This week I sat down again with Beth Greulich, CFP® to talk through how to financially plan for your kids to go to college and some tricks along the way.

Beth is a Certified Financial Planner™, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, and Partner at Abacus.  After a career in market research, she took some time off to raise a family. As she considered what to do next, she was driven by the memory of her grandmother and her desire to help others who lacked confidence with their money management skills.

As a financial advisor, she works closely with her clients, many of whom are women, to develop a unique and personalized financial plan that solves their specific needs. It’s extremely important to her that each of her clients clearly understand and can visualize the different paths/options that lead them to their financial independence. There are many forks in the road of life, so it’s important and extremely empowering to understand the long-term impact of each decision along the way.

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

• The main concern people have around funding education for their children
• The first step in planning for college for your kids
• When to start exploring college campuses
• The importance of exploring college interests early
• The best time to open a 529 plan
• What it looks like to set up a 529 plan before your child is born
• Where a college fund should rank on your financial priorities
• What should be funded before the college savings account
•  Considerations when thinking about college financial aid
• The most important things for kids to keep in mind while in college
• When to speak to your kid about financial aid available for college
• How subsidized and unsubsidized loans can come into play
• The amount of loan a student can take before having a cosigner
• How to help your children feel empowered when making college decisions
• Shop around and negotiate! Here’s how
• How to financially plan for college if you’re unsure if you child will even attend
• What to do if you have a surplus in your 529 plan

GET SOCIAL WITH BETH AND LET HER KNOW YOU HEARD ABOUT HER HERE

• Abacus Website
• Beth’s e-mail
• Abacus Facebook
• Abacus Twitter
• Abacus LinkedIn