March 4, 2016 In Coldstream Happenings, Wealth Management By Lauren Bayer

George R. Pierce & Associates Join Coldstream

SEATTLE, WA – March 4, 2016 – Coldstream Wealth Management announces their merger with George R. Pierce & Associates (GP), an independent wealth management firm based in Seattle, WA, and the opening of a downtown office on Lake Union. Coldstream, advising over 600 households and $1.57 billion in assets as of December 31st, 2015, adds approximately 300 households and $325 million in assets with the addition of GP. Post-closing, GP will take on Coldstream’s name.

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December 17, 2015 In Board of Directors, Coldstream Happenings By Lauren Bayer

Coldstream Welcomes Two New Members to Board

Coldstream Holdings, Inc. welcomes John Orehek and Gary Rubens to the firm’s board of directors. With access to new networks and diverse industry expertise, these additions mark a key achievement for Coldstream Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries—Coldstream Wealth Management, Fit Insurance, Genesee Investments, and Ascent Capital—as they move forward on a focused path towards continued strategic growth.

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December 15, 2015 In Planning, Strategic Philanthropy, Tax Strategy By Brian Plowman

Charitable Giving: Options & Deadlines for 2015

As the year comes to a close, you may be considering charitable gifting. With so many mechanisms to do so, it is necessary to plan ahead. Start by deciding who will receive your donation. We are here to help with the what, how, and when of charitable giving.

Although using cash is the simple and straightforward method for gifting, it may be advantageous to consider your options before writing that check. For example, if you were to liquidate securities in order to raise cash for the donation, you would be responsible for paying taxes on the possible gains associated with the sale. Any capital gain would negate a substantial portion of the tax benefits of charitable giving. READ MORE

December 15, 2015 In Coldstream Happenings By Lauren Bayer

Coldstream News – Retreat, Celebration, & Events

Building Connections & Fostering Growth

At Coldstream, we believe that our people and our culture are key components to our success. This September we hosted an all-company retreat in Seabrook, WA, focused on strengthening ties between our teams. Over the course of two days, we engaged in a variety of team building activities that helped us get to know each other better and create memorable experiences. We find that when we build connections between employees, we develop a stronger foundation from which to better serve you.

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December 15, 2015 In Planning, Tax Strategy By Vince Lee, CPA/PFS, CFP®

Preparing for Year-End Tax Planning

Year-end tax planning may be especially challenging this year because Congress has yet to act on a host of tax breaks that expired at the end of 2014. Some of these tax breaks may be retroactively reinstated and extended, but Congress may not decide the fate of these tax breaks until the very end of this year (and, possibly, not until next year).

For individuals, these tax breaks include:

  • the option to deduct state and local sales and use taxes instead of state and local income taxes
  • the above-the-line-deduction for qualified higher education expenses
  • tax-free IRA distributions for charitable purposes by those age 70-1/2 or older

For businesses, tax breaks that expired at the end of last year and may be retroactively reinstated and extended include:

  • 50% bonus first year depreciation for most new machinery, equipment and software
  • the $500,000 annual expensing limitation
  • the research tax credit

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December 15, 2015 In Coldstream Fortress Retirements Services By Richard Merrifield II, CFP®, AIF®

Will a Broader Fiduciary Definition Help Us Save for Retirement?

 

In 1974 the Department of Labor passed the Employees Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) to protect pension plan investors, which eventually came to govern 401(k) plans and other similar defined–contribution plans. The retirement savings landscape has changed significantly over the past forty years, characterized by a shift from defined benefit pension plans to defined contribution plans, which put the retirement savings onus on individual savers and investors. More recently, the DOL’s has proposed a Conflicts of Interest Rule, or more commonly called the “Fiduciary Rule,” to better protect retirement savers by modernizing ERISA and expanding the definition of fiduciary.

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