Before You Root for Your Favorite Teams during March Madness, Do You Know How Much These Colleges Cost? It’s time for March Madness basketball. Yep, when everyone fills out their brackets and watches some of the best college players in the country go head-to-head. But did you ever realize how expensive some of these schools are? Well, hold onto your pom-poms because it’s getting expensive out ... Read More
Paying for College
Financial Planning Tips for Market Basket Employees
Paychecks will be a lot lighter over the next few weeks as the Market Basket employee protest continues. Now more than 25,000 employees will be feeling even more wallet pain as their hours get reduced and quarterly bonuses shrink. As a loyal customer, former part-timer (Store #18 in Methuen) and now financial planner, I'm offering these financial planning tips for Market Basket employees to help ... Read More
Financial Planning Roadmap
Wouldn't it be nice if money came with a user manual or a road map? Well, here it is, folks. You have asked and the financial planning powers that be (or at least the folks at Bloomberg BusinessWeek) have answered. Click here for the Financial Planning Flowchart. For the Do-It-Yourselfer in all of us, this fun, interactive chart is a great tool. But like any tool, it's not right for all ... Read More
Young Parents Preparing for College Expenses: Part 2
Question for the Boston Money Coach: What should I be doing now to prepare for my children's college expenses? This is the second part of an answer to this question posed by parents of two young children worried about the rising costs of higher education and student loan debts. Confused about where to start, they need help from Boston's Money Coach. Response from Boston Money Coach - Steve ... Read More
Young Parents Preparing for College Expenses: Part 1
Question for the Boston Money Coach: What should I be doing now to prepare for my children's college expenses? I have two young children and am worried about the rising costs of higher education and student loan debts. I've read about college-savings plans but don't know where to start. Response from Boston Money Coach - Steve Stanganelli: You should talk with a financial planner who can ... Read More
Ask the Money Coach: Paying for Children’s College
What should I be doing now to prepare for my children's college expenses? Question:) I have two young children and am worried about the rising costs of higher education and student loan debts. I've read about college-savings plans but don't know where to start. Money Coach's Answer: You should talk with a financial planner who can outline your options. There is more to paying for ... Read More
College Financial Aid Insider
Too many parents find out after the fact that they could have qualified for financial aid but didn't. Why? They didn't know how to properly value their home and rental properties or investment assets. When it comes to determining eligibility for financial aid, income counts for quite a bit, but your assets are a big part of the formula, too. Now is not the time to allow your ego for a big net ... Read More
Financial Aid Myths Versus Reality
College Financial Aid Myths versus Reality Some may say that it doesn't matter. They say that they make too much money or have too many assets to qualify for aid. It’s a myth that families earning more than $50,000 will not get aid. Even families earning well into the six-figures may qualify for financial aid. Other myths I come across in my college financial planning practice ... Read More
Diplomas at a Discount
Lower the Cost of College without Breaking the Bank or Your Retirement Nest Egg School season begins once again. It’s hard to imagine but here we are at the end of another summer. Yellow buses roll. Marching bands practice. And it’s time for some high school football. While it’s hard enough to stay focused on all the classwork, homework and after-school activities at hand, there’s ... Read More
Winning Strategies for College Funding: Strategy 2 in a Series
Hang Out with the Locals While parents may be nostalgic about their days on campus and movies glamorize the experience, let's look at the reality for the moment. One reason college is so expensive is because it is an emotional purchase. So colleges can and do charge whatever the market will bear in our free market system. But let's take a cold, hard look at the numbers. With the average ... Read More
