GoldStar Trust Company Reviews 2025

Hey there.

Today we’re looking into GoldStar Trust Company, a prominent self-directed IRA custodian.

I’ll be sharing my factual findings as well as my opinion on how this company operates.

Let’s not waste any time and begin:

Overview of GoldStar Trust Company

Established in 1989, GoldStar Trust Company has over three decades of experience in providing specialized services as a self-directed IRA custodian, trustee, and escrow/paying agent. They offer unique retirement solutions that allow investors to diversify their IRA portfolios with alternative investments beyond traditional stocks and bonds. 

Location:

GoldStar Trust Company is headquartered in Amarillo, Texas. 

Leadership Team:

The leadership team at GoldStar Trust Company includes:

• Jeff Kelley: President
• Matt Nitschke: Senior Vice President, Business Development Manager
• Dave Schnierle: Senior Vice President, Business Development
• Jeff Worley: Senior Vice President, Compliance & Risk Management
• Angela Shafer: Vice President, Operations Manager
• Sarah Trujillo: Vice President, Support Manager

This team brings together a wealth of experience in financial services, guiding the company’s operations and strategic initiatives. 

GoldStar Trust Company is a division of Happy State Bank, which was founded in 1908 in Happy, Texas. Happy State Bank has grown significantly over the years, expanding its presence across Texas. 

GoldStar Trust Company Features 

Alright, let’s get into it. If Matt Walsh were breaking this down, he’d cut through the nonsense and give it to you straight. So, here’s the deal with GoldStar Trust Company—a company that, unlike most of Wall Street, actually allows you to take real control of your money. Let’s get into the key features that make this company stand out.

Self-Directed IRAs – Because You Should Actually Control Your Own Money

Most financial institutions want you to throw your money into some index fund or mutual fund that benefits them more than you. They’ll give you a cookie-cutter plan, and they’ll make sure you’re locked into whatever they think is best (which, by the way, usually isn’t the best for you).

GoldStar Trust actually allows you to take control of your own retirement investments. You get access to alternative assets that most firms don’t even want to talk about—because, God forbid, you actually diversify your portfolio.

Precious Metals IRAs – The Real Deal

Unlike fiat currency, which is basically just monopoly money at this point, precious metals actually hold value. GoldStar Trust is one of the top custodians for gold, silver, platinum, and palladium IRAs. This is a game-changer for people who don’t trust the government’s economic games (which, let’s be honest, is anyone paying attention).

With GoldStar, you can put real, tangible assets into your IRA—not just paper promises from bureaucrats and Wall Street executives. They also handle storage for you, so you’re not stuffing gold bars under your mattress like some 1800s prospector.

Investing in Non-Traditional Assets – Because Stocks Aren’t the Only Option

Most financial institutions won’t even let you invest in things like church bonds, real estate, REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts), or private placements. Why? Because they don’t get their cut if you do.

GoldStar? They don’t care. They let you actually invest in things that make sense for you, not just what’s good for their bottom line. This is a huge advantage for anyone looking to build real, long-term wealth outside of the typical Wall Street racket.

Transparent Fees – No Games, No Hidden Costs

You ever look at your investment statements and feel like you need a PhD in financial wizardry to understand all the hidden fees? That’s because most companies bury them in fine print, nickel-and-diming you for “management” and “advisory” fees that basically mean “we take your money because we can.”

GoldStar is upfront about their fees. No gimmicks, no surprises. You know exactly what you’re paying for—because that’s how business is supposed to work.

A Track Record That Actually Means Something

Most companies in the financial sector are happy to tell you about their fancy offices, their “market expertise,” and their golf outings with politicians. What they won’t tell you is how much money they actually manage successfully.

GoldStar has been around since 1989, handling over $2.7 billion in assets across 60,000+ accounts. That’s not just a number—they actually have a solid history of doing their job right. No marketing fluff, no “too big to fail” nonsense, just real, functional financial services.

Bottom Line

Look, if you want to throw your money into the same Wall Street machine that’s been screwing people over for decades, be my guest. But if you’re actually serious about taking control of your financial future, investing in real assets, and working with a company that isn’t just another financial parasite, then GoldStar Trust is one of the best options out there.

And that, my friends, is what actual financial responsibility looks like.

GoldStar Trust Company Products and Services 

Alright, let’s cut through the corporate jargon and get straight to what GoldStar Trust Company actually offers. If Matt Walsh were explaining this, he’d call out the nonsense in the financial world and tell you exactly why GoldStar is different. So, let’s get into it.

