Search Results for: blog what you need to know about 529 plans

Mission Possible FAQs: Why Are You Against Organized Diets?

I have gotten so many questions about Mission Possible that I’ve started a new ‘sub-feature’ called Mission Possible FAQs. I am always happy to address questions that come to me and will be doing so over the next few days. Feel free to leave any questions below, or in the Mission Possible forum, or of course, you can PM me. One reader asks: Why do you seem to be so down on weight loss programs and diets? Lots of people have been helped by centers like Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig and yet you seem to have some sort of … Continue reading →

Education Savings Plans

Did you know that September is officially “College Savings Month? With the costs of college soaring each year (See my previous article titled College Affordability for more on this subject), most parents are going to need more than one month to save! All kidding aside, making September College Savings Month is an attempt to help make parents aware of different saving options and the value of starting to save early for their children’s college education. One of the most popular options, the 529 plan, recently got even more enticing. Last month President Bush signed the Pension Protection Act into law. … Continue reading →

Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pills?

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has proposed a new idea. They say oral contraceptives should be made available over-the-counter without the need for a prescription. How would this affect your health insurance coverage? In August of 2011, the Affordable Care Act was expanded to include the coverage of women’s preventative health services. This means that all health insurance plans must cover the cost of those services, including all FDA approved forms of contraception, without charging a co-pay or deductible. All health plans, whether they are individual or an employer sponsored health plan, must cover birth control in this … Continue reading →

Get Out of Debt Support

Getting out of debt can be an exciting journey and a worthwhile goal. Just imagine how free you will feel when you owe nothing and can basically live however you want to live. You’ll be able to keep all of that money that you current spend on interest on your debt and apply it to where you want it to go. When you first start down the path of getting out of debt, you’ll want to make sure that you have some support systems in place. Not only will these support systems help you to stay motivated and to stay … Continue reading →

More Tips for Writing Papers

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In a previous article I discussed some tips on how to write a research paper. Very few students make it through school without writing a research paper. Research papers can be stressful and cause much anxiety if they are not well planned and prepared for. In the first article I discussed planning adequate time to create your paper. As a general rule a research paper may take up to 36 hours to complete. While yours may take a much shorter amount of time, do not procrastinate when it comes to getting your work completed. Another key element to having a … Continue reading →

Massachusetts Plan May Allow 16 Year Old Students to Graduate

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Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick plans to unveil a report in the near future that will change the way that children cycle through education. The report comes from the Readiness Project that was created over a year ago. In the report the governor suggests that students in high school be allowed to take an exam that would allow them to graduate early. Students could possibly graduate from high school as early as 16 years of age. The plan also involves the recommendation that all college credits earned be universal throughout the college system. Therefore once a credit is earned it could … Continue reading →

Government Proposal on Student Loans

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With rising tuition prices, very few students attend college without some type of financial help. Government loans are one of the most common. However, they may not be as easy to obtain as they once were. It seems that once again the federal government is taking action in the issue of education. Recently Senators Patty Murray of Washington and Christopher Dodd of Connecticut introduced a proposal that would stop lending institutions from picking and choosing which schools and students were eligible for loans. The proposal came about after an article was published that stated that several lenders had stopped allowing … Continue reading →

Study Says Some Colleges Admit Students Based on Gender

I recently had the television tuned to the world news (which I was not watching) and a headline caught my attention. The newscaster began by saying that girls or women were more likely to attend college. Being an educator, I had to listen for more. He then added that girls often worked harder in school and had more academic ambition than boys. The news story interviewed several teenage girls who commented that they never had any question on whether or not they would attend college. They all said that it was just something that they knew that they wanted to … Continue reading →

Life Stages

Different life stages call for different money goals. Where do you fit in? Getting Started If you are early in your career, it is a perfect time to build a strong financial foundation. Good money goals are: 1. Pay down all your debt. 2. Establish an emergency fund and tuck it away tight. 3. Start up a savings account for longer term goals and larger purchases so you can avoid adding to your debt. 4. Invest in your retirement funds. Shoot for a target of 15% of your income, as early in your life you tend to have less financial … Continue reading →

Tips on Saving and Raising Money for College

The following are some ideas and tips to help you make college a reality for your children. Whatever their ages, if you want to ensure your kids receive a quality education, consider the following options. 1. State Sponsored 529 Plans: This is a profitable scenario if your kids are still quite young. With these plans, not only can you save for college, you can also gain tax breaks as well as receive investment earning that are tax-free. 2. Monthly Savings Plans: Any amount you save will be helpful. Try to get in the habit a setting aside a set amount … Continue reading →