Insights
Category: Wealth Strategy
February 12, 2025
Does My Child Need to File a Tax Return?
Your teenager may have had their first job working at the snack shack last summer, and their W2 just arrived in the mail. Or perhaps you collectively decided to sell some of the gifted Microsoft stock from their custodial account so your teenager could purchase their first car. Now you’ve received a 1099 and wonder [...]
Contributions from: Vince Lee, CFP®, CPA
February 10, 2025
Tax-Efficient Investing: Don’t Lose Portfolio Gains to Taxes
The Beatles taught me my first lessons about taxes when I heard the song “Taxman” as a teenager. Years later, George Harrison’s lyrics about taxes frame a lot of my client conversations, as George was not joking when he wrote, “Let me tell you how it will be: there’s one for you, nineteen for me, [...]
Contributions from: Glen Goland, CFP®, JD
February 4, 2025
The Value-Add of an Advisor
How does an advisor add value for the fees that you pay? The value that a financial advisor brings to the table can extend far beyond the quantifiable. Coldstream’s work to integrate financial planning and investment management is multi-faceted and often reaches into many areas of our clients’ lives. In this brief, we examine recent [...]
January 29, 2025
The Psychology of Retirement
One of my favorite tasks as a financial planner is to help clients plan for retirement. We gather data and run Monte Carlo simulations and tax analyses, but often that planning process runs much deeper than asset allocation and withdrawal strategies. Recently I had the pleasure of meeting with a couple in their early fifties. [...]
Contributions from: Larissa Vidal, CFP®
January 28, 2025
Retiring Early? Don’t Forget Health Insurance
If you’re planning to retire early, remember to include the cost of health insurance in your financial plan. Medicare eligibility begins at age 65, but until that time you’ll need to enroll in a private insurance plan. Be sure to check your eligibility with COBRA from your prior employer as well. COBRA premiums can be [...]
Contributions from: Eric Schuehle, Rich Merrifield, CFP®, AIF®
January 24, 2025
How to Decide When to Pay Off Debt or Invest
Let’s face it: monthly debt payments can feel overwhelming, right? If you chat about it with anyone, chances are you’ll find someone who understands. Many of us carry debt, whether it’s from student loans, a car loan, or personal loans. The interest rates can vary greatly depending on when you took on the debt and [...]
Contributions from: Katelyn Spangler, CFP®
January 7, 2025
Ditch the New Year’s Resolutions: Set Some Goals Instead
My fitness class always starts with a “question of the day” so we can get to know each other. Yesterday’s question was particularly well worded, so I am going to steal it for our purposes of this blog post. The question was: “What is a short-term goal (2-3 months) and a long-term goal (12 months) [...]
Contributions from: Rachel McCracken, CFA®, MBA, David Bigelow, CFP®, MBA, Elaina Shemeta, CFP®
January 6, 2025
New Gifting and Contribution Limit Changes For 2025
There’s one thing we can always count on at the start of each new year — new contributions and gifting limitations from the IRS. As you begin your planning for the year ahead, we’ve highlighted some of the key 2025 changes to be aware of for retirement accounts, health savings accounts, and gifting. Individual Retirement [...]
Contributions from: Jay Winston, CFP®, CAP®
January 1, 2025
3 Reasons Why Consulting After Retirement Can Be a Smart Move
Many of our clients who retire from large technology companies or start-ups have been approached with opportunities to consult or serve as a board member. While it’s tempting to step away from work entirely, there are several reasons why setting up a business and taking on part-time work may be beneficial for your overall retirement [...]
Contributions from: Anne Marie Stonich, CFP®, CPA, Ian Curtiss, CFP®, CFA®, CPWA®, ChSNC
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