Most financial institutions want you to play within their rigged system—investing in the same mutual funds and stock market casino while they collect fees on top of fees. GoldStar, on the other hand, lets you actually control your money and invest in things that have real value. Let’s break it down.

1. Self-Directed IRAs – Because You Shouldn’t Let Wall Street Babysit Your Retirement

A self-directed IRA is exactly what it sounds like—you make the decisions instead of some overpaid financial advisor who just pushes whatever funds make the most commission. GoldStar is one of the few firms that gives you actual freedom to invest in what makes sense for you. Here’s what you can put in your IRA:

Precious Metals IRAs – Real Money, Not Printed Paper

If you still trust the U.S. dollar after seeing the government print trillions like it’s Monopoly money, you might want to rethink your strategy. Precious metals—gold, silver, platinum, palladium—actually hold their value. GoldStar lets you hold these metals in a tax-advantaged IRA instead of betting everything on the stock market rollercoaster.

• IRS-compliant storage – You don’t have to worry about where to keep your gold; GoldStar handles that.
• Diversification that actually works – When the market crashes (because let’s be honest, it always does), your gold IRA won’t evaporate like your stock portfolio.

Real Estate IRAs – Own Actual Property, Not Just Paper

Real estate is one of the most powerful wealth-building assets, but most retirement plans won’t let you touch it. With a GoldStar Real Estate IRA, you can:

• Buy rental properties and earn income.
• Invest in land (because they’re not making any more of it).
• Fund real estate development projects and private loans.

This means you can build wealth outside of the corrupt financial system—something Wall Street definitely doesn’t want you to do.

Publicly Traded Securities – For People Who Still Want Some Market Exposure

If you still want some traditional stocks or mutual funds, GoldStar lets you hold them in a self-directed IRA. The difference? You actually control what you invest in, instead of being pushed into generic funds that benefit fund managers more than you.

Private Placements – Investing in Real Businesses

GoldStar lets you invest in private companies, startups, and LLCs, meaning you don’t have to be a venture capitalist or a Silicon Valley elite to own a piece of the next big thing.

• Early-stage investing – Get in before Wall Street does.
• Non-traditional assets – Invest in businesses with real potential instead of just gambling on stocks.

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) – Own Real Estate Without Being a Landlord

Want to invest in real estate but don’t want to deal with tenants who don’t pay rent? REITs let you invest in income-generating properties without owning them outright.

• Passive income – Earn money without dealing with broken toilets.
• Diversification – Get exposure to commercial and residential real estate.

Church Bonds – Because Supporting Your Faith Shouldn’t Mean Losing Money

Most investments are designed for banks and billionaires, but GoldStar lets you invest in church bonds, meaning you can support religious institutions while earning tax-advantaged interest.

• Faith-based investing – Support ministries and churches.
• Fixed-income returns – Get predictable interest payments.

Crowdfunding Investments – Be Part of the Next Big Idea

Ever seen a startup or crowdfunding project and thought, “I wish I could invest in that”? With GoldStar, you can. They let you invest in private ventures and emerging businesses through your IRA.

2. Escrow & Paying Agent Services – Because Someone Has to Handle the Money Properly

GoldStar also acts as a trustee, escrow agent, and paying agent for various financial transactions. What does this mean in plain English?

• They ensure funds are held and distributed properly – No shady accounting tricks.
• They handle church bond payments – So investors get their returns.
• They work with businesses to process structured settlements – Meaning predictable, on-time payments.

3. Disbursing Agent Services – Making Sure People Get Paid

If you’ve ever dealt with structured settlements, annuities, or private financing, you know that payment processing can be a nightmare. GoldStar steps in and makes sure everything runs smoothly, handling distributions with security and efficiency.

• Accurate payments, no surprises – Because nothing is worse than a missed check.
• Legal compliance – So you don’t have to worry about tax or regulatory issues.

4. Automatic Rollover IRAs – When Employers Need to Dump Old 401(k)s

Businesses don’t like keeping track of old employee 401(k)s, so GoldStar automatically rolls over those accounts into IRAs, saving employers the hassle while ensuring former employees keep their retirement savings intact.

GoldStar Trust Company Costs and Fees

Alright, let’s talk about GoldStar Trust Company’s fees—because, unlike most financial institutions that love to bury their fees in fine print, GoldStar is at least somewhat upfront about what they charge. That being said, you should always know exactly what you’re paying for, because fees can eat away at your retirement savings faster than government spending eats away at the national debt.

