If you have children and are following this blog series, there is a good chance you are actively planning to send your child (or children) to a college or university. Finding ways to save for college can be daunting but if you work at it, you can find not only ways to fund their education but [...]
A high school’s guidance counseling department and the programs they support are critical resources for both the student and their parents in preparing for college. School counselors are highly trained professionals who typically have advanced degrees. While each and every high school is different, the National Office for School Counselor Advocacy has defined 8 essential elements [...]
The “Talk” being the discussion with your child on what they want their future to be and how to get there. Not just one talk, but multiple conversations about hobbies, interests and college. Choose an appropriate time and location for having these discussions. It will typically be when the child chooses to talk to the parent. [...]
One of the most financially savvy gifts a parent or guardian can give their child is to send them to college. Even with student debt, the difference in a college graduate’s lifetime earnings vs that of someone with only a high school diploma is substantial. This wage difference spread over 40+ years in the work force [...]
Call it a holiday gift. Thanks to legislation passed in December, beginning in 2015, owners of 529 accounts will be able to change the investment options on their existing plan contributions twice per calendar year instead of just once. This increased flexibility is a welcome option for parents and grandparents who use 529 plans to save [...]
reposted from U.S. News & World Reportby: Reyna Gobel Parents who stuff their children's college funds with more than they can afford each month are setting themselves up for failure. "Parents start off saving $500 per month, but then the car breaks down or they need new tires," says Mackey McNeill, a certified public accountant and [...]
reposted from US News & World Reportby: Reyna Gobel College savings accounts come with a price. When parents compare prices on 529 plans, tax-advantaged college investment accounts, they're looking at what are known as average costs. The average cost represents what the average investor pays, but there a lot of choices within 529 plans that can cause [...]
Let’s take a few minutes today to discuss one of the greatest budgeting tasks facing families across the world today. Often college and retirement occur all to close to one another for many people. Over the last fifty years more college educated people have entered the workforce than ever before, making higher education an even bigger [...]