By Dave Coen People around the world are understandably worried, not only about the safety of their loved ones, but also about the status of their life savings. In turn, financial advisors are working hard to help their clients think about (sometimes substantive) mid-course corrections to their plans. At the same time, advisors are making sure clients … [Read more...]
Question 5 – 8 (12 Questions I should ask myself about Retirement and College)
March 8, 2018 by
Have we thought of what the impact of that might be on student #2 or #3? Sometimes we are so focused on getting our first student through college that we forget that there are one or two more coming along later. As parents, we are just trying to do the very best we can for our students, but it is not uncommon for us to see the students who come later suffering … [Read more...]
12 Questions I should ask about Retirement and College
March 1, 2018 by
(For the sake of brevity, I have included 4 here and the rest will follow the next time.) The answers to these questions are different for each family and there are no right or wrong answers. Your family is unique and your needs are different from your neighbor. All we strive for is to help the parents and the student to be on the same page so … [Read more...]
Bitcoin and inheritance
February 13, 2018 by
If you own Bitcoin, it might be wise to plan and think about where to store your information about it – just like all our passwords and other sensitive information. Our valuables used to refer to our possessions but now it also includes: information! No matter how young we are, we need to plan for the possibility of not being here tomorrow. How would that … [Read more...]
New tax treatment on 529 plans and Mortgages
January 23, 2018 by
New tax law changes for 529 plans Allows up to $10,000 of 529 plan accounts to be used for K-12 tuition and related expenses annually in addition to post-secondary qualified education expenses. This means that it is possible to get money out of your 529 plan BEFORE you complete the FAFSA form without paying the penalty and taxes on the growth. Contact us if … [Read more...]
What is the Largest Asset Uncle Sam has? You might be shocked.
December 15, 2017 by
Pop Quiz - what line item is the largest asset in Uncle Sam's financial accounts? A) U.S. Official Reserve Assets B) Total Mortgages C) Taxes Receivable D) Student Loans The correct answer, as of the latest quarterly data, is ... Student Loans. This past week there has been an interesting article by Jill Mislinski in Advisor Perspectives. … [Read more...]
4 phases of a Financial Plan
December 15, 2017 by
1. Accumulation phase This is typically the longest phase and everything we do here will affect our future. We should perhaps try to look at this phase of planning from the future – when I am 70, 80, 90 – what will I hope that I have planned for if I were to look back from those ages? Will I have planned for Tax efficiency, a decent Rate of Return, what were … [Read more...]
Another $6000 in my pocket – Negotiated Aid
November 29, 2017 by
An extra $6000 saved – There is the hard way .......... or the other way How long would it take the average person to save up an EXTRA $6000 above what they are saving now? How long would it take the average student starting out to save up an EXTRA $6000? I often tell clients that there are 3 types of Financial Aid: Merit based Financial Aid – this is … [Read more...]
I’m no fool, no sir-ee
November 8, 2017 by
Jiminy Cricket was not far off in those days. I was in boarding school in high school because we grew up on a farm that was pretty far from the town where the school was, and if I wanted to do all the sports and after-school activities that I loved, my (single) Mom could not afford to drive me back and forth – especially seeing that I was one of six … [Read more...]
Important recommendations about the FAFSA form
October 9, 2017 by
FAFSA season – read this first! As someone who is often asked for advice and information on completing the FAFSA form, I thought I would just weigh in on some of the problem areas that we might come across that might influence our perspective on the FAFSA form. Often I come across the standard industry replies of “The first ones in get most of the money” but … [Read more...]
Apply for a College Planning America Scholarship