The MW Momentum Newsletter - October 2025
Mission Wealth
Your goals. Our mission. For advisory services, please visit our website missionwealth.com.
Celebrating the Strength of Teamwork
As we head into a new quarter, our focus remains simple: help you make confident decisions about your wealth and your life. Everything we’ve been working on—bringing in additional experienced advisors, deepening our planning resources, and investing in technology—is aimed at giving you clearer guidance, faster answers, and more personalized strategies.
You may notice a few new names this quarter as we welcome partners from Hamilton Walker Advisers, Retter Capital Management, and Diversified Asset Management. What this means for you: broader expertise to draw on, more specialty planning capabilities, and a larger bench when you need us.
In this issue, you’ll find timely perspectives on markets, practical planning ideas for the year ahead, and updates on how our expanded team can support your goals—from retirement income and tax planning to philanthropy, business transitions, and family wealth education.
What Are Your Next Steps?
If you have not yet found a financial advisory home, we encourage you to book a complimentary portfolio review with Partner and Managing Director Steve Caltagirone, MBA, CFP®.
Warm regards,
Matthew Adams | CEO and Managing Partner at Mission Wealth
Strategic Charitable Giving: Looking Ahead to Year-End
As we approach the end of the year, our clients face a timely opportunity to align their philanthropic goals with their strategic financial plans. Charitable giving is not only a meaningful way to impact causes close to our hearts – it’s also a powerful tool for optimizing tax efficiency, legacy planning, and family engagement. Some of the most popular trends that we are using with donors are Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs), Charitable Remainder Trusts (CRTs), gifting appreciated assets, and Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs). These charitable strategies allow donors to maximize impact while minimizing tax liability, making these tax-efficient structures ideal for year-end planning, and can often be combined to further increase their impact.
Donor-Advised Funds have surged in popularity due to their simplicity, flexibility, and control. By contributing to a Donor-Advised Fund before December 31st, donors can claim an immediate tax deduction while retaining the flexibility to recommend grants over time. This “bunching” strategy—grouping multiple years of donations into one—can be particularly effective for clients who typically take the standard deduction. DAFs also streamline administration and offer privacy, making these vehicles attractive alternatives to private foundations. For clients with existing private foundations, transitioning to or supplementing with a DAF may reduce overhead and increase giving agility.
In addition, Charitable Remainder Trusts offer a powerful way to combine philanthropic impact, tax deductions & deferrals, and sustained asset use. These irrevocable trusts provide donors with income for life or a set term, followed by a donation of the remaining assets to charity. CRTs may help reduce capital gains and estate taxes while supporting causes aligned with the donor’s values—making these trusts ideal for clients with appreciated assets, charitable intent, or legacy-focused goals. Donating long-term appreciated securities is another impactful strategy. Clients can avoid capital gains tax while receiving a deduction for the full fair market value of the asset. This approach is especially beneficial for those with concentrated stock positions or real estate holdings. It’s a way to turn investment success into community impact without triggering taxable events.
For clients aged 70½ or older, Qualified Charitable Distributions from IRAs offer a direct path to giving. These distributions count toward required minimum distributions (RMDs) and are excluded from taxable income. Additionally, planned giving strategies—such as charitable remainder trusts or bequests—may help clients leave a lasting legacy while supporting estate planning goals.
Engaging family members in philanthropic discussions fosters intergenerational values and unity. As the year draws to a close, many families seek meaningful ways to give back while also planning wisely for the future. Please join our Director of Estate Strategy, Andrew Kulha, JD, CFP® , and Senior Wealth Advisor, Stephanie Bruno , for a conversational fireside chat regarding how charitable giving can start at home and extend into your broader legacy.
This November 12th webinar will cover simple yet powerful strategies to align your generosity with your financial plan, highlight practical ways to involve family members in giving decisions, and share timely updates to help you maximize the benefits of giving in 2025. The discussion will also feature real-world examples, updates from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), and a live Questions & Answers session. This year also presents a unique opportunity for giving. With the new tax bill passed in July, the math around charitable deductions will change significantly for the tax year 2026 and beyond. For those who prefer a bit more simplicity in their tax forecasting, talk with your advisor and plan to attend our webinar to learn more.
*This webinar will be recorded. Please register to receive a copy of the recording.
Firm Announcements
Recent Awards & Accolades
This past quarter brought several exciting recognitions that reflect the strength of our team, culture, and continued growth.
National Rankings
Company Growth & Recognition
Workplace Excellence
These achievements reflect more than numbers—they showcase the dedication, collaboration, and client-first values that define Mission Wealth. We’re deeply grateful to our clients and team for helping us reach these milestones and look forward to building on this momentum in the months ahead.
Mission Wealth Welcomes Several New Team Members
As our team grows, so does our capacity to innovate and provide greater support to clients across every area of the firm, ensuring they receive the thoughtful guidance and dedicated service that help them achieve their financial goals.
Advice
Growth
Operations
Strategy
Technology
Mission Wealth Expands Nationally Through Strategic Mergers
Together, these mergers reflect Mission Wealth’s continued focus on thoughtful expansion, strong partnerships, and delivering exceptional, personalized service to clients nationwide.
San Francisco, CA – Hamilton Walker Advisers In August, we welcomed Sarah Hamilton, founder of Hamilton Walker Advisers. This merger enhances Mission Wealth’s footprint in the Bay Area, one of the nation’s leading centers of innovation. Sarah joins us as a Partner and Senior Wealth Advisor.
Melbourne, FL – Retter Capital Management In September, Retter Capital Management joined Mission Wealth, expanding the firm's presence in Florida. The firm's founder, Eddie Retter, joins as a Partner and Senior Wealth Advisor.
Boulder, CO – Diversified Asset Management, Inc. In October, we announced a merger with Diversified Asset Management. Robert Pyle joins as the firm’s 56th equity partner, while his son Matthew Pyle joins as a Wealth Advisor Associate.
Read What Our Clients Are Saying
Hear directly from Mission Wealth clients about our services, advisors, and firm in our recent client testimonials.
“I have been a client of Mission Wealth for 5 years now, and when I speak about them to friends and family, I usually start with..."If I only had found them sooner." The sense of security and confidence I receive from Mission Wealth and my advisor is what I value the most. I continue to recommend Mission Wealth to others and am happy to say, that I hear the same from others who decided to switch to Mission Wealth.“
- Edward P. (Current Client)
Ready to Start Your Financial Journey?
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Mission Wealth’s vision is to provide caring advice that empowers families to achieve their life dreams. Our founders were pioneers in the industry when they embraced the client-first principles of objective advice, comprehensive financial planning, coordination with other professional advisors, and proactive service. We are fiduciaries, and our holistic planning process provides clarity and confidence.
For more information on Mission Wealth or to learn more about our services, please visit missionwealth.com.
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