The new SECURE Act rules dictate that inherited IRAs need to be distributed within a 10 year time period. There are a number of other changes implemented with the SECURE Act, but

Searching for the right college for your children is a very overwhelming task. There are many things to consider and address when looking for the right college for your kids, but there is one major mistake that can set up children and their families for an overwhelming financial struggle.

The FAFSA is primarily used determine a student’s eligibility for financial aid. Filling out the FAFSA will determine families Expected Family Contribution (EFC) toward their kid’s college expenses. A family’s EFC is the minimum amount they will be expected to pay for college.

The thought of having two, or even three kids in college at the same time sounds daunting, but there is good news. A family's Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is a per household number and not a per student number.

When you begin saving for college it is important to understand how the accounts you are investing in will be taxed, as well as how each account affects your child’s ability to get financial aid. Below is a short list of ways to save for college education.

Most families I work with want to help their kids pay for college, and with annual price tags that can reach over $70,000; most students have to take out loans. The latest numbers say 71% of college graduates will have some kind of student loan. For most families, the question is what kind of loan should you get. Here are a number of ways that families may choose to pay for a college shortfall.

If your student’s number one school doesn’t give the best offer, it will benefit you to have other offers to share with your first choice. Appealing the initial offer will often result in more financial aid from your first choice.

The ideal circumstance would be for a family to have saved enough money to cover the entire cost of college, or have enough income to pay for college out of pocket. However, the reality is that very few families have the resources to fund four years of college. The average 529 plan savings is a little over $20,000, which normally won’t cover one year of school! Due to the cost and complexity, having a plan to pay for college is essential.

An important part of the college planning process for every family is knowing and understanding your Expected Family Contribution, also known as your EFC. How you find your EFC, what your EFC tells you, and the importance of knowing it, are all things I discuss below to help you through this college planning process.