So, let’s go through this in a clear, no-nonsense way, Matt Walsh style.

GoldStar Trust Fees: The Full Breakdown

Most financial firms will tell you they have “low fees,” but that’s usually a marketing gimmick. Fees are everywhere in finance, and while GoldStar isn’t the worst offender, you still need to know where your money is going.

Account Setup Fee – Because Nothing is Free

• $50 one-time fee
• This is what you pay just to get started. Not the worst thing in the world, but it’s still a fee just for opening an account—which, let’s be honest, takes them about five minutes of work.

Annual Maintenance Fee – The Price of Keeping Your Account Open

• $90 per year
• This is just to keep your IRA active. It doesn’t matter if you make a million dollars or sit on your hands all year—you pay this regardless.

Transaction Fees – Because They Get a Cut of Everything You Do

Publicly Traded Securities

• $25 per trade
• PLUS whatever brokerage fees are involved (which are not small).
• This means every time you buy or sell a stock in your IRA, GoldStar gets a slice of the action.

Precious Metals

• No direct fee for buying, selling, or exchanging metals, which is good.
• BUT, if you ever need to ship your metals (liquidation or distribution), you pay shipping fees—and those aren’t cheap.
• Bottom line? They’ll get their money one way or another.

Storage Fees – Because Even Your Gold Needs to Pay Rent

If you’re buying precious metals, you can’t just keep them in your sock drawer (at least not in an IRA). GoldStar stores them for you, but, of course, that’s not free.

• Commingled Depository Storage:$100 per year
  
  • This means your metals are stored with other investors’ metals. You don’t get assigned specific coins or bars, but you own a portion of the total stored assets.
• Segregated Depository Storage:Varies
  
  • This is the “luxury suite” for metals storage—you get your own specific bars/coins instead of pooled storage. But, of course, it costs more (how much more? They don’t tell you upfront—because why would they?).

Distribution & Transfer Fees – Because Moving Your Own Money Costs Extra

Want to withdraw your own money or move it somewhere else? GoldStar makes sure they get paid first.

Standard Withdrawals & Transfers

• One-Time ACH or Check Distribution:$15 per transaction
  
  • Yes, you pay a fee just to get your own money.
• Recurring ACH Distributions:FREE
  
  • Because, apparently, if they get to automate it, they’re fine not charging you.
• Recurring Check Distributions:$5 per check
  
  • Because sending you a check is just so much work, apparently.
• Wire Transfer:$50 per transaction
  
  • This is outrageous. Fifty bucks just to move your money electronically? That’s straight-up robbery.
• Overnight Delivery:$50 per occurrence
  
  • Again, why does this cost so much? It’s not like GoldStar owns FedEx.
• Cashier’s Check:$50 per check
  
  • I get that cashier’s checks are more secure, but $50 per check is ridiculous.

Transferring or Closing Your Account

• Partial Transfer of Assets or In-Kind Distribution:$50 per transaction
  
  • Want to move some of your assets elsewhere? That’ll cost you.
• Full Account Termination Fee:$150
  
  • Yes, that’s right. If you decide you’ve had enough and want to leave, they hit you with a $150 exit fee—because why not squeeze a little more out of you before you go?

Additional Service Fees – Because Fees on Fees Aren’t Enough

Roth Conversions & Corrections

• Roth Conversion or Recharacterization:$75 per occurrence
  
  • If you ever convert a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA, you pay GoldStar $75 for the privilege.
• Excess Contribution Removal:$50 per occurrence
  
  • If you contribute too much to your IRA and need to fix it, you pay for that mistake.

Late Fees & Paper Statements

• Late Fee:$50 per occurrence
  
  • If you forget to pay their other fees, they add more fees on top of your fees.
• Annual Paper Statement Fee:$25
  
  • If you want a paper statement instead of an email, they charge you for it.
  • Because trees aren’t free, apparently.
• Statement Reprint:$10 per request
  
  • Lose your statement? That’s another $10.

Research & Legal Fees – Because Even Asking Questions Costs Money

• Research Assistance:$50 per hour
  
  • Need help tracking down an old transaction? That’s $50 per hour.
• Legal/Professional Fees:$150 per hour
  
  • If GoldStar has to get a lawyer involved (for anything related to your account), you’re paying for it.

Same Day Rush Service – The VIP Surcharge

• $75 per request
• If you need something processed the same day, they charge you extra—even though it doesn’t actually guarantee faster service unless all paperwork is in order.

