Stephen Trefts, President

Northwest Trustee & Management Services has been granted approval by the Idaho Department of Finance to open an office in Idaho. 

This approval creates one of the State’s first independent, non-bank trust companies to serve the fiduciary needs of Idaho citizens. We are excited to build stronger relationships with you and your clients by providing a full range of trust and fiduciary services as we establish our permanent office in Boise. 

For many years, estate planning attorneys and investment advisors have asked us to open an office in Idaho.  While we have been able to serve Idaho clients in the past, having the local personal connection is vitally important. We all know the importance of finding good leaders, and so we hired one of Boise’s own, Matt McMurry.  Matt joined our team in 2016 and is our Idaho Regional Manager. Matt was a trust officer for eight years at a local Boise fiduciary company; and, for three years, he served as the President of that company. Prior to that, he worked for 14 years with Charles Schwab finishing his career as the Boise branch manager. He also received his Executive MBA from Boise State University in 2010 and participated in Leadership Boise with the 2012 class. It is truly exciting to have Matt on board as we look to the future in serving the Idaho community.

In the words of:  Matt McMurry, vice president and idaho regional manager

In joining Northwest Trustee & Management Services, I am excited to work with a company known for its integrity and personal service to its clients.  I was honored when Steve asked me to join the firm as well as to serve on the company’s board of directors. It shows the level of commitment Northwest Trustee & Management Services has in building a permanent presence in Idaho. The structure of the company and the role that I have allows me to fully utilize my skills and passions by working with all types of trusts and other fiduciary relationships.

During my career in the financial industry in Idaho, I have strongly desired a time when the professional community would have access to an independent non-bank chartered trust company.  It is with great delight that this has now been achieved and that I can lead Northwest Trustee & Management Services to establish a physical presence in Idaho which will leverage on the Company’s 27 years of providing exceptional fiduciary services.

As many professionals in the Boise area know, I enjoy working with clients, professional advisors and my staff to determine client needs and ultimately serve those clients to fulfill their legacy.  I look forward to building that robust presence in Idaho and serving our clients together.

How we plan to serve idaho

Opening an office in Boise has been a goal we have had for many years, and becoming a Washington State Chartered Trust Company in March of 2016 brought us closer to realization of this dream.  Through a multi-state reciprocity agreement, the Idaho Department of Finance granted us the authority we needed to provide full trust and fiduciary services in Idaho.  We believe that we are now uniquely positioned to meet the needs of all Idahoans who desire a corporate trustee and fiduciary.

Our company has worked in concert with well over 2,000 professional advisors, and we have developed these  long-standing relationships with estate planning attorneys and financial advisors all across the Northwest by consistently following our core values of integrity, professionalism, diligence, and compassion. Our new Boise office will continue to fulfill our company vision “to be recognized as the regional leader in personalized fiduciary services.” Many attorneys and financial advisors in the Boise area who already work with us know the three hallmarks of our company:

First, we have a reputation for successfully working with complicated family dynamics. These include family disagreements, defalcation by family members who have abused a position of trust, multiple marriages, or family members with physical, emotional, or mental disabilities.

Secondly, we are known to accept complex assets which need a collaborative and creative approach to management. These assets have included a mobile home park in Nampa, land on Indian reservations, personal residences in the Boise area, commercial property, extensive antique collections, etc. 

Lastly, as a non-bank trustee, we retain the clients’ investment advisors.  We do not custody investment assets. We believe that utilizing the investment advisor of the client and the client’s other advisors is the best way to serve the client. Not being driven by “assets under management” keeps the focus of our business on the clients and not simply their assets.

This is an exciting time for our company, and we look forward to working with Matt McMurry and serving Idaho and, particularly, the Boise Community.  

Published June, 2017