With three young energetic boys, the growing costs of college education weigh heavily on my mind. Here are the age-based benchmarks we use to ensure that our 529 college savings is on track to meet our goals.
Read More...Budgeting
An important part of managing money is budgeting. We've collected blog posts with tips and advice on budgeting and saving money.
Radio: The Rising Debt of College Education
David John Marotta and Rob Schilling discussed the ways current policy makes college more unaffordable, and what students and parents can do about it.
Read More...How Not to Promote College Innovation
These noble-sounding goals intuitively appear useful, but the federal government has only two ways to encourage change and neither of them helps in this case.
Read More...Stop Borrowing From Yourself
Stop borrowing from your future self. Each day you fail to save is another day where you tighten the ball and chain around your ankle. You deserve better than that.
Read More...How To Buy A College Degree
Unfortunately, Obama’s good intentions are thwarted by the economic principle formulated by banker Charles Goodhart.
Read More...The Economics of a Thanksgiving Turkey
The average factory-farmed frozen turkey from a grocery story is sold for as little as $0.67 per pound. Economics can offer five explanations.
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Giving To Charity In Order to Receive An Annuity
Every nonprofit needs to keep up to date a list of the types of assets that they will accept as donations.
Read More...Do New Healthcare Plans Cost More?
Last year plans were being cancelled. This year, citizens are receiving notifications of rate hikes in the double digits. Is this really happening?
Read More...How Can I Give to My New Grandchild?
My daughter and son-in-law are expecting their first child, and my husband and I want to give some money for the child as a gift. What are my options?
Read More...Appreciating Donor Advised Funds
There are five ways that both you and the government could make charitable giving more significant.
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What Asset Allocation Should I Have For My Schwab Donor Advised Fund?
Keeping your donor advised fund invested could result in more benefit to the charities you support.
Read More...Newlywed To Do List
While you know about the duplicate wedding gifts to exchange or return, and your mother is reminding you to finish writing Thank You notes, you might not remember all the other things you need to do.
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Fourteen Ways to Avoid Paying Capital Gains
The capital gains tax traps wealth in an investment vehicle requiring special techniques to free the capital without penalty.
Read More...Some College Degrees Not Worth the Investment
A typical college degree is worth up to a million bucks over a career, but that’s not true for every degree.
Read More...The Tax Code’s War On Marriage
Two different people can end up with very different amounts of tax owed, simply because of their marital status. You cannot argue this increased tax is their “fair share” simply because they are married.
Read More...How To Bilk Obamacare
Learn how a family of four can qualify for a full subsidy with an income of $140,000 a year.
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Helpful Mobile Budgeting Tool Free For College Students
The good people at You Need A Budget (YNAB) have made their budgeting solution free for college students; including part-time students.
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Where Are You in the Financial Lifecycle?
This may be considered a get rich slowly article but it has more to do with learning to manage your resources and emotions around money.
Read More...Budgeting Lite
With less than two minutes a day and a smartphone, Budgeting Lite will help you become more mindful about your spending and regain a sense of control over your finances.
Read More...How Much Should I Save for College?
I’ve learned to develop a thick skin when sharing ideas with the masses but if these commenters represent some general barometer of financial sanity, we appear to be losing the battle.
Read More...Does Buy Term and Invest the Difference Still Work?
Imagine these two strategies competing in a track race. It’s as if one runner were told to wait until the other finished her first lap before beginning.
Read More...Age-Based Benchmarks for 529 College Savings (2014)
529 Colleges Savings Articles: 1. Power Fund a 529 Account Via ’5 Year Election’ 2. The Beginning of the End for Skyrocketing College Costs? 3. 529 Gift to the Grandchildren
Read More...Annual Exclusion From Gift Taxes
There is a limit, or exclusion–an amount that the government will allow you to gift to a person per year, without incurring tax consequences.
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If It’s TEOTWAWKI, Should I Have Paid Off My Mortgage?
Why would you want to use valuable dollars today when you can use cheaper dollars over the next three decades?
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When Helping Hurts
Much of the assistance Americans provide to those in need is doing more harm than good.
Read More...Housing Market Picking Up and Interest Rates Rising
I expect we have seen the bottom of both the housing market and 30-year fixed interest rates.
Read More...How to Calculate An Advisor’s Value: Liability-Relative Optimizing
Planning on future cash needs allows you to use specific accounts for tax planning purposes.
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Newlywed Checklist: Name Change, part 3
When a woman gets married she often changes her name. Once you’ve changed your name at the Social Security Administration, the DMV, your employer and employer benefits, and your passport, it’s time for the last few changes.
Read More...Newlywed Checklist: Name Change, Part 2
The DMV was my second stop in the name-change process because it makes subsequent name changes easier.
Read More...Financial Questions for the Serious Couple
Studies show that couples argue most about finances. Being on the same page about finances will allow you to enjoy a life that focuses on your needs and goals and will help you achieve them smartly.
Read More...The Beginning of the End for Skyrocketing College Costs?
With this announcement, we are finally starting to see online education cause disruptions that can slow soaring college costs.
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Links Exist Between Your Generosity and Your Friends
The study also found that when wealthy people are heavily clustered in a neighborhood, their generosity drops.
Read More...Power Fund a 529 Account Via ’5 Year Election’ in 2013
Investing a large lump sum amount into a college 529 savings plan using a special ’5 year election’ can offer substantial tax savings.
Read More...The Only Right Answer To “Debit or Credit?”
“Debit or Credit?” is a trick question. There is only one right answer and it’s not the one that benefits the store whose asking.
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