If you searched for “Pacific Premier Trust gold IRA,” here is the short answer: Pacific Premier Trust no longer accepts new accounts under that name. The company now operates as Columbia Private Trust, a division of Columbia Bank, following Pacific Premier Bank’s merger with Columbia Banking System. This review covers what changed, what stayed the same, and whether this custodian belongs on your shortlist.
GOLDIEW EDITORIAL RATING · MAY 2026
Columbia Private Trust (formerly Pacific Premier Trust)
| Regulatory Standing | ★★★★☆ 4 / 5 |
| Fee Transparency | ★★☆☆☆ 2 / 5 |
| SDIRA Experience & Scale | ★★★★☆ 4 / 5 |
| Precious Metals IRA Focus | ★★★☆☆ 3 / 5 |
Editorial assessment based on public information as of 2026. Goldiew has no affiliate relationship with Columbia Private Trust and earns no commission from referrals to this custodian.
Pacific Premier Trust no longer accepts new accounts under that name. After Pacific Premier Bancorp’s merger with Columbia Banking System (Nasdaq: COLB), the self-directed IRA division relaunched as Columbia Private Trust, a division of Columbia Bank. The custodian holds about $17 billion in SDIRA assets and acts as custodian only, with no investment advice. SDIRA holdings are not FDIC insured, which is standard across the industry.
What Happened to Pacific Premier Trust?
Pacific Premier Trust changed names three times in under a decade, which explains the confusion for investors trying to research it today.
The entity started as New Direction Trust Company, an independent self-directed IRA custodian. In 2019, Pacific Premier Bank N.A. acquired the firm and rebranded it as Pacific Premier Trust. That name lasted until Pacific Premier Bancorp merged with Columbia Banking System, Inc. (Nasdaq: COLB). The custodian division moved under Columbia Bank and relaunched as Columbia Private Trust.
The domain pacificpremiertrust.com now redirects to columbiaprivatetrust.com. Existing client accounts were not closed or transferred to a different institution. The same operational infrastructure continued under the new name.
For new investors: when you research “Pacific Premier Trust gold IRA,” you are researching Columbia Private Trust. That is the current legal entity to evaluate.
Company Overview
Columbia Private Trust operates as an independent custodial division of Columbia Bank. Columbia Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of Columbia Banking System, Inc., a publicly traded regional bank holding company. The firm custodies $17 billion in assets across self-directed IRA accounts, placing it among the larger SDIRA custodians in the US by assets under custody.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Current name | Columbia Private Trust, a Division of Columbia Bank |
| Previous names | New Direction Trust Company (pre-2019); Pacific Premier Trust (2019-2024) |
| Parent entity | Columbia Bank / Columbia Banking System, Inc. (Nasdaq: COLB) |
| Assets under custody | $17 billion (company-stated, 2026) |
| Headquarters | California (Irvine area) |
| Leadership | Tamara Wendoll, EVP Managing Director; William G. Eustis, EVP Head of Sales |
| Phone (new accounts) | (855) 453-4960 |
| Investment advice offered? | No. Custodian only. |
One structural point that matters for investors: as a division of a state-chartered bank, Columbia Private Trust operates under bank regulatory oversight that independent (non-bank) trust companies face less of. Columbia Bank carries state and federal regulatory requirements, including capital adequacy rules. That is what the company means when it describes itself as “one of the most well-capitalized organizations in the self-directed IRA industry.”
One important clarification though: SDIRA assets are not FDIC insured. The bank’s FDIC deposit insurance does not extend to investment assets held inside a self-directed IRA. Columbia Private Trust states this explicitly on its website. This is standard across all SDIRA custodians. Custody means the assets are segregated from bank liabilities, which is a legal protection, but it is not the same as deposit insurance.
Precious Metals IRA Services
Understanding what a custodian actually does, versus what a gold IRA dealer does, is the most important distinction in this space. Many investors confuse the two.
