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College
Teaching Your College-Age Child about Money
When your child first started school, you doled out the change for milk and a snack on a daily basis. But now that your kindergartner has grown up, it’s time for you to make sure that your child has enough financial knowledge to manage money at college. Lesson 1: Budgeting 101 Perhaps your child already…
Read MoreHow can I save for my child's college education?
This is a very broad question that’s difficult to answer without knowing your individual situation. The option(s) you choose will depend on a number of factors: Your need for strategies with tax advantages (some investments and savings vehicles offer special tax advantages if the money is used to pay college expenses) Your certainty that your…
Read MoreThe Joys and Financial Challenges of Parenthood
Parenthood can be both wonderfully rewarding and frighteningly challenging. Children give gifts only a parent can understand–from sticky-finger hugs to heartfelt pleas to tag along on Saturday morning errands. You raise them with a clear goal that you secretly dread will actually take place–that someday they will be grown, independent, and ready to move out…
Read MoreSetting and Targeting Investment Goals
Go out into your yard and dig a big hole. Every month, throw $50 into it, but don’t take any money out until you’re ready to buy a house, send your child to college, or retire. It sounds a little crazy, doesn’t it? But that’s what investing without setting clear-cut goals is like. If you’re…
Read MoreFinancial Aid 101
Many parents pay for college with a combination of current income, savings, and financial aid. By learning the basics of financial aid, you’ll be able to understand how the aid process works and compare the aid awards your child receives. What is financial aid? Financial aid is money distributed primarily by the federal government and…
Read MoreFebruary is Financial Aid Awareness Month
The U.S. Department of Education has named February Financial Aid Awareness Month. This is the time of year when many families file the FAFSA (the government’s aid application) and the CSS Profile (the standard college aid application). We will focus this weeks blogs on all things financial aid–stay tuned!
Read MoreHelping Your Child Make the Transition from High School to College
Though you won’t be able to ride along in your child’s suitcase, there are ways you can help him or her make the adjustment to college. You can start by talking with your child about certain subjects before he or she leaves for college and familiarizing yourself with the emotions that he or she will…
Read MorePositioning Your Income/Assets to Enhance Financial Aid Eligibility
What does it mean to enhance your financial aid eligibility? If you qualify for federal financial aid, there are a number of strategies you can try to implement to enhance the amount of aid your child will receive when you apply for financial aid. The idea is to lower your expected family contribution (EFC), which…
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