Crypto & retirement
iTrustCapital Crypto IRA Review: Fees, Pros & Cons
iTrustCapital is a well-known crypto IRA provider, letting you hold cryptocurrency and physical gold or silver inside a tax-advantaged IRA. Its draw is a no-monthly-fee, per-trade pricing model and Roth tax-free growth. Here's an honest review β how it works, the fees, the pros and cons, and who it suits.
iTrustCapital is a platform for holding cryptocurrency and physical precious metals inside an IRA — a self-directed retirement account with the usual tax advantages. It’s a popular pick for people who want crypto exposure in a Roth or Traditional IRA without a monthly account fee. Here’s what it does well, where it falls short, and whether it fits your plan. (Terms change; always confirm the current details on iTrustCapital’s own site before opening an account.)
| Feature | Details (confirm current terms before opening) |
|---|---|
| Type | Self-directed IRA for crypto and physical gold/silver β Roth, Traditional, or SEP |
| Crypto trading fee | Flat 1% per buy or sell order |
| Precious metals | Gold: $75β$125 over spot/oz Β· Silver: $2.50β$3.95 over spot/oz |
| Account fees | No monthly, setup, or storage fees ($75 fee for certain asset conversions) |
| Minimums | $1,000 initial deposit; $500 for subsequent transactions |
| Assets | 90+ cryptocurrencies plus physical gold and silver |
| Custody | Off balance sheet with regulated custodians (e.g. Fortis Bank); cold storage + MPC via Coinbase Custody and Fireblocks |
How iTrustCapital works
You open a crypto IRA (Roth, Traditional, or SEP), fund it with a contribution or a rollover from an existing IRA or old 401(k), and then buy crypto or metals inside the account. Because it’s an IRA, all the normal rules apply: contribution limits, Roth vs Traditional taxation, and a qualified custodian holding the assets. Trades settle 24/7, and any gains stay inside the tax wrapper — in a Roth, that growth can come out tax-free in retirement.
Fees: the thing that matters most
iTrustCapital charges no monthly, setup, or storage fees. Instead you pay a flat 1% transaction fee on every crypto buy or sell. Precious metals are priced at a markup over spot — roughly $75–$125 over spot per ounce for gold and $2.50–$3.95 over spot for silver — and a $75 conversion fee applies to certain asset conversions. Minimums are a $1,000 initial deposit and $500 for later transactions. The no-recurring-fee model is genuinely competitive: 1% per trade is cheap if you buy and hold, and only bites if you trade often. Pricing can change, so confirm the current numbers before you open an account — over a long horizon, fees matter as much as timing.
The pros
- Low, transparent cost: a flat 1% trade fee and zero recurring account fees — affordable even for fairly active trading.
- Wide asset menu: 90+ cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP, and more) alongside physical gold and silver.
- Institutional-grade custody: assets are held off balance sheet by regulated custodians (such as Fortis Bank), using cold storage and multi-party computation (MPC) through partners like Coinbase Custody and Fireblocks.
- Roth option = tax-free growth on a high-upside asset.
- Convenient: 24/7 trading, in-kind transfers, and easy rollovers from an existing 401(k) or IRA.
The cons
- Crypto and metals only: no stocks, bonds, or mutual funds — it can’t be your whole retirement account.
- No advice: fully self-directed, with no personalized guidance or robo-advisor — every decision is yours.
- Insurance limits aren’t public: coverage details aren’t disclosed, so you may need your own policy for extra protection.
- Custodial — not your keys: a custodian holds the crypto; you can’t self-custody inside the IRA.
- Volatility is unchanged: the IRA wrapper doesn’t reduce risk — crypto can still fall sharply, which is a lot to ask of retirement money.
Who iTrustCapital is (and isn't) for
It fits a long-term, buy-and-hold investor who wants a small slice of crypto or metals inside a tax-advantaged IRA — ideally a Roth — and dislikes monthly fees. It’s a poor fit for active traders (the per-trade fee bites) and for anyone who’d put a large share of their nest egg into crypto. As with any crypto IRA, keep it to a small, deliberate allocation and let low-cost index funds carry the core of your retirement.
How it compares
iTrustCapital is one option among several custodial crypto IRAs. Before deciding, compare the all-in fees and supported assets against alternatives, and consider whether a simpler Bitcoin ETF in a regular Roth IRA would give you the exposure you want with fewer moving parts. Our guides on the crypto Roth IRA and crypto IRA rules cover the mechanics that apply here.
The verdict
iTrustCapital does one thing well: it lets buy-and-hold investors put crypto and metals in a tax-advantaged IRA without a monthly fee, with a Roth option for tax-free growth. Just go in clear-eyed — confirm the current transaction fee and minimum, keep your allocation small, and remember the wrapper changes the taxes, not the risk. Used that way, it can be a reasonable tool for a small crypto slice of a retirement plan.
If you want to look at it directly, you can visit iTrustCapital — this is an affiliate link, and Retirement Eagle may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It doesn’t change our take: compare fees and keep crypto a small part of the plan. And weigh any big move with a fee-only fiduciary.
Educational information only, not financial, tax, investment, or legal advice, and not an endorsement. Details and fees change — verify current terms on iTrustCapital’s site. Cryptocurrency is volatile and can lose value; never invest more than you can afford to lose.
Comments
No comments yet β be the first to share your thoughts.
Sign in or create an account to comment.