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How to Save for Your Child’s College Without Sacrificing Your Retirement | Ann Garcia, The College Financial Lady

Release Date: 02/21/2023

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Want to support your child’s education, but don’t know where to start? Worried that contributing to your child’s college fund may impact building your retirement account? Saving for college can be nerve-wracking, but we promise this episode will make it less scary and more empowering.

In this episode of Off the Wall, hosts David Armstrong and Jessica Gibbs welcome Ann Garcia, aka The College Financial Lady. Ann is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, Managing Partner of Independent Progressive Advisors, and a mother of twin college students. As The College Financial Lady, Ann has helped thousands of students save money on college education while protecting their parents’ financial futures.

Tune in to learn Ann’s top tips and advice on saving money for college, the different ways you can use your 529 savings plan, and how to take advantage of scholarships and financial aid. Plus, she offers helpful advice on talking to your kids about money and college.

“The sooner you set up a 529 and start an automatic monthly contribution, even if it’s $10 a month, the better off you’re going to be in the long run.” – Ann Garcia

*Please see important podcast disclosure information at https://monumentwealthmanagement.com/disclosures.  

Episode Timeline/Key Highlights:

[00:50] Introducing Ann Garcia & the topic of today’s episode.

[01:56] Is going to college a good investment?

[07:56] The dangers of pushing your child to be a high achiever.

[11:23] Explaining weighted vs. unweighted GPA & Which GPA do colleges look at?

[14:14] Two ways to answer: How much should I save for my kid’s college fund?

[19:44] How to set aside money for a college fund without compromising your retirement.

[22:02] Why you should use a college’s net price calculator.

[23:00] How to roll over surplus 529 money using the new provision in the SECURE 2.0 Act.

[26:52] Talking to your kids about money and college.

[29:40] What you need to know about college scholarships and financial aid.

Resources Mentioned:

Take Ann’s Masterclass - How to Pay for College: http://bit.ly/3YjwvLu

How to Pay for College by Ann Garcia, CFP®: http://bit.ly/3DZkTFs

About Ann Garcia:

Ann Garcia, CFP®, is the Owner of Independent Progressive Advisors, a fee-only Registered Investment Advisor in Portland OR, and author of The College Financial Lady blog (thecollegefinanciallady.com), which has over 15,000 subscribers. In addition, Ann is regularly cited in national media (New York Times, US News & World Report) on the subject of college planning. She earned a BA from the University of California, Berkeley, and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and of NAPFA, the leading association of fee-only financial advisors. Ann is also a parent of twins who are attending their top-choice colleges.

Connect with Ann:

Visit her website: https://thecollegefinanciallady.com

Connect with her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/collegefinanciallady

Connect with Monument Wealth Management:

Visit our website: https://bit.ly/monumentwealthwebsite

Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/MonumentWealthLI

Connect with us on Facebook: https://bit.ly/MonumentWealthFB

About “Off the Wall”:

OFF THE WALL is a podcast for business professionals and high-net-worth investors who want to build wealth with purpose. A little bit Wall Street, a little bit off-the-wall; it's the go-to podcast for straightforward, unfiltered wealth advice on topics that founders, business owners, and executives care about. Learn more about our hosts, Dave and Jessica on our website at https://monumentwealthmanagement.com.

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