College Archives | Page 2 of 15

Negotiate for Better College Financial Aid

Jun 30 2016

You may not think of a college acceptance letter as the beginning of negotiations but it can be. You can graduate college without crippling debt. LearnVest offers, “4 Tips to Negotiate Your Way to a Better Financial Aid Package” for those who want to leverage an acceptance letter to decrease their college tuition bill. With rolling admissions, you may not be asking at the exact same time as other students.

Don’t Just Show Up. LearnVest advises you to not simply arrive at the school’s financial aid office hoping to talk to someone. Instead, you should figure …

Find ways to save money when you fund College education

Dec 26 2015

It is a well-known fact that funding a child’s college education costs tremendous amounts of money these days. No denial about that. I know it first-hand having funded college education for three children in the last eight years! In fact, that is the reason why we all should carefully examine any whichever method that helps us reduce these costs. So, the question is: is there a way you can save money in the process? Thanks to tax laws (and some very recent tax deals), yes you can. While the finest details are in IRS Publication 970, let me try… Read More

Student Loan Debt Doesn’t Have to Derail Your Life

Oct 06 2015

aLast week, we discussed how college teaches real-life lessons about financial planning, emphasizing that figuring out how to manage money can set one up for fiscal responsibility during the college years and beyond. But some people derail their lives before classes start by taking on more student loan debt than necessary. Bankrate.com is one of many media outlets to report that student loan debt has caused some people to alter life plans. According to a Bankrate Money Pulse survey:

“45% of Americans with student loans, and 56% of those between 18 and 29, have put off a major

50 Shades of 529’s: What College Plan Dominates?

Oct 21 2014

Eric’s Note: Tax benefits are specific to Alabama. Originally published at www.mcclainlovejoy.com: http://wp.me/p31Bd2-w9

Does the thought of a $100,000 college bill for one kid leave you feeling out of control? You can use a 529 college savings plan to save and pay for college in a tax preferential way

529 is tax code section which enables states to setup and offer college savings accounts. They come in two flavors–Prepaid Tuition plans, which we generally suggest you avoid.

Ccontributory plans or 529 college savings accounts which operate like a 401k/403b retirement plans with contributions dedicated to a single goal: paying …

How To Save (and Pay) for College

Mar 28 2014

Saving for college is a priority among many parents. Often we are asked about the right savings vehicle for college education. There are a few that parents can choose from between Coverdell ESAs, prepaid tuition and 529 college savings savings plans.

We’ll discuss the 529 plan here. The 529 plan is essentially a college savings vehicle very similar to an IRA or an employer-sponsored plan. Depending on the state you live in your state may have a 529 plan that will have access to stock and bond mutual funds and or a pre-determined mix that will invest the money and …

Category - College

Does the thought of a $100,000 college bill for one kid leave you feeling out of control? You can use a 529 college savings plan to save and pay for college in a tax preferential way