I’ve recently seen a couple members of the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) community speak on the movement that has gained momentum in recent years. While I admire some of the characteristics of adherents of this movement (e.g., careful spending, aggressive saving), and I’ve learned a few new terms (e.g., geo arbitrage, mega Roth), I’m left with some serious questions and concerns about those who are on this path. As a financial planner, here are a few of my observations: Read more
Paying for College without Bankrupting the Retirement Plan
This time of year, parents of high school seniors may find themselves experiencing dual emotions related to their kids – pride over the top-tier colleges their child has been accepted to and shock over how much it’s going to cost. Another emotion might quickly set in for those who haven’t saved enough for college – panic over how in the world they are going to pay for their child’s dream college. With the average annual all-in cost of a private university now approximately $50,000 and some elite schools in the $70,000 range, many people can’t easily pay for college out of cash flow. What’s the panicked parent to do?
Pay Yourself First
Most people know they should be saving for retirement. It never ceases to amaze me how little time and effort people put into thinking about something that has such a large impact on their quality of life.