Finding the Forgotten
According to CNN, Federal agencies and other organizations collectively hold “more than $58 billion in unclaimed cash and benefits”. You may have rights to unclaimed property and benefits you didn’t know existed.
Finding the Right Home for Financial Documents
Financial document storage and organization can be overwhelming, especially when considering the choice between physical or cloud storage. We refrain from throwing anything away because we never really know when we might need to reference a certain document, and getting a new copy is often a time consuming inconvenience.
Implementing Illiquid Investments
Because we have not found traditional stock and bond asset classes attractive for over two years, we have been overweight diversifying alternatives. We have further covered the pros of alternatives and the cons of traditional asset classes in our quarterly publication – Twelve Points Perspectives.
Dave Clayman Awarded National Eagle Scout Association Outstanding Eagle Award
In early January 2017, the Twelve Points team had the distinct pleasure of watching co-founder and principal Dave Clayman receive the National Eagle Scout Association Outstanding Eagle Award (NOESA) at a recognition dinner in Burlington, MA.
Put Off 401(k) Contributions If You Want to Put Off Retirement
Retirement savings is important if we ever want to retire. As hard as it may be to believe, roughly 2 out of 5 Americans are not investing for their future. We believe the importance of saving in a retirement plan is more necessary than ever due to the decline in pensions, uncertainty
Market Bubbles Are Inevitable; Portfolio Bubbles Are Not
Individual investors can find many ways to lose money in the stock market, but the most frequent is their tendency to buy-high and sell-low. It’s human nature. We get more confident when things are going well, and we become cautious and fearful when they’re not.
Wealth Manager: More Than Just an Investment Manager
Most people know what a CPA does (prepare taxes, help clients minimize tax hit, etc.) or an estate planning attorney does (draft wills and trusts, create estate plans and administer the probate of estates) and they assume they know what a financial advisor does.
How to be Second Home Savvy: An Introduction
Few assets can bring a family together like a second home. Whether it is beachfront property on Cape Cod or a house on Lake Winnipesaukee, the second home is a source of tremendous joy for many families. Imagine all of the time spent at the beach, skiing or simply sitting
Millennials: Why Now is the Time to Invest
Before we start, there is something you should know: I, too, am a millennial, which means that I am in your shoes, At the beginning of my career, I struggled with balancing everyday expenses, student loans and saving for retirement.
Who Should Have a Financial Plan?
I was meeting with an attorney friend of mine the other day, when she asked me a simple, but profound, question: “Who should have a financial plan?” Although my answer (“Anyone with a heartbeat.”) certainly sounded brash, her question got me thinking
A Win-Win for Parents, Grandparents & Students: 529 Plans
There’s been some talk during the current presidential campaign about making public colleges tuition-free. It makes a good soundbite but it’s not going to happen anytime soon. College tuition will remain the second largest personal expense after one’s home.
Get Educated About Your Retirement
It does not come as a surprise that the financial services industry is one of the least trusted industries in this country and often rightfully so. For decades Wall Street has churned portfolios and put their own needs in front of their clients, held only to a broad suitability standard.
How Millennials Balance College Debt & Retirement Savings
You’ve heard it many times before: college costs continue to increase while recent grads owe record high amounts in student loans. It truly is a balancing act to be able to pay off all your monthly expenses while still saving for retirement
Making it Personal: Client Service and the Guest Experience
Service. It’s what sets businesses apart. Why does it play such a crucial role in their success? Take a look around. There seem to be multiple options for every type of service imaginable; if you need a dry cleaner, odds are there are several shops in your town to choose
Is Your Advisor Talking with You…Or Avoiding You?
