Category: Blog

David Clayman and Francesca Federico Receive 2021 Five Star Award

We are proud to announce that our very own Francesca Federico has been recognized by the National Association of Plan Advisors as one of the Top Women Advisors for 2020. Her talent and efforts earned her the level of “Captain”, one of only 50 to be recognized at this highest designation.

December 2020 Market Outlook

Hello friends, welcome to the December 2020 market outlook. We hope this letter finds you well and your families enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving. Obviously, this year was different from a variety of ways. But with the holiday season upon us, we’re approaching the end of a dreadful year. Here’s to 2021 being a major improvement. Let’s dive in.

Francesca Federico named one of NAPA’s Top Women Advisors

We are proud to announce that our very own Francesca Federico has been recognized by the National Association of Plan Advisors as one of the Top Women Advisors for 2020. Her talent and efforts earned her the level of “Captain”, one of only 50 to be recognized at this highest designation.

Twelve Points Named #860 on Inc. 5000

When Inc. Magazine released this year’s Inc. 5000 list, our team was thrilled to see that we not only were on the list for the second year in a row, but we had risen by over 3,000 places!

Families First Coronavirus Response Act: Employee Paid Leave Rights

Paid sick leave and family leave is available to employees of small and mid-sized companies under 500 employees from 4/2/2020 to 12/31/2020.  Under this plan, the company pays its employees and is reimbursed by the government in the form of a payroll tax credit. 

Loans Permitted From Some Retirement Accounts

Early withdrawals, prior to age 59 ½, are permitted this year without the customary 10% penalty.  Loans from certain retirement accounts are available for up to $100,000 or 100% of the vested interest in an account. 

Market Outlook

First and foremost, I hope this note finds you, your families and loved ones healthy and well. These are trying times but we will get through this together. Social distancing is imperative right now, especially since it seems to be working.

Is This a Good Time For a Roth IRA Conversion?

Whether you are in the early stages of building your retirement nest egg or you are lucky enough to have already accumulated a significant amount of assets in tax-preferential accounts, this could be a good time to consider having some of the funds located in after-tax or “Roth” accounts.

Required Minimum Distributions Suspended for 2020

he Coronavirus Pandemic has impacted so many areas of our lives, but there is one bright spot. The Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) Rules for IRAs and other Qualified Plans have been modified for 2020.

Tips for Strategic Giving

The end of the year is a great time to ensure that you are using the right tools and techniques to maximizing your annual gifting program to family and philanthropy. This month, we discuss the spectrum of gifting strategies, such as traditional or outright cash gifts, dealing with more complex assets, and gifting for families with young children. We also review the impact of charitable gifting on income taxes.

Keep Your Family Safe with These Essential Legal Documents

This month, we look at the legal documents to keep you and your family safe and sound. We’ll dive into estate planning topics such as living trusts, wills, the variations on power of attorney (durable, nondurable, special, limited, springing, and medical), advanced medical directives, and protection plans for children.

Why the Stock Market Is Not the Economy

When the economy is roaring, we take it as a given that the stock market must be rallying too. Low unemployment, high GDP numbers, and robust wage growth all bode well for a soaring stock market.

Planning for College: Savings and Financial Aid Tips

We pull back the veil of higher education savings to help you prepare for your child’s education path. We discuss higher education plans like 529 plans and Coverdell ESA, as well as financial aid programs such as FAFSA, MEFA, and federal/private loans.

Why Does The “Strong Dollar” Matter?

From commodities like gold and oil, to emerging market debt and equities, you will hear the price movement of almost everything tied to the price of the U.S. dollar.

Use This Template to Easily Budget Your Life

Budgeting helps to paint the big picture view of what your financial future will look like and how you can live within your means. By accounting for how much money you make and keeping track of how much you spend, you can have the peace of mind knowing that you won’t run into trouble

Organize Your Financial Life This Summer

This month we look into how to organize your finance records and cash flows, as well recovering important documents and unclaimed accounts. We dive into essential records: What are they, how long should they be kept, and where?

The Twelve Points Team Reflects on Four Years of Business

This June marked the fourth anniversary of Twelve Points’ founding. Over the years, we’ve helped countless families and individuals better understand and plan towards their financial goals, whether they be paying for college, buying a second home, or retiring early. Along the way,

Tariffs Are One Thing, Investment Is Another

The market has been shrugging off the escalation of the trade war until June 25, 2018, when the S&P 500 ended the day down 1.37% and the Nasdaq ended down 2.09%. Over the past several months,

Gauging the Economic Impact of Elections in Italy and Spain

Equity and debt markets had a wild swing after the election of new government leaders in Italy, while there was little to no reaction over Spain’s similar vote. The reason for this discrepancy is that across most of Spain’s popular parties, there has been no sentiment to abandon the Euro

Managing Your Finances as a Young Professional

Throughout college, every student has a different level of financial independence. Whether you are supported by family, a part-time job, student loans, or any combination of the three, after graduation and becoming a young professional, the safety net tends to disappear.

