Dear Mr. Market:

Most of the time that we write to you it’s about your temper or volatile behavior and how that affects the average investor. Sometimes, however, it might be good for us to refresh our memory on “why” we invest and put up with all your ups and downs! Most investors certainly don’t watch you just for chuckles ; ideally we all have a purpose and reason to put up with all of your unpredictability and potential promise. With that being said, we would like to review some basic information as well as the pros and cons of saving for college via 529 College Savings Plans.

First and foremost let’s not waste too much time on stating the obvious: College and all the costs that come with it are more expensive than they ever have been. That trend is not reversing anytime soon so if you’re a parent or a grandparent trying to prepare and plan for the future, you need to consider the enormous price tag most universities are charging. Are you sitting down? The average private college tuition in 18 years from now will cost north of $130,000…per year! OK…how about the more reasonable route of going to a public state school? That price tag is estimated to be about Continue reading →