Good relationships are built on trust and communication. While this rings true for how you interact with your significant other, it also applies to your relationship with your financial advisor. The recent volatility in the market put relationships between advisors and their clients to the test
Top Women CFOs Teach Local Women How to be Successful Leaders
On a chilly night in early December, our Co-Founder and Principal Francesca Federico co-hosted the second event in the C-Suite Series with Tomorrow’s Women TODAY, a local non-profit organization dedicated to fostering women into leaders in our community
Finance Lessons for Your Teen
The current economic environment has caused many people to reconsider their personal finances and drastically change their spending and savings habits. Out of this economic malaise may come an opportunity to finally instill good habits in your teens that can carry them
Experiencing Life: The True Meaning of Wealth
When it comes to money, I’m of a mind that it’s better to spend it on experiences that I will carry with me for a lifetime rather than possessions. My family recently spent an amazing vacation exploring 5 national parks in 9 days (with a 6 year old and a 3 year old!).
Keeping it in the Family by Protecting Your Estate
An estate takes lifetimes to build but can be lost in the blink of an eye. Most of us don’t imagine assets that took decades to accumulate being drained in a few short years, but all too often this is exactly what happens
My Family’s History of Giving Back through Relay for Life
The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life® was founded in 1985, and the Arlington, Mass. chapter began in 2000. Since then, it has become a huge part of the local community, which is where my partner Scott grew up, and where we are raising our two daughters
Making a Difference: Our Summer Food Drive for Open Table
The idea of “giving back” is foremost in our minds as temperatures lower, especially around holiday season, but what happens when summer comes around?
Francesca Federico Becomes a CDFA™ Designee
Co-founder and Principal Francesca Federico recently completed the requirements needed to become a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® (CDFA™). This designation, issued by the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts, indicates that an advisor
The 75th Anniversary of the RIA
It’s the 75th Anniversary of the Registered Investment Advisor (RIA), which is worth celebrating. Why? In recognition of the laws that serve as the backbone of the financial industry, which limit risk and protect the average investor. As an RIA and fiduciary,
Financial Media: Is it Time to Turn it Off?
Most people would argue that living in a digital world with instant access to an endless stream of information has made us smarter and more self-empowered than past generations. Investors believe that it has “leveled the playing field”, enabling them
Equity Allocations in 401(k)s
While stock allocations are often high in 401(k) plans due to the typically long-term time horizon of 401(k) investors, we have recently observed higher-than-usual stock allocations in general, and very high U.S. stock allocations in particular. The high
Defense Wins Championships: Alternatives “For The Win”
An important part of our investment due diligence process involves attending industry conferences and investment manager showcases. Earlier this summer, I was pleased to hear that an upcoming showcase, which was co-sponsored by a few local investment
The Cold Call That Changed My Life
Let me set the scene here. It was at the beginning of my career, and I was a 22-year-old female Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley, where the average advisor at my office was 45, white, male and had an established clientele.
Why Alternative Investments Should Be a Core Part of Your Portfolio
During his monthly segment as financial reporter for Radio Entrepreneurs in April, Manny Frangiadakis spoke with program host Jeff Davis about alternative investments. Their discussion covered an explanation of what they are, why they are important
Financial Planning for Millennials
When it comes to financial planning, many people learn about it the hard way. Even as adults, they get into trouble by not sticking to a budget, abusing credit cards, and not taking advantage of opportunities to acquire free money. By educating our youth
Manny Frangiadakis on What Differentiates TPWM from Other Firms
In December 2014, Manny Frangiadakis was interviewed as a guest on Radio Entrepreneurs. Hosts Jeff Davis and Peter Morrison spoke to Manny about why Twelve Points Wealth Management was founded
The Financial Planning Process
In an earlier blog post, I introduced our Behavior Gap series of articles, which use Carl Richards’ insightful Behavior Gap sketches to illustrate various financial planning and investment concepts. My earlier post brought attention to the wide gap between
Ribbon Cutting
We are thrilled to announce the official grand opening of our second location in Boston’s South End! To celebrate, we’ll be holding a ribbon cutting ceremony with the Boston Chamber of Commerce, of which we recently became a member.
