I am pleased to announce that we have hired Ryan Christine Coulson as senior vice president and wealth strategist in our San Francisco office, and Mark Kane as senior vice president and business development officer and Josh Miller as managing director and senior wealth strategist in our Boston office.   The addition of Ryan, Mark and Josh brings 25 combined years of valuable experience...

The Fed remains on the path toward policy normalization, but timing of the first rate increase remains uncertain. Following is a summary of the statement the Fed released.   Growth               Labor market conditions improved further, with solid job gains and a lower unemployment rate Under-utilization continues to diminish.  The Fed...

  Please Welcome Ryan Coulson to Our Wealth Strategies Team     I am pleased to welcome Ryan Christine Coulson to our Wealth Strategies Group as senior vice president and wealth strategist.   She will join our San Francisco and Newport Beach offices—home to 20 relationship and portfolio managers, client service advisers and business development professionals who...

Since 1992, Atlantic Trust’s Multi-Manager Investment Program (MMIP) has combined the internal management expertise that the firm is already known for with access to “best-in-class” external investment managers. But with $8.7 billion in assets under management (as of September 30, 2014), how does Atlantic Trust choose the right managers for its platform and, ultimately, its clients’ portfolios?...

Much has been said of the advantages of trusts for transferring wealth from one generation to the next, but what about trusts that are established specifically for the benefit of grandchildren or even great-grandchildren?   Ordinarily, gifts to anyone two or more generations below the donor (such as grandchildren or great grandchildren) are potentially subject to a generation-skipping...

  Transitioning into Later Life   Moving into retirement, helping aging family members and ensuring both legal and quality-of-life clarity can create a multi-generational perfect storm of challenges and decisions that affect not just those being cared for, but also the adult children facing a host of bewildering decisions that could affect their own financial and medical...

Retirement-minded individuals have the option of choosing between the tax-deductible benefits of a traditional investment retirement account or the tax-free earnings growth of a Roth IRA. But which one is right for your retirement plan? Eligibility Anyone under age 70 ½ with earned income is eligible for a traditional IRA, and anyone with an earned income that does not exceed the 2014...

Last week, Atlantic Trust hosted its second multi-generational family summit for clients with a focus on the growing importance of family legacy planning.   The Atlantic Trust G2G Impact Summit (Generation to Generation), was held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City on October 24-25. It brought together more than 100 clients from across the nation for two days of...

The Fed came through on a well telegraphed move to end its quantitative easing policy. Markets reacted negatively in the hours following the FOMC’s press release, but it was likely due to other components of the statement.   Growth               Underutilization of labor resources is gradually diminishing. The Fed had previously seen...

I am pleased to announce that Atlantic Trust’s own H. Scott Caven Jr. has been named as a 2014 recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Texas.   The award, presented by the university’s Texas Exes Alumni Association, annually recognizes up to six alumni who have distinguished themselves professionally and through service to the University of Texas . Scott is...

Earlier this year, the Atlantic Trust Asset Allocation Committee stated that we were likely to see “less return and more volatility” relative to the highly profitable and benign environment of 2013. This has certainly come to pass over the last few weeks. Global equity markets have tumbled, with riskier parts of the market enduring the most pain.   We attribute the sell-off and rise in...

  Every year, thousands of vacationers from all over the world travel to Florida for its plentiful surf, sand and sunshine. What visitors may not know is that the absence of state income and estate taxes, combined with one of the country’s broadest homestead exemptions, also makes Florida an attractive destination for those looking to relocate or retire.   Before you can begin to...

  Every year, thousands of vacationers from all over the world travel to Florida for its plentiful surf, sand and sunshine. What visitors may not know is that the absence of state income and estate taxes, combined with one of the country’s broadest homestead exemptions, also makes Florida an attractive destination for those looking to relocate or retire.   Before you can begin to...

We are pleased to share that Atlantic Trust reached a record $25.4 billion in assets under management (AUM) at July 31, 2014, an increase of $1 billion from the previous fiscal quarter, reflecting market returns and strong client inflows.   The net inflows reflect a healthy blend of approximately 40% net client additions and 60% new client relationships, typically referrals from current...