What Pacific Premier Trust does

Pacific Premier Trust, now operating as Columbia Private Trust, is a qualified custodian of alternative assets for self-directed individual and business retirement accounts. Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Irvine, California, the company specializes in holding non-traditional investments — including private equity, private companies, real estate, and mineral rights — within tax-advantaged retirement vehicles such as Self-Directed IRAs (SDIRAs). It serves two primary customer segments: individual self-directed investors and institutional financial professionals (broker-dealers, RIAs, family offices, asset and fund sponsors, and defined benefit plans). The platform supports $17 billion in assets under custody.

The core technology is an online self-service portal complemented by a native mobile application (launched in 2025) and enhanced by multi-factor authentication (implemented August 18, 2025). Account opening is digitized for individual investors, while institutional clients are served through relationship-based sales channels. The product set includes SDIRAs, institutional custodian solutions, online account management with transfers/rollovers/in-kind contributions, and 1031 exchange services. The company does not provide investment advice, sell investments, or offer tax/legal advice, positioning itself as a strictly independent, fiduciary custodian.

Revenue is generated through recurring custodial service fees — account maintenance, transaction processing, and ancillary servicing — for both individual and institutional clients. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Following the September 1, 2025 merger of Pacific Premier Bank with Umpqua Bank (renamed Columbia Bank), the trust division was rebranded Columbia Private Trust and now operates as a division of Columbia Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of Columbia Banking System, Inc. (NASDAQ: COLB). The company employs 51–100 people and distributes exclusively within the United States through digital, mobile, and phone channels.

Name

Pacific Premier Trust

Legal name

Columbia Private Trust, a Division of Columbia Bank

Website

https://pacificpremiertrust.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2025

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Columbia Private Trust (formerly Pacific Premier Trust) is a qualified custodian for self-directed IRAs and institutional retirement accounts, holding $17 billion in alternative assets including private equity, real estate, and mineral rights. It serves individual investors and financial professionals across the United States as a division of Columbia Bank.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Self-Directed IRA Custody Services

NAICS

Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate & Institutional Trust Services (FSAAANAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Personal & Family Trust Services (FSAAANAA)

Keywords

• Self-directed IRAs
• Retirement account custody
• Alternative asset custody
• IRA custodian services
• 1031 exchange services

Headquarters

HQ city

Irvine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Custodial Services Fees: Columbia Private Trust performs duties as an independent custodian of assets for self-directed individual and business retirement accounts. Revenue is derived from fees charged for custodial services, account maintenance, and transaction processing.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Pacific Premier Trust (operating as Columbia Private Trust) acts as an independent qualified custodian for self-directed individual and business retirement accounts. It enables investors to hold alternative assets—including private companies, real estate, private equity, notes, and mineral rights—inside tax-advantaged retirement vehicles such as Self-Directed IRAs (SDIRAs), and provides corresponding institutional custody solutions to broker-dealers, RIAs, family offices, asset and fund sponsors, and defined benefit plans.

Product overview

Columbia Private Trust (formerly Pacific Premier Trust) operates as an independent custodian of assets for self-directed individual and business retirement accounts. The core offering is a Self-Directed IRA (SDIRA) platform that enables investors to hold alternative investments including real estate, private companies, mineral rights, and other non-traditional assets. The company provides institutional custodian solutions for financial professionals and offers complementary online account management tools and a mobile app. Services include 1031 exchange support, Required Minimum Distribution management, and various account funding options (transfers, rollovers, in-kind contributions). The platform manages $17 billion in assets under custody.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Self-Directed IRA (SDIRA) Self-directed individual retirement accounts that allow investors to hold alternative investments such as real estate, private companies, mineral rights, private equity, and notes within their retirement portfolios. Targeted at individual investors seeking tax-advantaged diversification beyond traditional brokerage assets.
• Institutional Custodian Solutions Custodial services for financial professionals and institutional clients, including asset and fund sponsors, broker-dealers, RIAs, family offices, professional service providers, and defined benefit plans. Manages $17 billion in assets under custody of alternative investments held within retirement accounts.
• 1031 Exchange Services Tax-deferred exchange services that allow investors to defer capital gains taxes by exchanging investment properties, supported with educational resources covering partnership issues and 1031 exchange basics. Targeted at individual investors using retirement accounts for real estate exchanges.
• Columbia Private Trust Mobile App Native mobile application enabling clients to view transactions, documents, and statements, update contact information, and access account features from any mobile device. Targeted at individual and institutional clients managing self-directed retirement accounts.

Quantifiable outcome

• $17 billion in assets under custody

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• NuView Trust Company: Self-directed IRA custodian specializing in alternative investments including real estate, private equity, and precious metals — competes in the same niche SDIRA segment with similar institutional and individual client focus.
• Equity Trust Company: One of the largest self-directed IRA custodians in the US, specializing in holding alternative assets (real estate, private equity, notes, cryptocurrency) within retirement accounts — directly overlapping Columbia Private Trust's core SDIRA custody proposition.
• IRA Financial Trust: Self-directed IRA custodian and Checkbook IRA platform provider enabling clients to hold alternative investments through LLC structures — directly competes for individual investor SDIRA custody business.
• Millennium Trust Company: Specialized custodian offering self-directed IRAs and institutional custody for alternative assets including private equity, hedge funds, and real estate — competes head-to-head for the same RIAs, family offices, and individual SDIRA clients.
• Directed IRA: Self-directed IRA custodian offering checkbook control and holding a broad range of alternative assets for retirement accounts — directly comparable product set and target customer to Columbia Private Trust.
• Alto: Self-directed IRA platform with low minimums and a curated marketplace of alternative investments — directly competes for the individual SDIRA segment, particularly younger and digitally native investors.
• Rocket Dollar: Digital-first self-directed retirement platform partnering with custodians to deliver alternative-asset investing — represents the technology-led next-generation competitor that pressures incumbent SDIRA custodians on UX and pricing.
• Kingdom Trust Company: Self-directed retirement account custodian specializing in alternative investments including cryptocurrency, real estate, and private equity — competes for both individual investors and institutional partners.
• Strata Trust Company: Specialized self-directed IRA custodian focused on alternative assets including real estate, notes, private equity, and cryptocurrency — comparable niche positioning to Columbia Private Trust's SDIRA offering.

Broad incumbents

• Fidelity Investments: Large incumbent brokerage and custody platform offering self-directed IRAs and brokerage retirement accounts — overlapping with Columbia Private Trust on retirement custody but with broader product breadth and substantially larger AUC across traditional assets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCDQ0CrtRthET5N5Pi1oCBHw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pacific-premier-trust-a-division-of-pacific-premier-bank/?viewAsMember=true
• Instagraminstagram.com/pacificpremiertrust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pacific Premier Trust