Over the past twenty years, our team of advisors has built literally hundreds of financial plans for our clients. At any given time, we’re in the process of crafting a dozen or more new ones. Many of these plans are for married couples, but a significant number are for single parents, who have either never […]
Could Applying For College Financial Aid Be Getting Easier?
Could it be that applying for financial aid for college will finally get a bit easier? The federal Education Department recently announced that the notoriously complicated federal financial aid form known as FAFSA will shortly be available in a user-friendly mobile form. The FAFSA (or Free Application for Federal Student Aid), which calculates how much […]
Big Changes to Oregon’s 529 College Savings Plan
With school back in session for Oregon’s students, it’s time for parents to respond to recent changes made to Oregon’s 529 education savings plan. TIAA CREF has been replaced as the Plan Administrator by Sumday Administration, LLC, a subsidiary of BNY Mellon. As a result, current Oregon 529 plan account owners are temporarily unable to […]
Oregon says “no” to 529 plan use for private schools
A few weeks ago we noted that Congress, though the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, allowed owners of 529 education plan accounts to pay for private school tuition for kindergarten through 12th grade. Funds taken from a 529 plan to pay for private school will not be subject to federal income taxes. However, we […]
The Oregon College Savings Plan and Tax Reform
As we mentioned in an earlier post, Congress made changes to 529 education plans when it passed The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in December 2017. It is now possible to use a 529 plan to pay up to $10,000 per year, per student for private school tuition for kindergarten through 12th grade. This is […]
You can now use a 529 Plan to pay for private school
The tax reform legislation signed into law on December 22, 2017, brings several important enhancements to 529 college savings plans. Beginning on January 1, 2018, account owners may take tax-free withdrawals up to $10,000 annually from their accounts for tuition expenses at public, private, or religious schools. This provision applies to elementary, middle, and high […]
How can I save for my children’s college education?
College. It is one of the biggest expenses that those who have children will face during their lives. Only home ownership and retirement present larger financial commitments for most Americans. The median price of a new home in the US was $300,200 in August of this year (US Census Bureau). Retired households spend an average […]
Do my retirement accounts count when applying for college financial aid?
Many parents may not be familiar with the process for applying for, and qualifying for, financial aid for college. They may also not know which assets hurt their chances for receiving financial aid, and which do not. Understanding the process is especially relevant, because parents are now able to begin filing for financial aid for […]
The cost of college – to save or not to save?
The New Times recently published a very helpful article on understanding college savings strategies in their “Your Money” section. “FAFSA”, “EFC”, “Pell Grant”, and more. Financial aid for college is as much art as it is science. Determining your family’s Expected Family Contribution is critical, and the EFC formula is intricate. For example, your income […]
A beginner’s guide to repaying student loans
A beginner’s guide to repaying student loans, from the New York Times in May, 2014.