Driving through Covid looking in the rear-view mirror
As we approach a new year, I recall teaching my children to drive. I told them that when a stoplight changes from red to green, pause a sec and look around to see what might still be coming through the intersection. And when driving on the highway, look further down the road -- not just at the car in front of you. When you see them braking, start preparing to slow down. When I pose questions to others about their plans six months or a year away, they often say, “Why in the heck are you worrying about that now?!?!?”
Our downtown lease expired this month. The building we have called home for over 20 years is nearly vacant. Two of the three entrances were recently vandalized, and plywood doors are in place until a permanent solution can be installed. The Bank of America ground floor branch is closing, too. Earlier this year we purchased our own place in downtown Vancouver, and we have strengthened our ties to our Alaska office partners. Next month we plan to move our downtown Portland office near Kruse Way in Lake Oswego.
In addition to an increased rate in our City of Portland and Multnomah County business tax, there are several new taxes coming. Remote work has changed business forever. In short, Portland is basically asking businesses to leave -- and we are accommodating. While we are sad to be leaving the core of downtown, we need to be in a safe place with a friendly environment to do business.
We said goodbye to two team members this year, but we have added five new ones since COVID began. We have fresh, more tech-savvy energy as a result. I think most of you are aware we have integrated all our different systems into a much more efficient system called Tamarac. We also have an app you can download, so you can see your accounts at a touch of a button. Tamarac improves our efficiency manyfold. While the magic of what we do is judgement, we now have comprehensive access to information much more quickly. Things like annual reviews, financial planning, investment analytics, trading and compliance are all at the touch of a button. We spent well over a year redoing our internal data flow and I’m thrilled with the results.
During the past year we came in every day, brought in lunch, and really focused on supporting each other. We are encouraging our clients to know every one of us. We all have more than one skillset. When meeting with clients AS A TEAM, we get to know things about each client that might not have been uncovered if just one ATC representative was working with them. Vice versa our client can glean more insight into our larger spectrum of expertise. When servicing clients AS A TEAM, the clients learn the depth of our talent and services. Lastly, while the past few years have changed at an unprecedented pace, we continue to grow. Our AUM at the end of 2021 is over $650 million.
Our updated addresses are:
OREGON
5000 Meadows Road, Suite 300
Lake Oswego, Oregon 97035
WASHINGTON
701 Columbia Street, Suite 104
Vancouver, Washington 98660
ALASKA
3201 C Street, Suite 405
Anchorage, Alaska 99503
Our ideal client profile is:
· People who appreciate the value of integrating one’s financial, estate, tax, investment, and philanthropic plans into one holistic approach
· Investors seeking a customized investment portfolio which follows a personal, pre-determined risk profile
· Investors who desire a fee-only and not a commission-based relationship
· Clients looking for professional assistance in setting financial goals, providing guidance and options to receive them, and monitoring of actions implemented to meet and exceed those goals
· Clients needing a fiduciary able to handle the complexities and time commitment required in administering a trust
· Assets exceeding $1 million
On a personal note, I was awarded Member of the Year from top management of the Association of Trust Organizations (ATO). It was one of the highest honors I could hope for. During my three-year term as President -- which extended to four -- I served with and learned from an exemplary group of business leaders from across the United States. I’ll be eternally grateful for that experience.
On behalf of the Board of Directors and our staff, I thank you for your continued support for our firm. We will emerge from this pandemic stronger from weathering the storms together. We come to work every day dedicated to being the best at serving clients and our community. Thank YOU for allowing us to serve you. And, thank you to our employees for all of their hard-work. Happy Holidays!
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