The custodian’s job: open and administer your IRA account, hold legal title to your assets, file IRS reporting (Form 5498, Form 1099-R), facilitate purchases and sales at your direction, and coordinate asset transfers between institutions. Columbia Private Trust does none of the following: it does not select investments, does not sell gold or silver, and does not advise on what to buy or when to buy it.
The dealer’s job: help you choose specific gold or silver products, execute the purchase transaction, and coordinate shipment to an IRS-approved depository. Gold IRA companies like Augusta Precious Metals, Birch Gold Group, and Noble Gold Investments fill the dealer role. They connect with a custodian on your behalf and handle the paperwork.
For a self-directed precious metals IRA, the IRS sets purity standards under Internal Revenue Code Section 408(m). Here is what qualifies:
| Metal | IRS Minimum Purity | Approved Coins / Bars (examples) |
|---|---|---|
| Gold | .9950 (99.5%) | American Gold Buffalo, Canadian Gold Maple Leaf, Australian Gold Kangaroo, PAMP Suisse bars. Exception: American Gold Eagle (91.67% gold) is IRS-approved by statute. |
| Silver | .999 (99.9%) | American Silver Eagle, Canadian Silver Maple Leaf, Austrian Silver Philharmonic |
| Platinum | .9995 (99.95%) | American Platinum Eagle, Canadian Platinum Maple Leaf |
| Palladium | .9995 (99.95%) | Canadian Palladium Maple Leaf, certain approved bars |
Physical possession of IRA metals by the account holder is a prohibited transaction under IRC Section 4975. Taking delivery of metals into your home is treated as a distribution, triggering taxes and potentially a 10% early-withdrawal penalty if you are under 59½. The metals must sit in an IRS-approved depository. Columbia Private Trust coordinates with approved depositories; you select the depository from their approved list, and the depository bills storage fees separately from the custodian’s administrative fees.
Columbia Private Trust supports precious metals alongside other alternative assets: real estate, private equity, private lending, mineral rights, and more. That breadth is a feature for investors who want a single SDIRA to hold multiple alternative asset types. It is also why this firm is not a precious-metals specialist in the way some smaller, niche custodians are.
Fee Schedule
Fee transparency is where Columbia Private Trust earns its lowest mark in this review. The company does not publish a fee schedule on its website. Getting a quote requires a phone call or contact form submission.
Based on documentation that circulated when the company operated as Pacific Premier Trust, the fee structure ran approximately as follows. These figures are not confirmed for the current Columbia Private Trust entity and fees may have changed following the rebrand. Verify current pricing directly with the company before opening an account.
| Fee Type | Prior Pacific Premier Trust (Approximate) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Account opening fee | ~$50 | One-time, paid at setup |
| Annual administration | ~$199/year | Billed annually; higher tiers for larger account values |
| Transaction fee (buy / sell) | ~$35-$50 per transaction | Per investment direction submitted |
| Outgoing wire fee | ~$30 | Per wire transfer out |
| Metals storage | Not charged by custodian | Paid separately to the depository (typically 0.5%-1% of metals value annually) |
| Account closure fee | ~$150 | To close the account and distribute assets |
Verify current fees: Call Columbia Private Trust at (855) 453-4960 before opening an account. The figures above reflect historical Pacific Premier Trust documentation and may not reflect the current fee schedule. Fee transparency is a legitimate concern with this custodian, and asking for a written fee schedule upfront is reasonable.
For context on what these costs add up to: on a $100,000 gold IRA with two purchase transactions per year and depository storage at 0.5% of metals value, the annual custody and storage cost would run roughly $450-$600. That does not include the dealer’s markup on the gold itself (typically 3%-8% above spot price for standard coins).
Consult a licensed financial advisor to evaluate whether those ongoing costs align with your retirement account goals before committing.
Customer Service Model
Columbia Private Trust runs three phone lines: (866) 818-4472 for general inquiries, (855) 453-4960 for new accounts, and (800) 962-4238 for existing client services. The company also offers a client login portal and launched a mobile app for account management.
