Do I have the sharpest tool in the box for Finances and College?

Growing up on a farm in Africa had it’s benefits.

We had a whole room where we stored all of our tools and bench vices and various parts for piping and tractors and vehicles and bricklaying.

We also had the privilege of having my grandfather living with us after my grandmother had passed away. He was a man of integrity that had fought for the Allies in the war and was someone of great wisdom that could mix with people of any age including my high school and college friends, who loved having him around the big farm bonfire where we would play music and listen to some of his stories.

I also learned the correct use of many of the tools that were in our workshop from my grandfather. He was someone who was always deliberate. He had all the tools needed for any emergency in a rolled up tool bag in his car.

I remember clearly him saying “Let the tool do the work” “Plane, saw and chisel” but the tool must be sharp to be able to its unique job. Our job was to guide the work, but we learned to let each tool function the way that it was designed and not to try to force the issue.

In many cases, the Financial and College Planning world is the same. As advisors, we aim to educate people on the purpose and use of each of the Financial and College tools available, and then to develop a plan for each family of how to use those effectively. In many cases we find people using blunt or outdated tools and every week we have people coming in to our offices who end up with more efficient plans for their futures.

Having the tools was not always the issue, but keeping them sharp and knowing how to use them made it even more effective. In many cases we find families are not aware of the tools available for them to earn a decent rate of return on their money without risk, or place their hard earned dollars in a place that will enable more Financial aid, or learn how they could possibly get their Parent Loan money with tax deductible interest or how to negotiate a cheaper cost of college.

My grandfather regularly sharpened all the knives in our house to keep them efficient.  It was an example for me to learn that there are many areas in life where we can learn about, and then hone our skills to have a more effective plan.

This is why we do what we do at College Planning America.

To book an appointment please Contact us at davec@collegeplanningamerica.com or 714-813-1703