Making a Settlement Last: Advice for Attorneys, Legal Teams, and Clients

Lengthy hours are spent arriving at a settlement agreement or achieving a verdict. Most of the time, these monetary settlements are awarded to individuals and families who are not equipped to manage this sudden wealth. A financial disbursement can cause a range of reactions from...

Tips for Microsoft Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment at Microsoft begins in early November.  The following is a summary of elections to consider, and as always, please reach out to your Coldstream advisory team if you have questions. HSA (Health Savings Account) If you choose an HSA eligible health plan, you...

Save More For Retirement With Your Health Savings Account

As you plan for retirement, consider using one of the best options for building tax-advantaged savings – a Health Savings Account (HSA).  An HSA is a medical savings account available to anyone enrolled in an HSA compatible high-deductible health plan (HDHP).  For 2021 and 2022,...

Introduction to Medicare

If you’re over 65, chances are you’re familiar with Medicare. Some 62 million people are enrolled in Medicare today. But many Americans have little knowledge of this government-run health insurance program, which could play an important role in your retirement planning. What does Medicare cover?...

Permanent or Temporary: The Economic Impact OF COVID-19

Although the COVID-19 induced recession last year was short-lived, the on-going effects of COVID-19 on the global economy persist.  Prior to the pandemic, the U.S. inflation rate was contained; GDP growth, though positive, was struggling to rise above 2% annually; the super-cycle of commodity price...

Embrace the Stages of Widowhood Toward Your New Life

When we suffer a loss in our life, we experience stages of grief, such as shock, anger, and eventually acceptance. Becoming a widow is a deeply emotional and stressful time for a woman, no matter whether she had time to prepare for her spouse’s death...

Creating Confidence for Women in Their Investment Decisions

We all want to feel secure in our future and confident that we are making the right financial decisions to help us achieve that security. Unfortunately, this isn’t the reality for some women. Research has shown that women typically are less confident than men when...

Spotting Common Conflicts of Interest: What Every Investor Needs to Know

A conflict of interest is anything that puts the investor at risk for the personal gain of the financial professional. Such conflicts of interest generally put the interests of the professional ahead of the investor, and in some cases can even cause harm to the...

The Single-Person Penalty is Real. Here’s How to Protect Your Finances.

The reality facing single people in the United States today is that it is more expensive to be single than it is to be married. For example, a single woman may end up paying hundreds of thousands of dollars more over her lifetime than that...

Should I Complete the FAFSA?

Each year in October the window opens to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the following school year.  Although you have until June 30th to complete your application, filing your FAFSA as close to October 1st as possible can improve your...