Finance your child s education stress free

In 2002, the average annual cost for a public university was $9,338. It is estimated that by 2017, the average annual cost will be $19,413. And that’s just for tuition and credit fees. Let’s not forget about room and board, books, food, clothes and extra activities. With those figures it mind, it would be wise to start planning for your child’s education today. You already know about loans and scholarships but those aren’t the only options. You don’t have to go into debt! There are several choices to help you prepare for your child’s future. 529 Plans A 529 or qualified tuition program is a (federal) tax-free investment plan that allows families to save for their childrens college educations. Each state has its own 529 plan and you do not have to be a resident of a particular state to invest in that state's plan. The 2 types of plans include: Prepaid Tuition Plans – These plans allow you to pay for your child’s in-state tuition at today’s prices. These accounts are low-risk and they are guaranteed to match or exceed in-state inflation. However, these plans are often limited to state residents and the cost may not be covered if your child decides to attend an in-state private university. Education Savings Accounts - Or college savings plans are investment accounts whose value fluctuates with the market. They can be used at eligible public and private universities - there are no residency requirements. Additionally, some plans have high contribution limits per beneficiary and you can contribute up to $11,000 per year without paying a gift tax. Savings Accounts Even if your child only has a few years until it’s time to go to college, it’s never too late to begin saving. Determine where you can cut costs and put that money into a high-interest savings account. For example, instead of buying 2 video games as a birthday present, buy one and put the extra money into a savings account. What about Christmas and Hanukkah? Sure, it’s fun to open presents but I guarantee that the novelty of those gifts will soon be forgotten and later on your child will thank you for making sure that their education was financed in a stress-free way. Here is a tip: look for a FDIC insured bank that is based online. These banks offer higher interest rates because they don’t have the operating overhead of having branches. The work the same way as a regular bank except that there is no physical branch. You deposit money through your current checking account and receive monthly statements either via email or through the mail.

How to get free stuff

: You really can get free stuff, but yes, sometimes there are strings attached. For example, when we were at universal studios I got a free backpack. The catch? I spent six minutes filling out a credit card application. On the other hand, we ate pretty well on free sample days at local food stores when we lived in Tucson, and there really weren't any strings attached, other than the risk of being sold a delicious new food. Check ut the easy freebies that follow. Free Entertainment Many libraries carry movies on DVD, and most at least have documentaries. We 've even seen music videos on DVD in one library. The only cost? The time to get a library card. Want free concerts? Festivals usually have some free musical entertainment. For example, the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City, Michigan has free entertainment every night during the week-long festival, including many recognizable bands and (often) a Beatles tribute band. Go to Google and type in "festival" and the name of towns around you to find these freebies. Free Vacations In Hawaii, Costa Rica or Colorado, someone is just waiting for you to come and stay in their house while they are away. You may have to water the plants, and even get the mail for them, but you get to stay in a beautiful home in a sunny place. Sometimes you even get paid for these vacations. The only catch is that to find these opportunities, you may have to subscribe to one of the newsletters that list them. We camped for ten days in our van, at Williams Landing, east of Tallahassee, Florida, on Lake Talquin. It's a beautiful place, and even has hot showers. Our cost? Zero - and you can stay up to two weeks. There are many free campgrounds scattered around the country. To find them, buy a Woodall's directory from any large RV dealer. Camping can be an essentially free vacation if done right, because you may spend less than if you stayed home. More Ways To Get Free Stuff Many states give away free road maps. Some also give away free legal forms, like statutory wills. Check the state's online sites. You can get free dental x-rays at some dental colleges. Be patient, as the students are just learning, but an experienced technician is always with them. When done, you'll get the x-rays to take to your own dentist, which can save you $30 to $80. Some schools charge a small fee, but is always less than the regular cost. Many utility companies offer free "energy audits." They'll come to your home and find the places where you are wasting energy. Some even han out free kits for caulking windows and weather-stripping doors. call and ask. Want free, confidential business advice from a business expert? Go to the website of "SCORE" (Service Corps of Retired Executives). These are successful business executives who volunteer time to help others in business. Some restaurants will give you a free dinner on your birthday. Others give a free birthday cake. Bars will often buy your first drink for you if it's your birthday. How do you find the ones that do this? The way you always discover how to get free stuff - just ask.

Financial planner basics

What is financial planning, and why it is crucial for you. Even if you do not think you are a financial planner, you better start thinking like one fast. In the United States, there is an approximate of 5.6 million people who are either self-made millionaires or financially independent. And what is so hard to believe about that statistic, you ask? This is because that is only about 5% of the American population. The remaining 95% of the American population (we're talking about 106.4 million people here!) are not only not rich, but most of them are facing financial disasters, either owing to poor financial planning or foolish spending!. This is why you should start thinking like a financial planner. Financial planning is not so complicated, and it can make a huge difference in your life. As the saying goes, "failing to plan is planning to fail". Much of the same can be said if you do not plan your finances well, it does not matter if you are a high earner, you still need financial planner skills, to keep you form harms way and to ensure that your life will be financially secured. The fact of the matter is that financial planning Is Not An Option, most of us need to think ahead today, and you should practice your financial planner skills right away to enjoy the money you make today in the future. The basics of financial planning is to keep all your finance in order, this is very basic advice, alright. However, more often than not, we would rather concentrate on other things in life such as health, studies, work and more. Think about the things you want to achieve in life, and how you are going to get there, financial planner always set his goals and puts some order in his thought before starting to actually put the wheels in motion. Financial planning can include buying a house, paying for your children education and thinking about a retirement fund. Financial planning will help you use your current pay check and your saving to start working on a program that will give you peace of mind on the financial level, a financial planner will plan a budget according to every household’s expenditure budgeted and a savings plan drawn up, this will help you spend your money wisely and effectively. A financial planner will consider having savings invested in an investment vehicle that pays higher returns than the normal bank account, it will add in some muscle to your savings and help you reach your financial goals in a shorter period of time. By starting your retirement planning now (not later!), you can gauge how much money you will need to maintain your current lifestyle and where this money will come from. Many people, especially those who have just started working, always put their retirement planning on the back burner for reasons such as “I just started work” and “Oh, I am still young”. Many, however, fail to realize that by starting early to save for retirement, you will be able to save and invest more due to the magic of “compounding interest”, provided that you invest your savings wisely. Maybe you do not have to wait until the age of 65 to retire. For all you know, by the age of 40, you might have already reached your financial independence and do not have to worry about getting up early to clock in or work until late hours because there are deadlines to meet.