saving for college

College Savings, 529’s and Market Panic – Should You Sell?

College Savings, 529's and Market Panic - Should You Sell

With the recent ups and downs of the market, I’ve seen more than one person considering selling everything in their kids college investments and sitting out the market. Here I’m going to talk about how my ostrich strategy has helped me avoid making rash decisions, how you can plan when the markets are calm so you can be calm when markets are crazy, and I’ll talk about some other things to keep in mind when thinking about college investments.

Saving Too Much For College in a 529 – Now What?

What can you do if you saved too much in a 529

The one year old I started a college fund for back in 2004 was just recently accepted to college. He received several scholarships, took courses for college credit in high school, and will be living at home attending an in-state public university. All that means I don’t need as much in college savings as all those financial calculators said I did. Check out what options we’re looking withdrawing the extra, and revisit an old friend – the College Compact – in action.

Do You Think “You Can’t Get Loans For Retirement But Your Kids Can Get Loans for College”? Wrong.

Can't Get Loans For Retirement

“Your kids can get loans for college, but you can’t get loans for retirement”. This is not always true. When you’re evaluating your college saving and spending strategy, you need to keep in mind that if you earn a high income your children might not be eligible for loans. Read all about when this makes sense, and when it doesn’t.

Creating Your College Compact in Five Easy Steps

A college compact can help you to set priorities and goals for college saving and spending. It’s an agreement you make with yourself and your kids on what you will-and won’t-do when it comes to college. Laying this out ahead of time is a great way to make sure everyone’s on the same page, expectations are set correctly, and you both are clear on what the families priorities are.