Look, I’m not saying GoldStar is the worst financial company out there. In fact, they actually offer solid investment options that most firms won’t even touch (precious metals, private placements, real estate, etc.). But let’s be clear:

1. They charge you for everything.
   
   • Every transaction, every withdrawal, every service—they take a cut.
2. Leaving is expensive.
   
   • Want to close your account? That’s $150—because they can.
3. They still make sure they get their money, even if your account is losing money.
   
   • Doesn’t matter if your investments are down 50%—you still pay annual fees, storage fees, and transaction fees.

So, Should You Use GoldStar Trust?

That depends. If you want self-directed investing and access to non-traditional assets like gold, real estate, or private companies, GoldStar gives you options that traditional IRAs don’t. But don’t think for a second that they’re doing this out of generosity—they’re making a lot of money in fees.

Bottom line? If you’re going to use GoldStar, be smart about their fees and make sure your investments actually justify the costs. Because, like every financial institution, they’re in this to make money—off of you.

Customer Reviews of GoldStar Trust Company

Alright, let’s talk about GoldStar Trust Company’s ratings—because if you’re going to trust a company with your retirement savings, you better know what people are saying about them. 

And let’s be honest: most financial companies love to polish their image while hiding the real customer experience behind slick marketing.

So, I did the digging for you. Let’s break down what the actual customers think—the good, the bad, and the downright ugly.

Better Business Bureau (BBB) – A+ Rating, But That’s Not the Full Story

• GoldStar Trust Company has an A+ rating from the BBB, which sounds great… until you realize they are NOT accredited by the BBB.
• Translation? That A+ doesn’t mean much. The BBB isn’t some government agency—it’s a pay-to-play system where companies can pay for accreditation. The fact that GoldStar didn’t bother to get accredited is… interesting.
• Customers complain about hidden fees, slow transactions, and poor communication. Some people say they tried for months to get responses about their investments.

➡ Verdict: The A+ rating is misleading—look at the customer complaints, not the letter grade.

Trustpilot – 4.5 out of 5 Stars Rating

• GoldStar posts reviews on their website, but let’s be honest—companies don’t post bad reviews on their own page.
• The actual Trustpilot page has 771 reviews, and most of them are positive.

➡ Verdict: Take their self-posted reviews with a grain of salt.

Yelp – Not Many Reviews, But They’re Brutal

• Yelp reviews expose some of the worst issues with GoldStar.
• The main complaint? Fees, fees, and more fees.
  • One user tried to close their account and got hit with a $150 charge—just for leaving.
  • Another waited over a month for a simple transaction to be processed.

➡ Verdict: Not enough reviews for a full picture, but the ones there are not pretty.

Google Reviews – Even Worse (2.4/5 Stars)

• 59 reviews, average rating of 2.4 stars—which, let’s be real, is horrible for a company that handles people’s retirement savings.
• Common complaints:
  • “Horrible customer service”
  • “Took forever to transfer my IRA”
  • “Fees were higher than they originally told me”
• One reviewer said they were forced to pay fees for an account they weren’t even using.

➡ Verdict: When a financial company has fewer than 3 stars, something is seriously wrong.

6. Indeed – Employee Reviews (Because How a Company Treats Staff Matters)

• Employees rate GoldStar around 3.2 stars on Indeed, which means it’s a mixed bag.
• Some employees praise the work environment, but others complain about low pay and poor management.
• A company that doesn’t treat its employees well usually doesn’t treat its customers well either.

➡ Verdict: Internal dysfunction often leads to customer frustration.

How Investing with GoldStar Trust Company Works

Most financial companies want to drown you in paperwork and confuse you with fine print so you don’t notice the fees they sneak in. GoldStar isn’t much different, but if you know what you’re doing, you can navigate their system without getting fleeced.

So, here’s how it works:

Step 1: Choose What You Want to Invest In

GoldStar is a self-directed IRA custodian, which means they don’t pick investments for you. You decide where your money goes. This is good because it gives you control, but also bad because you better know what you’re doing.

Your options include: ✅ Precious Metals (Gold, Silver, Platinum, Palladium)
✅ Real Estate (Rental Properties, Land, Private REITs)
✅ Private Businesses & Startups
✅ Church Bonds (if you want to support faith-based projects)
✅ Publicly Traded Securities (Stocks & Mutual Funds, but through your IRA)
✅ Crowdfunding Investments (Startup funding, private placements, etc.)

➡ Before you go further, decide what asset class you’re interested in.