The institutional focus of the business is worth noting. Columbia Private Trust actively markets to broker-dealers, registered investment advisors, family offices, asset sponsors, and professional service providers. Products like the Premier API (a REST API for self-directed IRA integration) and private fund custody services reflect a business built for professional intermediaries, not retail investors calling with basic questions.
Individual investors can open accounts directly. But if you expect the hand-holding that some smaller, gold-IRA-focused custodians or the gold IRA dealers themselves provide, this may not feel like that kind of firm. The company’s stated position: it does not provide investment advice, does not sell investments, and does not offer tax or legal guidance. That is correct custodian behavior under IRS rules. Any custodian that blurs that line raises a compliance concern.
Customer reviews specific to the Columbia Private Trust rebrand are limited because the brand is relatively new. Reviews under the Pacific Premier Trust name, which circulated on custodian comparison sites through 2024, were generally positive on the technology platform and mixed on response times for complex transaction requests.
Pros and Cons
Strengths
- Bank-affiliated: additional regulatory oversight vs. non-bank trust companies
- $17 billion AUM: operational scale and financial stability
- Long operating history across three brand names since the New Direction Trust days
- Technology platform: Premier API, mobile app, client portal
- Multi-asset SDIRA: holds precious metals alongside real estate, private equity, and other alternatives in one account
- Clear custodian role: no investment advice = no conflict of interest on your transactions
Weaknesses
- No public fee schedule: requires a phone call, making comparison-shopping harder
- Recent rebrand: limited reviews specific to Columbia Private Trust; some uncertainty during the transition
- Not a precious metals specialist: general SDIRA platform rather than a gold-focused custodian
- SDIRA assets are not FDIC-insured (standard across all SDIRA custodians, but the bank affiliation can mislead investors into assuming otherwise)
- Institutional-first design: retail investor experience may feel secondary to the professional-intermediary focus
Which Gold IRA Dealers Work With This Custodian?
Gold IRA companies typically maintain relationships with one or more SDIRA custodians. Some assign all clients to a single preferred custodian; others offer a choice. Columbia Private Trust (formerly Pacific Premier Trust) is a large SDIRA platform with historical ties to dealers across the industry.
Goldiew cannot confirm from publicly available information which specific gold IRA companies currently route clients through Columbia Private Trust. Custodian relationships are not always disclosed on company websites and can change after acquisitions or rebrands. Ask any gold IRA company you evaluate this direct question: “Which custodian will hold my account, and can I use a different one if I choose?”
If you encounter an unfamiliar custodian name during the process, verify it independently. Cross-check against FDIC’s BankFind database, your state’s banking regulator, or IRS guidance on eligible IRA custodians before transferring retirement funds.
LOOKING FOR A GOLD IRA COMPANY, NOT JUST A CUSTODIAN?
Custodians hold the assets. Gold IRA companies handle dealer services: product selection, pricing, onboarding support, and ongoing client service. Augusta Precious Metals, rated Best Overall Gold IRA Company by Money Magazine for 2022-2026, works with a qualified IRS-approved custodian and guides clients through every step of the process. Read our full Augusta Precious Metals review for specifics on fees, minimums, and what their process looks like in practice.
Alternatives to Columbia Private Trust
If you are comparing SDIRA custodians directly, here is where Columbia Private Trust sits relative to the main alternatives investors research. Most individual investors, however, do not select a custodian directly: the gold IRA company they choose handles that selection on their behalf.
| Custodian | Type | Precious Metals IRA | Public Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Private Trust (formerly Pacific Premier Trust) | Bank-affiliated | Yes | No (call required) |
| Equity Trust Company | Non-bank trust company | Yes | Partial (schedule online) |
| STRATA Trust Company | Non-bank trust company | Yes | Partial |
| Midland IRA | Non-bank trust company | Yes | Partial |
| Kingdom Trust | Non-bank trust company | Yes | Partial |
The “bank-affiliated vs. non-bank” distinction matters mostly for capitalization and regulatory oversight. Bank-affiliated custodians sit inside a regulated banking institution subject to bank examinations and capital requirements. Non-bank trust companies are state-chartered entities with their own regulatory requirements but generally less stringent capitalization rules. Both types are eligible IRA custodians under IRS regulations. Neither type’s SDIRA assets are FDIC-insured.
