The Power of the HSA
Written By: Carolyn Mullins Understanding Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) A Health Savings Account (HSA) is a special savings account that provides tax advantages when you use it to pay for qualified medical expenses. To be able to contribute to an HSA, you must be enrolled in a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP). These plans usually […]
2026 Retirement Contribution Limits Are Increasing – Here’s What You Need to Know About the New Roth Catch-Up Rule
Written by: Greg Phillips, AIF®, CPFA®, C(k)P® The IRS has released the new retirement contribution limits for 2026, and the numbers are going up again. Higher limits mean a greater opportunity to save more for your future, especially for those age 50 and older who qualify for “catch-up” contributions. Here are the key 2026 limits: 401(k), 403(b), […]
Don’t Leave Money Behind: How to Recover and Prevent Abandoned 401(k) Accounts
Written by: Greg Phillips, AIF®, CPFA®, C(k)P® When it comes to preparing for retirement, most people focus on contribution rates, investment performance, and future income needs. But there’s another factor that can quietly undermine your financial progress, the abandoned 401(k). At Twelve Points, we often meet clients who’ve changed jobs multiple times over the years […]
Planning for Bear Markets in Retirement
Written by: Barbara Maietta, CFP® “Great investing requires both generating returns and controlling risk. And recognizing risks is an absolute prerequisite for controlling it.” – Howard S. Marks Impact of a Bear Market Early in Retirement One of the key risks that retirees must plan for is the impact that a bear market just before they […]
Tax Smart Retirement Withdrawals
Written by: Barbara Maietta, CFP® “The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax.” – Albert Einstein Let’s Review Basic Strategies For Withdrawals From Retirement Accounts The order in which you withdraw money from your investment accounts in retirement can make a big difference – not just in how much income tax […]
Discovering Your Passion: Building a Life That Matters
What Is Passion? Passion is that fire inside you—that deep excitement that lights you up when you think about a particular activity, cause, or idea. It’s more than a hobby or a passing interest. Passion is what makes you lose track of time. It’s what fuels your desire to create, to help, to solve problems, […]
A Woman’s Guide to Retirement Planning: Strategies for Saving and Investing
It’s easy to be tempted to push off preparing for retirement until tomorrow. But for women, starting as early as possible is critical to maximizing your savings. When it comes to saving, women typically face unique challenges that require additional planning. By taking a strategic and long-term approach to your retirement savings, you can set […]
Retirement: Your Best Years or a New Beginning? Why Not Both?
Written by: Barbara Maietta, CFP® Retirement. Just the word makes you envision sunsets, leisurely mornings, and endless cups of coffee. But guess what? You might be sipping that coffee for a while—potentially 20 to 30 years beyond your working life! With the life expectancy of a 65-year-old woman reaching almost 87 and a man living […]
Is Your Mind Open To A New Vision For Your Retirement?
Written by: Barbara Maietta, CFP® “Only you can control your future” – Dr. Seuss We used to think of retirement as slowing down and retreating from our work lives. Many of us imagine a retirement like our parents, a leisure only retirement. It was seen as the beginning of the end, a time to take […]
Are You Saving in the Right Retirement Account? Here’s How to Know.
The world of retirement accounts is crowded. Do you know the difference between a 401(k) and an IRA? How about the difference between a Traditional IRA and a Roth IRA? To eliminate the confusion, we’ll break down what makes each type of retirement account different.
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