We all want the best for our children – for them to have every opportunity to grow and learn and to make a success of their life. The challenge we face as parents of young is how to properly fund our children’s education without draining our current cash flow.
What should you do if they are a few years away from college and your education fund won’t be enough? How can you increase your chances of getting financial aid? What tax benefits might be available to you? Your professional advisors are able to help you answer these question and any others you may have. With the costs of a college education rising every year, the keys to funding your child’s education are to plan early and invest shrewdly. However, there are steps you can take if you get a late start. Moreover, there are a number of effective techniques for increasing financial aid opportunities and reducing taxes.
The thought of funding your child’s education—the cost of which has grown at about 6% a year— can be mind-boggling. However, proper planning can lessen the financial squeeze considerably, especially if you start when your child is young.
We can help you to make the right financial decisions and begin saving for that college education today.
Preparing for the pitter-patter of little feet can be such an exciting, heady time that it can be easy to overlook some of the more serious issues relating to this event. As soon as you start your family, financial planning for the future becomes even more essential. How will you finance childcare, medical bills, food, education, clothing, toys, and education savings? What will you need to spend money on and how much will each item cost? It’s important to take into consideration the ongoing costs associated with starting and raising a family. To get you started, here are some of the things you’ll need to factor into your financial planning:
- Doctor and hospital expenses
- Nursery furniture and clothing
- Baby supplies and equipment
- Formula
- Childcare
- Healthcare
- Toys and clothes
- Education costs
- Extra curricular activities (e.g., ballet classes, school camps, sporting events and activities)
- Doctor and medical expenses
- Increased insurance
Be certain you’re well prepared. Talk with us today about how best to prepare for a life-changing event such as the birth of a child.
Goodness knows you have more than enough to organize when you’re preparing for a marriage. Not only is it a time filled with excitement and happiness – it’s also a hectic busy time. All too often the financial implications of marriage (and of divorce and re-marriage) are overlooked, or not considered fully in the excitement.
People who have recently changed their marital status or who are planning such a change may have important financial and legal decisions to make. These decisions might deal with property ownership, providing for children’s welfare, postmortem planning and day-to-day finances. You should always consult with your financial advisor to discuss the financial steps appropriate to a change in marital status.
If, at the other end of the scale, you are considering a divorce, it’s imperative that you take appropriate action to plan for the dissolution of the financial partnership in your marriage. Such dissolution involves dividing the financial assets you have accumulated during the years of marriage. If there are children involved, future support given to the custodial parent must be planned for. If you take the time and the correct measures now to prepare and plan for all eventualities, it will pay off later on. As always, you should seek the advice of your professional advisors to ensure you take the steps that are appropriate to your individual situation.