Investment & Tax Strategies Go Hand-in-Hand
The practice of Personal Financial Planning is endlessly fascinating and complex, with the various planning areas (including: Investments, Income Tax, Retirement, Estate Planning, and Insurance) being interconnected. It could be argued that no two planning areas
Behavior Gap
Ever been struck by an idea that you just needed to get down on paper, but all you had on hand was a cocktail napkin and a sharpie? Well, that’s what happened to Carl Richards, a Certified Financial Planner™ and director of investor education for a community of independent
Francesca Federico on Gift-Giving & Family Business Succession Planning
In December 2014, Francesca Federico was a featured guest on Small Business Digest Radio. She and host Don Mazzella spoke about her career path, gift-giving advice and succession planning for family-owned businesses.
Congratulations to TPWM team members for obtaining the AIF® designation
As of January, four members of the Twelve Points Wealth Management team have become Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF®) designees. Congratulations to Dave Clayman, Manny Frangiadakis, Francesca Federico and Igor Tiguy
Event Announcement: Love At First Start
Co-founder and Wealth Advisor Francesca Federico will be hosting a discussion panel in partnership with Tomorrow’s Women TODAY. “Love At First Start” will feature women entrepreneurs and CEOs of Boston-area companies and takes place
Dave Clayman Featured in the Wall Street Journal
In the News…Co-Founder and Wealth Manager David Clayman was featured in an article on climbing oil prices that appeared in The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, February 3, 2015.
Surviving Valentine’s Day When You’re Going Through a Divorce
Holidays are hard enough when you are divorced or going through a divorce; but one of the worst can be Valentine’s Day: the holiday of love that keeps Hallmark in business. Once a year on this day, it seems everyone is thinking about falling in love
5 Tips for Restaurants on Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is one of the most popular days of the year to dine out. That means restaurants have a great opportunity to attract new clientele and, if they provide a good experience, give customers a reason to come back.
Taking Part in Charitable Giving
On October 27, 2013, Twelve Points was proud to team up with New England Patriots Safety Devin McCourty and other great sponsors to “Tackle Sickle Cell.” Benefitting Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) and the Next Step Foundation, McCourty hosted
Dave Clayman Receives the Five Star Wealth Manager Award for the 4th Year in a Row
We couldn’t be prouder to announce that Co-Founder Dave Clayman has been awarded the Five Star Wealth Manager Award for the 4th year in a row! His name will appear in a special section of Boston Magazine’s February issue
Teaching Your Kids About Charitable Giving & Volunteerism
“Kids today.” “This generation isn’t like ours, it’s selfish.” “When I was a kid I walked two miles uphill to school – both ways.”
We’ve all heard variations on the theme of what kids today are not; let’s focus instead on what they can be. When I earned my Eagle Scout rank, I was given a charge, and within that charge was the following
The Best Thing To Do With Your Holiday Bonus
The holiday bonus: that exciting little extra we receive from employers after a year of hard work. Surely we deserve to splurge on a little something for ourselves with it, right? Well, let’s examine that plan.
New Year’s Resolution: Find the Right Financial Advisor
Was health and fitness at the top of your 2015 resolutions list? It’s a perennial #1 for most, and gyms are so full in January that it is almost impossible to find a free treadmill. By February, the crowds at the gym begin to subside, and by March only the regulars
The Divorce Blame Game
When you get hurt, what is your natural instinct? For most people, it is to fight or hurt someone back. In divorce especially, it is so easy to play the blame game. Spouses fight tooth and nail to make themselves feel better.
Parents and New Year’s Resolutions
Well, you made it! The holidays have come and gone, the kids are settling back into school, everyone is getting back on schedule, and routines are routine again. It’s the beginning of the New Year.
Trust – A Fleeting Trait on Wall St
Webster’s dictionary defines trust as “belief that someone or something is reliable, good, honest or effective.” Those are the very qualities we seek in people we call friends, employees we hire, companies we want to work for and especially those with whom
Loyalty: Who Owes Whom, the Purveyor or the Client?
Brand loyalty is a goal that every company strives for; “how do we make our consumers buy more of our product and exclusively our product vs. our competitors’ products?” Marketing teams and ad agencies are hired