College

Advantages of a 529 Plan in 2021

2023-05-11T15:32:29-04:00April 26th, 2021|Blog, Financial Planning, Investments|

Advantages of a 529 Plan in 2021 By: Stacey Nickens The education landscape has changed significantly in the past decade, especially during the past year. Students have greater technological needs, especially with many students moving to a remote learning environment. Many families and students have to take on debt to cover educational expenses, and [...]

Scam Alert: Watch Out for New Tax Refund Scam

2023-05-11T15:33:50-04:00April 2nd, 2021|Blog, Taxes|

Scam Alert: Watch Out for New Tax Refund Scam By: Stacey Nickens Scammers are currently targeting people associated with colleges, universities, and other educational institutions, Students and staff who have ".edu" email addresses may receive an email with the IRS logo. These emails are often accompanied by the subject lines "Tax Refund Payment" or [...]

UTMA vs 529: Which plan should I choose?

2023-09-19T13:25:26-04:00January 4th, 2021|Blog, Financial Planning, Investments|

You may be considering saving for your child or grandchild's future educational needs. You could use an UTMA (Uniform Transfer to Minors Act) or 529 Plan to save money for a minor beneficiary. Opening either account allows you to invest contribution funds. However, while the two savings vehicles are often discussed together, UTMAs and [...]

Is financial aid taxable?

2016-11-22T21:57:28-05:00July 31st, 2015|Blog|

With summer coming to an end, you or your children or grandchildren may be headed off to college during the next couple of months. Earning a college degree opens so many doors, but of course, it comes with significant expenses. Thankfully, many colleges and non-profits offer financial support to help off-set these expenses. Even still, [...]

Saving for College vs. Retirement

2023-09-21T15:54:47-04:00May 14th, 2015|Retirement, Saving for College|

When budgeting each month, many parents face a trade off between saving for retirement versus saving for your children’s college education. In this trade off, retirement savings may be partially or entirely sacrificed for your children’s future — a valiant decision in the short term that may have serious long-term implications. With this in mind, [...]