- Jack Wang explains how his personal experience navigating college costs during a divorce inspired him to become an expert in college financial aid planning.
- He discusses the new “big, beautiful bill,” which introduces sweeping changes to college funding and borrowing rules beginning in 2026.
- Parent PLUS loans will soon be limited to $20,000 per year and $65,000 total, ending the previous system of virtually unlimited borrowing.
- Many families focus on helping their child get accepted into college without understanding how they will actually afford it afterward.
- Jack encourages families to prioritize schools that offer the most generous financial aid rather than chasing prestige or name recognition.
- He clarifies that financial aid isn’t just for low-income families—colleges often give significant aid to higher-income households if the student fits their goals.
- Colleges operate like businesses using “enrollment management,” a strategy to attract certain types of students who align with institutional priorities.
- Jack explains that being wanted by a college often leads to larger scholarships than simply being accepted.
- Signs a school may want your student include launching new majors, building new facilities, or heavily recruiting from your region.
- Families should be cautious about applying to overcrowded majors like business, which typically receive less financial aid because demand is already high.
- Understanding each college’s scholarship policies and true costs upfront helps families make smarter, more affordable decisions.
- Jack stresses that financial planning should begin as early as freshman year of high school, since aid decisions rely on sophomore-year tax data.
- Visiting campuses and showing consistent interest can improve a student’s appeal and increase their chances of receiving aid.
- He concludes that families will either spend the time planning early or spend far more money later if they fail to prepare.
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Jean-Baptiste Wautier is here to talk growing global debt and the impact on the economy. He draws on decades of private-equity and macro experience to discuss accelerating global change, arguing that rising debt, AI, and political polarization are reshaping the economic and geopolitical order. We discuss Europe’s recent market strength, China as an unavoidable, though risky, investment given its scale and AI ambitions, and gold and crypto as hedges rather than true currency alternatives. He also warms that global debt dynamics will force restructuring in places like Japan and parts of...
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How To Profit In The Run It Hot Economy
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Douglas Heagren | Follow on Facebook: Follow LinkedIn: Follow on Twitter/X: For more information, visit the show notes at
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College Without Crushing Debt with Shellee Howard
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Shellee Howard is on the show today to talk how to do college without crushign debt for your kids. She shares how her journey as a “mom on a mission” led her to help families navigate the college process strategically, emphasizing early preparation, self-discovery, and return on investment rather than prestige alone. She explains why overcrowded school counselors fall short, how students should clarify their values, talents, and career goals before choosing colleges, and why college should be viewed as a business decision and a stepping stone to adulthood, and not a status symbol. With the...
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The Best Ways to Invest in the Run It Hot Economy
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We're in the middle of a run it hot economy. Today our discussion ranged from geopolitics into markets, including precious metals. Silver’s recent surge is best understood as a reversion toward historical gold–silver ratios rather than a knowable fundamental catalyst. Silver’s parabolic move looks unstable compared to gold’s healthier, slower uptrend. But no one can truly know why prices move, so investors should be clear about why they own precious metals since that purpose should drive allocation size and risk tolerance. We also talk macro conditions, the U.S. may be pursuing an...
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Secret Franchising Profits For Investors
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Barbara Friedberg | Follow on Facebook: Follow LinkedIn: Follow on Twitter/X: For more information, visit the show notes at
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2026 Predictions... This is What Will Outperform in 2026
Money Tree Investing
Douglas Heagren | Follow on Facebook: Follow LinkedIn: Follow on Twitter/X: For more information, visit the show notes at
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Investing in Bitcoin in 2026
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Arrash Yasavoli discusses how you should jump on investing in bitoin in 2026! Arrash's path from data engineering at LinkedIn into quantitative trading, crypto, and building Glitch, a SaaS platform that gives broader access to advanced trading strategies gives a unique perspective into possible 2026 investing plans. We also talk Bitcoin’s role as a potential store of value, the divergence between Bitcoin and altcoins, the growing importance of real utility and valuation in crypto projects, the rise of ETFs and stablecoins as bridges to mainstream adoption, and more. We discuss... Barbara...
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2025 Wrap Up... Year End Surprises
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There are a lot of year end surprises in store with the 2025 wrap up. The year has come to an end and we are here to discuss everything from year-end reflections and personal anecdotes to a broad market outlook. We focused on the recent surge and volatility in precious metals, especially silver, explaining how futures-market leverage and exchange rule changes (like margin requirement hikes) are used to cool speculative excess, why parabolic price moves are unhealthy, and why investors should be cautious in the near term even if long-term fundamentals remain bullish. We also talked government...
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Elliot Holland joins us to explore the realities of building and sustaining a high-quality, trust-driven professional business in an era dominated by AI hype, declining marketing efficiency, and algorithmic noise. We discuss skepticism around AI’s real-world impact especially in high-stakes financial decisions. We also talk marketing and content strategy, why sensationalism and clickbait may win algorithms but will always repel discerning clients. We also unpack our frustrations with modern marketing platforms like Google, Facebook, and HubSpot as they grow increasingly expensive and...
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Today we're sharing the tax loss selling secrets you need to know before 2026! We also talk understanding personal strengths and psychological limits in investing. It's good to avoid shiny-object strategies like day trading and prioritize risk management through diversification. We explore how market structure, valuations, and historical data suggest future returns may be lower and more volatile, making stress-testing portfolios and aligning risk with temperament essential. Remember long-term success comes from discipline, education, adaptability, and thoughtful strategy rather than chasing...
info_outlineAs a college planning expert, Jack Wang breaks down major changes coming to college financial aid under the new “big, beautiful bill.” Jack explains how new borrowing limits for parents and graduate students could upend traditional funding strategies and push more families toward the private loan market. He shares insights on how colleges decide who gets aid—revealing the “moneyball” game of enrollment management—and why being wanted by a school matters more than just being accepted. Jack offers practical advice on how families can spend less on college by targeting schools that align with their financial and academic profiles.
We discuss...
Today's Panelists:
- Kirk Chisholm | Innovative Wealth
- Phil Weiss | Apprise Wealth Management
- Douglas Heagren | Mergent College Advisors
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For more information, visit the show notes at https://moneytreepodcast.com/college-planning-strategies-756