Step 2: Open an Account

Once you know what you want to invest in, you have to open an account with GoldStar. They offer different types of accounts depending on your investment goals:

• Traditional IRA – Tax-deferred growth
• Roth IRA – Tax-free withdrawals (if you qualify)
• SEP IRA – For self-employed investors
• SIMPLE IRA – For small businesses
• Custodial Accounts – For minors
• Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) – For medical expenses

➡ To open an account, you’ll need to fill out their forms, submit ID documents, and pay the $50 setup fee.

Step 3: Fund Your Account

Now, you need to get money into your GoldStar IRA. You have a few options:

🔄 Direct Transfer: Moving funds from an existing IRA. This is tax-free and avoids penalties.
💰 Rollover: Moving money from a 401(k), 403(b), or another retirement plan. You have 60 days to do this before the IRS taxes you.
🏦 New Contribution: Direct deposit from your bank. IRA contribution limits apply ($7,000 per year for 2024, $8,000 if you’re over 50).

➡ Expect delays. GoldStar isn’t known for lightning-fast transactions. Some people wait WEEKS for their money to be processed.

Step 4: Choose a Dealer (If Investing in Precious Metals)

If you’re buying gold, silver, platinum, or palladium, GoldStar does NOT sell metals directly. You have to buy from an approved dealer and then have it shipped to a GoldStar-approved storage facility.

Popular precious metals dealers include:
🏆 APMEX
🏆 Money Metals Exchange
🏆 Goldco
🏆 SD Bullion

🚨 WARNING: Make sure your dealer ONLY sells IRS-approved metals, or your IRA could get disqualified.

Step 5: Execute the Investment

Once your account is funded, you tell GoldStar what to buy. This is where you fill out the paperwork and submit investment instructions.

For Stocks/Mutual Funds: You buy through GoldStar’s brokerage service (fees apply).
For Precious Metals: You finalize the order with your dealer, and GoldStar handles the payment and storage.
For Real Estate or Private Investments: You need a contract, title documents, and possibly legal reviews.

➡ This step can take time. Some investors report long delays due to GoldStar’s slow processing.

Step 6: Pay Fees (Because Nothing Is Free)

GoldStar charges fees at every step. You need to be aware of:

💸 Annual Account Maintenance Fee – $90/year
💸 Transaction Fees – $25 per trade (for stocks), $50 per asset transfer
💸 Precious Metals Storage – $100/year (for commingled storage)
💸 Wire Transfer Fees – $50 per transaction
💸 Account Closing Fee – $150 (if you ever want to leave)

➡ Don’t ignore the fine print—these fees add up fast.

Step 7: Monitor Your Investment & Plan for Withdrawals

After you’ve made your investment, don’t just forget about it. GoldStar won’t manage it for you, so you need to:

📊 Track investment performance – Especially for private businesses, real estate, or crowdfunding.
📑 Keep records – GoldStar charges for document retrieval, so keep your own copies.
💡 Plan withdrawals carefully –

• Before 59½? Expect a 10% penalty (unless it’s a Roth IRA).
• After 73? Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) kick in for Traditional IRAs.

Final Thoughts – Should You Invest With GoldStar Trust?

✅ GoldStar is good for investors who want control over their retirement and access to alternative assets.
❌ But they are slow, their customer service is hit-or-miss, and their fees can be frustrating.

🚨 Biggest Red Flags:

• Processing times can take WEEKS.
• You’re on your own—no investment advice from them.
• Fees stack up quickly if you’re not careful.

➡ BOTTOM LINE: If you know what you’re doing and can tolerate some delays and bureaucracy, GoldStar can work for you. But if you want fast, hassle-free investing, this probably isn’t the best option.

Final Rating: 3/5 – Good for self-directed investors, bad for beginners or anyone who expects smooth service.

The Final Verdict – Should You Trust GoldStar?

Let’s cut through the nonsense and be brutally honest:

• GoldStar Trust is not the worst financial company out there, but it has serious red flags.
• Customers are frustrated with hidden fees, slow processing times, and bad communication.
• The ratings are LOW across multiple platforms (Google, Focus on the User, Yelp).
• Their A+ BBB rating means nothing because they aren’t even accredited.

Who Should Use GoldStar?

• If you’re looking for alternative investments like precious metals, real estate, or church bonds, they offer some unique options.
• If you understand their fee structure and are OK with it, then maybe they’re a fit.

Who Should AVOID GoldStar?

• If you hate hidden fees—because GoldStar has a lot of them.
• If you expect fast, smooth transactions—because people report delays constantly.
• If you want good customer service—because this company is not known for it.