Oct 10

Do Federal Reserve rates affect student loans?

In September 2018, the Federal Reserve increased the federal funds rate by 0.25%. That change can have an impact on student loan interest rates. If you are in the middle of taking out student loans, you may be wondering how changes in Federal Reserve rates affect them and if interest... read more →

Oct 05

FAFSA Mistakes To Avoid

Every October 1st, the FAFSA onslaught begins. Articles and social media posts pop up about it, and unless you are on a vacation island somewhere with no internet, you probably have seen something. We’re going to add our two cents. We wanted to share some of the common FAFSA mistakes... read more →

Sep 21

Saving for Retirement AND Paying Off Student Loans?!

Many college graduates are trying to pay off their student loans AND save for retirement. They are failing. Retirement is being put on hold while they focus on simply making their student loan payments. Adults are still paying student loan debt into their 40s. 7.3 million borrowers are in their... read more →

Sep 21

College Students and Credit Cards

According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the total credit card balance in the US reached $829 billion in the second quarter of 2018. (This number pales in comparison to the total student loan debt figure of $1.41 trillion.) Starting out life with large credit card debt will... read more →

Sep 12

All You Need to Know About the FSA ID

We highly recommend every college student complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA every year. High school seniors will complete the form for the first time starting in October of their senior year. (The online form goes live on October 1st every year.) The very first step... read more →

Sep 06

How Much Do College Textbooks Cost

Tuition, room, and board...those are the big ticket, cringe-worthy costs of going to college. However, parents would be wise to take a moment to think about the high cost of college textbooks. These costs can not be ignored. Many of us may be thinking that with the explosion of online... read more →

Aug 30

NYU Announces Free Medical School Tuition

Imagine this. You are a new med school student sitting in a room full of other med school students for your White Coat Ceremony--being given your white lab coats, a symbol of the start of your medical education. As part of the program, you are informed that your tuition is... read more →

August 30, 2018
Joe Messinger, CFP®
College Planning, Financial Planning, In The News

Aug 23

What Expenses Can Be Paid from a 529 Plan?

You have planned for this moment. Your child is starting their first semester in college. You have saved what you could in a 529 savings plan. Now is the time to pay the bill. What expenses can be paid tax free from the 529 plan? What exactly are “qualified expenses”?... read more →

Aug 16

College Entrance Loan Counseling

If federal student loans are part of the plan to pay for college (and for most students they are!), then college entrance loan counseling will also be on the “to do” list for students heading to college. Years ago, students were expected to read the paperwork about their loan and... read more →

Aug 09

Pros and Cons of Community College

Community college can be a valuable consideration when thinking about the options available after high school. Students fail to graduate college because of the high cost, their lack of college readiness, or outside responsibilities and scheduling difficulties. Faced with these challenges today, families should at least take a moment to... read more →