As the year winds to a close, it is a good time to assess aspects of your financial plan, such as emergency funds and education savings, and to review interest-rate sensitive areas of your portfolio.
Giving Retirement a Boost with Unused 529 Plan Funds
With the ever-increasing costs of higher education, state-sponsored 529 plans have quickly become a popular vehicle for saving and investing for these expenses. However, a drawback of these tax-advantaged plans has been what to do with leftover funds should the beneficiary not need them. In this month’s blog post, we will discuss what options are available to those with an unused 529 plan funds, including insight into the exciting new option introduced with the passage of the SECURE 2.0 Act in 2022. 
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[Read more…]Understanding the Secure Act 2.0
In 2023, the SECURE Act 2.0 for retirement savings becomes federal law, reshaping tax incentives for years to come by making numerous changes to existing retirement account rules and related tax breaks. Though there are many changes, below are some of the ones that will impact high wage earners, those still working, and those who have or are about to retire.
Next Steps for the Graduate: 5 Alternatives to Attending College
Graduation time is here! High school seniors will walk across the stage and into the next phase of life. Some graduates are certain and excited about their next step. Others may be unsure what the future will bring. If you are feeling uncertain, there are plenty of options to support yourself while gaining valuable life experience. 
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[Read more…]How to Spend Leftover 529 Plan Money
What happens if your child ends up not spending all (or any) of the funds in their 529 plan? Maybe they received a scholarship or opted to enroll in a U.S. Military Academy, and now you need to figure out what to do with the money you saved for them. Although it may seem farfetched that your child will not need every penny, about 10% of families end up having funds leftover that the original beneficiary did not need. To put that in perspective, there are more than 14.8 million 529 plan accounts, and at the end of 2020, they were holding a record-high of $425 billion! If you and your child find yourselves in such a predicament, don’t worry, you have plenty of options to ensure the remaining money is put to good use.
