In a new Financial Planning piece by Zoe Sagalow, “Advising Clients Stuck in the College Tuition No-Man’s-Land,” John Pantekidis flags a financial aid pitfall that catches even sophisticated families off guard: gifts from grandparents or other relatives to a student’s parents can quietly disqualify that student from financial aid.
It’s a reminder that generosity without coordination can backfire. For families navigating the “too wealthy for aid, not wealthy enough to pay outright” gap, sequencing gifts, savings, and applications with an advisor’s guidance can make a meaningful difference.
In The News
In a new Financial Planning piece by Zoe Sagalow, "Advising Clients Stuck in the College Tuition No-Man's-Land," John Pantekidis flags a financial aid pitfall that catches even sophisticated families off guard: gifts from grandparents or other relatives to a student's parents can quietly disqualify that student from financial aid.
In a new Financial Planning piece by Zoe Sagalow, “Advising Clients Stuck in the College Tuition No-Man’s-Land,” John Pantekidis flags a financial aid pitfall that catches even sophisticated families off guard: gifts from grandparents or other relatives to a student’s parents can quietly disqualify that student from financial aid. It’s a reminder that generosity without coordination can backfire. For families navigating the “too wealthy for aid, not wealthy enough to pay outright” gap, sequencing gifts, savings, and applications with an advisor’s guidance can make a meaningful difference.
1 min read
all categories
In a new Financial Planning piece by Zoe Sagalow, “Advising Clients Stuck in the College Tuition No-Man’s-Land,” John Pantekidis flags a financial aid pitfall that catches even sophisticated families off guard: gifts from grandparents or other relatives to a student’s parents can quietly disqualify that student from financial aid.
It’s a reminder that generosity without coordination can backfire. For families navigating the “too wealthy for aid, not wealthy enough to pay outright” gap, sequencing gifts, savings, and applications with an advisor’s guidance can make a meaningful difference.
John Pantekidis shared his take on private-placement life insurance (PPLI) ...
John Pantekidis shared his take on private-placement life insurance (PPLI) with Financial Planning.
Read More
John Pantekidis shared his take on private-placement life insurance (PPLI) with Financial…
John Pantekidis shared his take on private-placement life insurance (PPLI) with Financial Planning. PPLI gets a lot of buzz in wealthy-family circles, and it’s easy to see why. It offers tax-deferred growth, access to alternative investments, and a death benefit that beneficiaries generally receive income-tax free. But as Zoe Sagalow’s article points out, it isn’t right for everyone. John’s short version: “It could be a no-brainer using life insurance — but not necessarily PPLI products.”
Read More
October 2026
1 mins read
In The News
We’re proud to see our own John Pantekidis, General Counsel and Managing Pa...
We’re proud to see our own John Pantekidis, General Counsel and Managing Partner, quoted in American Banker this week!
Read More
Zoe Sagalow’s piece takes a look at private-placement life insurance (PPLI): when…
Zoe Sagalow’s piece takes a look at private-placement life insurance (PPLI): when it can work, when it can’t, and why the answer depends so much on the client. John’s take is that life insurance can be a great fit for some families, but the cases where PPLI specifically makes sense are narrower. His starting point is always “asking them what they’re trying to achieve.” It’s a balanced read covering the potential tax perks alongside the trade-offs: complexity, high minimums, possible estate tax exposure, and ongoing policy scrutiny. Worth a few minutes if PPLI has come up in your planning conversations.
Read More
October 2026
1 mins read
In The News
TwinFocus' John Pantekidis, CFA, JD shares his views on the costs involved ...
TwinFocus' John Pantekidis, CFA, JD shares his views on the costs involved in creating an ETF in Cheryl Winokur Munk's latest piece on CNBC.com.
Read More
Treasury and the IRS have issued new guidance targeting certain Section 351…
Treasury and the IRS have issued new guidance targeting certain Section 351 ETF exchanges, where investors contribute appreciated stock to a newly formed ETF to defer capital gains. The focus is on transactions where the ETF quickly redistributes those securities and the investor ends up with a materially different portfolio. Legitimate uses remain available, though questions about timing are still open. As John noted, creating an ETF can run $200,000–$300,000, and in his view the approach doesn’t make sense for anyone contributing less than $100 million in stock. [This material is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment, tax, or legal advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. References to third-party publications are not an endorsement of TwinFocus or its services by CNBC or the author. TwinFocus is an SEC-registered investment adviser. Registration does...
Read More
September 2026
1 mins read
In The News
Retirement savings or college tuition? How should parents prioritize?
Retirement savings or college tuition? How should parents prioritize?
Retirement savings or college tuition? How should parents prioritize? It’s rarely a…
Retirement savings or college tuition? How should parents prioritize? It’s rarely a one-size-fits-all answer — the right approach depends heavily on each family’s specific circumstances, from health and career stage to overall financial picture. That’s the lens John Pantekidis brings to one of the toughest calls parents face, per a new Financial Planning article. His take: “it’s more important that mom and dad’s retirement is fully funded, especially if they’re older, especially if they’re not as healthy… whereas a young person, if they have to get in debt to go to college, they’re young, and they can pay it off.” A useful reframe for clients wrestling with the retirement-vs-tuition tradeoff.
Read More
