The Columbia Private Trust story didn’t begin with Columbia. It is the culmination of decades of experience in the self-directed retirement and alternative asset custody industry, experience that has evolved, expanded and strengthened through each chapter of our history.
Beginning with PENSCO Trust Company™, our organization developed deep expertise serving investors, financial professionals, asset managers and sponsors seeking specialized custody solutions for alternative investments. What began as a specialized custody business grew and evolved through changing markets, regulatory environments, technology platforms and ownership structures.
PENSCO Trust Company™ ultimately became Pacific Premier Trust and, today, Columbia Private Trust. While the names have changed, one important foundation has remained: the institutional knowledge and practical experience developed over decades of working with complex and nontraditional assets.
The PENSCO Trust Company™ Model
The PENSCO Trust Company™ Model is built on a simple idea: experience compounds.
Every account opened, private fund reviewed, transaction processed, market cycle navigated, regulatory change implemented and client relationship supported adds to an institutional knowledge base that cannot be created overnight.
That accumulated experience has helped shape Columbia Private Trust into the organization it is today.
Our model combines:
- Decades of specialized experience in self-directed retirement accounts and alternative asset custody.
- Institutional knowledge developed through thousands of client, advisor, sponsor and investment relationships.
- Operational expertise built around the unique requirements of private funds, private companies, real estate and other alternative investments.
- A strong compliance and risk foundation informed by years of operating within an evolving regulatory environment.
- Scalable infrastructure and technology that continue to evolve while benefiting from lessons learned over decades.
- The strength and resources of a larger financial institution, paired with the specialized knowledge and service model of a business built around alternative assets.
When History Becomes a Competitive Advantage
Our history matters because alternative asset custody is about more than holding an asset.
It requires an understanding of the investment lifecycle, from account opening and subscription through funding, valuation, distributions, reporting and ultimately liquidation or transfer. It also requires the ability to understand the needs of investors while working effectively with advisors, fund managers, asset sponsors and other financial professionals.
Those capabilities are developed through experience.
The PENSCO Trust Company™ Model recognizes that Columbia Private Trust’s history is one of its greatest advantages. We have been able to carry forward the specialized knowledge developed through our earlier organizations while adding the resources, technology, risk management and financial strength available to us today as Columbia Private Trust.
PENSCO Trust Company™ built the foundation. Pacific Premier Trust expanded it. Columbia Private Trust is taking it forward.
That continuity of experience, combined with our ability to keep evolving, is central to who we are and how we serve clients today.
Experience You Cannot Fast-Forward
In an industry built around increasingly sophisticated assets and relationships, longevity has value.
It means having seen different structures, different markets and different client needs. It means learning from decades of transactions and relationships. And it means bringing that accumulated knowledge to each new opportunity.
That is the essence of the PENSCO Trust Company™ Model and the legacy Columbia Private Trust carries forward today:
Built on experience. Designed for what’s next.