Student Loan Repayments May Cost More Than The Amount Borrowed

Changes to repayment rules for Federal student loans offers borrowers flexibility to manage their debts, as outlined in a recent New York Times article.  However, not only do the recent changes provide assistance for current borrowers, potential student loan borrowers can plan ahead. Our recommendations are outlined, alongside excerpts of the article in italics. Rising…

Continue Reading

Guest Post: The Savings for College Challenge, Part Three – How Much to Save in a 529

About the authors: For over 25 years, Cynthia S. Meyers, CFP®, MBA, has assisted people with their Lifetime Financial Planning–helping to build and preserve wealth in every area of life.  Jenny Hood, CFP® has been a paraplanner with Cynthia S. Meyers for five years and enjoys being a part of the financial planning process.   _____________…

Continue Reading

Financial Aid Reality Check (That Won’t Cost Your Checkbook)

We’re hearing from parents of seniors, who’re looking through their check registers and not seeing $30,000 to $60,000 available for next year’s college expenses, nor in their savings or investments.   Actually, we’re hearing from parents of juniors, parents of sophomores, parents of freshmen and parents of pre-schoolers about the continued rise in costs and…

Continue Reading

Potential Can Be Nurtured with Effort: More about College Selection

“Doing your homework”  when it comes to choosing colleges is essential.  A former client and current college freshman’s mom, recently shared her experience how to do that “homework” and how pleased she is with the family’s final choice for her son–UC Santa Cruz.   Her son is growing, even in an unexpected triple roommate situation, and…

Continue Reading

Guest Post: Parent to Parent Advice about College Applications

Norman’s daughter will be starting her Freshman year at the University of Washington in Fall 2012.    He offers the following perspective, having just completing the college application process: _________________________ Applying for college is an exciting time for every family.  It represents all the hopes and dreams that your student has had since he or she…

Continue Reading

Before Choosing Transfer Admissions…

The Community College Transfer option to a 4 Year College, while seeming to save money in the short term, can include other costs.   Currently, community colleges in California are challenged to service their students, given the budget reductions from the state.    At the same time demand is rising for space in California community colleges–300,000 students…

Continue Reading

Prudent Fiscal Planning (Part 4): To Save, Or Not To Save That Is The Question

Previous posts in this series on prudent fiscal planning, focused on the need for fiscal planning, as well as both the income and expense elements of the profit and loss (income and expense) statement. Today, we will look at net income–which is the total after subtracting expenses from income in any given period–and, yes, it…

Continue Reading

Financial Aid 101: Are You Financially Literate?

Paying for college seems out of the ordinary, given the total amount, which creates the “wake-me-up-from-a-dead-sleep-gasping-for-air” feeling.    However, with some foresight, families can approach college expenses together and with less nervousness.    Art Baird, Creative Marbles CEO and financial aid expert, and Jill Yoshikawa, Partner of the Educational Division at Creative Marbles, recorded a recent conversation…

Continue Reading

Prudent Fiscal Planning (Part 3):You can’t always get what you want

In the third part of my ongoing series on Prudent Fiscal Planning, let’s discuss the often bugaboo topic of expenses. After following the suggestions from the last article in the series,  you should now have drafted at least your income scenarios for the short, immediate, and long term. Now, you are ready to look at the other…

Continue Reading

Prudent Fiscal Planning (Part 2): Income’s importance in Fiscal Planning and its Effect on Our Standard of Living

In the first post of the series, I discussed the need for prudent fiscal planning in these difficult economic times. Although it may seem that the economy has turned the corner from the most recent, yet severe economic downturn (recession), there are many storm clouds looming on the global economic horizon that could have a…

Continue Reading