Earnings Begin to Show the Cracks in U.S. Equities

Intuitively, when a company beats earnings expectations, the share price should go up. Under performing expectations should see prices go down. And meeting expectations should keep prices relatively unchanged.

Finance Tips for Young Professionals

In this webinar we tackle the finance topics posing road blocks specifically to young professionals including debt, saving and house buying. We’ll look at debt from student loans, auto loans, and mortgages; savings plans with 401(k), Roth/traditional IRA, compound interest, and budgeting; and renting vs. purchasing property.

A Step by Step Guide to Building Your Budget

Technology has allowed individuals to easily keep track of their finances down to the last penny, but you don’t have to track down every dollar to make a simple and helpful budget. Whether it is in a notebook, a spreadsheet or using an app

Make the Most of Your Investment Opportunities

Technology has enabled the retail investor to have access to dozens of different asset classes and financial products previously only available to investment professionals. The democratization of the financial markets through easy accessibility

Twelve Points & Community Servings Feed Those in Need

One of our core values at Twelve Points is to be helpful. We as a firm believe in giving back to our communities in numerous ways. Our colleagues Manny and Francesca work closely with Community Servings and brought the organization’s mission to our attention.

Things to Know When Buying or Selling a Home

Buying and selling real estate is one of the most confusing and multi-pronged undertakings you’ll ever be involved with. Twelve Points breaks down the process for you with easy-to-understand discussions, including topics of credit scores, affordability,

Tips for Millennials: Balancing Debt & Savings

As millennials, we have two tips we’d like to share with you regarding debt and savings. Let’s start with a tip on savings. If you have a 401(k) plan offered to you at work, absolutely start contributing to that immediately.

Trade Wars and Tariffs | Here’s What to Know

President Trump recently announced that the U.S. would be levying a 25% tariff on steel, mainly targeted at China. Many understood it to be the first step in rolling out a more protectionist trade agenda, which caused a great deal of uncertainty in financial markets.

Three Things to Know When Looking for a Home

Home ownership can seem like a daunting task, and trying to figure out where to start can be overwhelming. In this post, we will talk about how to set yourself up for success on your search for a new home.

Sasha Gorskaya Earns CFP® Designation

Sasha is a Certified Financial Planner ®, who participates in the CFP® Board’s WIN-to-WIN program, which is aimed at helping women interested in obtaining the CFP® certification.

12 Tips to Traverse the 2017 to 2018 Tax Transition

Since the passing of the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act, there have been a number of comprehensive articles summarizing the year over year changes. While these pieces are informative, they often lack clear calls to action – specific planning tips that should be considered under the new

It Pays to Stay Risk Averse Despite Strong Market Returns

As the stock market roars on, skeptics might take money off the table and invest in more value oriented assets. More often however, fear of missing out on future gains along with recently strong returns keeps people invested in the market and seeking out speculative opportunities.

Paying Down Debt vs. Investing

People are often faced with the difficult choice of how they should use their money, whether it be choosing between investing, paying down debt early, or deciding which debt to pay down first.

Strategies to Minimize Your Tax Contribution

Learn strategies to minimize your contribution to the government as we explore the topics of paycheck savings, FSAs vs. HSAs, job changes, charitable donations, child-care reimbursement, avoiding the marriage tax in a given year, and renting vacation homes vs. owning them.

Central Banks Start to Diverge

You can’t talk about Europe without including the European Central Bank in the discussion. The ECB, which conducts monetary policy for all of Europe, is continuing with their aggressive Quantitative Easing in the form of a large bond buying program.

What to Do in Times of Market Volatility

On Friday, February 2nd The Dow closed down 666 points, or 2.5%. The sudden move came unexpectedly as inflation data came in slightly higher than expected. The following week the Dow continued its decline, at one point down 10% from the highs.

5 Foundations and Endowments Questions, Answered

Finding the right answers begins with asking the right questions, and that’s how many of our relationships with clients begin. We’ve consolidated our most frequently asked questions to introduce you to our services, explain what those services can do for your nonprofit

How Rising Interest Rates Affect You

When you hear about the Federal Reserve it may be hard to imagine that their actions have a direct affect on you. The truth of the matter is that their policies, including those related to interest rates, are felt all the way down to the consumer level, for better or for worse.

3 Tax Tips to Save Your Spring

Filing taxes can be an intimidating process and in the stress of it all, sometimes we can forget to do the obvious or skip over the basics, making it even harder on ourselves. If you file your own taxes the following three simple tips can save you time, headaches and even money in the long run.

Life, Death, and Disability: Only One Is Under Your Control

Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. This webinar focuses on the differences between term and permanent insurance, the factors that affect the cost of insurance policies, the ins and outs of disability insurance, and the tax advantages of having insurance.

3 Things to Do When You Change Your Job or Career

When you’re navigating a career change, there are probably a million and one things on your mind. From financial to personal life, it can seem as though everything is getting turned on its side, so it’s important to have a process in place to keep your bearings.