July 17, 2013 In Tax Strategy By Vince Lee, CPA/PFS, CFP®

Tax Implications after DOMA

On June 26, 2013, the US Supreme Court ruled Section 3 of the Federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was unconstitutional as it violates the equal protection clause of the Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution as applied to persons of the same sex who reside in states that recognize same-sex marriages.

This decision entitles same-sex married couples many federal tax related benefits.  These benefits will have an impact on their income tax filing status, estate and gift tax planning, employee benefits, and ability to inherit social security benefits, among others.READ MORE

July 17, 2013 In Market Commentary By Elaine Heller, CFA®

2Q 2013 Market Commentary

“For the loser now will be later to win

For the times they are a-changin’”

– Bob Dylan

With a modest improvement in unemployment, a nascent housing recovery and continued accommodative Federal Reserve, the US markets continued to generate positive returns, albeit with considerable volatility in the second half of the quarter.  In the prior quarter’s Market Commentary in the Guardian, Randall Buck suggested that a short term pullback in the US market would not be surprising.  That forecast was prescient indeed, from late May to late June, the S&P 500® had a peak to trough correction of 7.5% then posted positive returns in the final days of the quarter. READ MORE

June 20, 2013 In Awards & Recognition, Coldstream Happenings By Detlef Schrempf

Who’s fastest growing among Eastside private companies?

Coldstream makes the list again!

Puget Sound Business Journal named its 2013 Eastside Fastest-Growing Private Companies.

Each of the 50 companies – located from Lake Washington east to the Cascade Mountains and from Bothell south to Renton – recorded growth in the double digits for the two-year period between 2010 and 2012.

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/techflash/2013/06/2013-eastside-fastest-growing-private.html

 

 

May 15, 2013 In Awards & Recognition, Coldstream Happenings By Detlef Schrempf

Donald Gher Receives Honorary Doctor

Donald L. Gher of Bellevue, Wash., received an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree from Eastern Illinois University today in recognition of his dedication, his generosity, and his service to others.

Don GherGher graduated from Eastern in 1973 with a degree in business and a concentration in marketing.  A fellow alumnus and classmate said of him, “Don exhibited the energy and drive that would propel him through his immensely successful business career.  In class, he was always at the ready to help a friend, dive into a project, and eager to debate with professors, which often made class sessions memorable.”READ MORE

April 12, 2013 In Market Commentary By Randall Buck

Market Update and Outlook – 2Q 2013

In every life we have some trouble

When you worry you make it double

Don’t worry, be happy…..

– Bobby McFerrin 1988

While all of the problems the market has been worrying about for the last few years have not been solved, it seems that “the can was kicked down road” enough this quarter for investors to adopt the attitude of Bobby McFerrin. Stock market investors seem to prefer environments where the politicians in Washington “can do no harm”. Early in the first quarter clashes over the debt ceiling and spending cuts were deferred until later in the year and a compromise was reached over tax increases, turning the “fiscal cliff” into more of a “fiscal slope”. With worries about fiscal policy on the backburner, the continued pumping of liquidity into the economy through the Federal Reserve’s quantitative easing program and reasonable domestic economic growth, the stage was set for a market rally.  The S&P 500 continued its pattern of the three previous years with a very strong first quarter rising 10.6%. Small Cap U.S. stocks, as measured by the Russell 2000 index, also advanced 12.4%.READ MORE

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