage agreement should say where the metal sits, whether your bars are segregated or pooled with everyone else's, how it's insured, and how you get it out. Ask what paperwork proves the specific holdings are yours.
Know the chain before you fund
Before any money moves, write down all three companies and ask each one what happens if a shipment goes missing, the account has an error, or you want to sell. Keep the account agreement, the purchase confirmation, and the storage receipts in one folder.
Now put it to use
Take these questions to the comparison and see which company answers them best.
Compare Gold Companies