Education Planning
Help pave the way for your child's future.
Kids and Money: A Little Education Pays Off
Just about anyone who’s ever watched a child or grandchild go from the crib to kindergarten and beyond has uttered the phrase, “They grow up so fast.” Although you can’t really freeze a youngster’s precious moments in time, you can take steps to make sure that his or her journey to adulthood starts with a sound understanding of money, investments, and personal financial responsibility. The following activities will help. Click here to read more.
The Rules of Responsible Financial Parenting
Today, many families are concerned about the potentially adverse effect of wealth on the financial values of their younger generations. The goals that many affluent parents and grandparents have set for their children or grandchildren reflect core values, an honest work ethic, and a desire to “give something back” to the greater community.
The skills and knowledge needed to help children adhere to these values should be developed early in life and continue well into adulthood. The following strategies can assist older family members in becoming positive financial role models. Click here to read more.
Tips for Maximizing Your Child’s Eligibility for Financial Aid
As you develop a strategy to increase your financial aid eligibility, you should ask yourself whether using a specific investment strategy is consistent with your ethical values as well as your long-term financial goals. As you think about financial strategies to increase aid eligibility, remember that federal, state, and institutional aid is not unlimited and there is only so much money to assist all potential aid applicants. Also, as you consider these tips, honesty is always the best policy.
Your goal is to lower the Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which is calculated from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Click here to read more.
College Prep: Five Reasons to Study Up on 529 Plans
Millions of families striving to meet the mounting costs of college have flocked to 529 college savings plans.
For most investors, the plans’ main attractions are the potential for federal tax-deferred earnings growth and federal tax-free qualified withdrawals.1 The plans’ aggregate asset limits, which often exceed $200,000, also appeal to contributors concerned about the potential for a six-figure price tag on a four-year degree. But a closer look at the rules governing 529 plans may reveal other attractive reasons to consider putting them to work as you make one of your most important investments — in your child’s or grandchild’s future. Click here to read more.
Meet the Education Challenge: Planning for Tomorrow’s Tuition Costs
Many parents dream of the day their child strides to the stage to receive a college diploma. On the other hand, many parents dread the day that college tuition bills arrive. Despite steep tuition costs, however, a college education may be a sound investment that’s within the reach of many families. All it takes is a degree of planning.
It Starts With a Strategy
On average, tuition costs have been increasing between 4% and 6% annually in recent years. And consider this: Four years at a public college or university for today’s newborns could tip the scales at greater than $100,000.* Click here to read more.