Good Financial Reads: College Planning 101

8 Thing You May Not Know About 529 Plans

by Jiyao Xu, X and Y Advisors, Inc 

When it comes to 529 plans, people are mostly talking about 529 savings plans which work like your 401k plans by contributing and investing your money in mutual funds. Your account value will depend on the performance of the investment you choose in the plan.

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Spending Down the Funds You've Saved for College

by Michelle Smalenberger, Financial Design Studio, Inc

Now that you’ve saved for college you’re likely thinking which funds do I use first?  You may have money saved in a variety of accounts. Let’s discuss a great order of how to spend the funds down.

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How Much to Save for College?

by Michelle Smalenberger, Financial Design Studio, Inc

Now that you have a child or grandchild you may want to help them plan for college.  When they’re young we have time to plan ahead. We are going to look at a few different options to show the difference between college choices.  This will give you some idea to begin the conversation.

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College Funding Overview

by Michelle Smalenberger, Financial Design Studio, Inc

College planning is a topic we get asked about a lot for two reasons: the importance of the decision and the magnitude of it, or the money involved.

You, as a parent, should think through the values you want to pass down to your kids.  Do you want them to focus on school and their grades? Or do you want them to have some skin in the game and be working during school or getting loans?  

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Following along with the blogs of financial advisors is a great way to access valuable, educational information about finance — and it doesn’t cost you a thing! Our financial planners love to share their knowledge and help everyone regardless of age or assets.