For most investors pursuing a gold IRA, the practical path is to choose a reputable gold IRA dealer first. That company selects the custodian, coordinates paperwork, and handles the moving parts. You are not required to evaluate custodians independently unless you have a strong preference for a specific one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Pacific Premier Trust still in business?
Yes, but not under that name. Pacific Premier Trust rebranded as Columbia Private Trust after Pacific Premier Bank merged with Columbia Banking System. The domain pacificpremiertrust.com redirects to columbiaprivatetrust.com. Existing client accounts were not closed or moved; the same business continues under the new brand.
Are my assets at Columbia Private Trust FDIC insured?
No. Columbia Private Trust states explicitly that alternative investments held in self-directed IRAs are not FDIC insured and are not obligations of Columbia Bank. FDIC insurance covers deposits at the bank itself, not custodied investment assets. Custodied assets are held separately from bank assets (segregated custody), which is a legal protection, but it is not deposit insurance. This limitation applies to all SDIRA custodians regardless of bank affiliation.
What precious metals can I hold in a self-directed IRA?
The IRS allows gold (.9950 fineness minimum), silver (.999), platinum (.9995), and palladium (.9995) under Internal Revenue Code Section 408(m). The American Gold Eagle coin is an IRS-approved exception at 91.67% gold content. Collectible coins, numismatic pieces, and most jewelry do not qualify. Your dealer and custodian can confirm eligibility for any specific product before purchase.
Can I store IRA gold at home?
No. Taking personal possession of IRA-owned metals is a prohibited transaction under IRC Section 4975 and triggers immediate tax consequences as a distribution. The IRS requires IRA metals to be held at an approved depository. Home storage IRA schemes that claim otherwise have faced enforcement action from the IRS. Consult a licensed tax advisor before making any distribution decision.
What is the minimum to open an account with Columbia Private Trust?
Columbia Private Trust does not publish an account minimum online. The practical minimum is also shaped by the gold IRA dealer you work with. Most dealers require $10,000 to $50,000 in existing retirement savings before setting up a precious metals IRA. Call (855) 453-4960 for Columbia Private Trust’s current account requirements.
Can I choose my own custodian when opening a gold IRA?
The IRS does not require you to use any specific custodian, but most gold IRA dealers work with one or a small set of preferred custodians and assign you to one of those. Some dealers allow you to bring your own custodian; many do not. If you want Columbia Private Trust (or any specific custodian), confirm with the gold IRA company before signing anything.
What happened to New Direction Trust Company?
New Direction Trust Company was an independent SDIRA custodian that Pacific Premier Bank N.A. acquired in 2019. It was rebranded Pacific Premier Trust after the acquisition. When Pacific Premier Bancorp merged with Columbia Banking System, the custodian rebranded again as Columbia Private Trust. All three names refer to the same operational entity, now a division of Columbia Bank.
Sources
- Columbia Private Trust official website: columbiaprivatetrust.com (accessed May 2026)
- Columbia Private Trust About page: leadership, AUM, and regulatory structure (accessed May 2026)
- Internal Revenue Code Section 408(m): Precious metals eligibility for self-directed IRAs
- Internal Revenue Code Section 4975: Prohibited transaction rules for IRAs
- SEC Investor Bulletin: Self-Directed IRAs and the Risk of Fraud, SEC Office of Investor Education and Advocacy
- FINRA Investor Insights: Self-Directed IRAs
- FDIC BankFind: Columbia Bank regulatory status
We are not financial advisors. This review is for informational purposes only. Consult a licensed financial advisor and qualified tax professional before making retirement account decisions. Past performance of any investment is not a guarantee of future results.