Key Takeaways: Your income reserve should come from the spending your portfolio has to cover. Subtract dependable income like Social Security and pensions from your monthly spending, then decide how
Key Takeaways Sticker price and net price are not the same thing. Institutional grants can dramatically reduce the cost of certain private colleges. Higher-income families may still qualify for need-based
Determining financial aid is based on a family’s “need.” Need is determined by looking at a family’s income and assets — and, in some financial aid applications, expenses like medical
Key Takeaways Reporting assets under the wrong family member or including non-assessable accounts like retirement can artificially inflate your Student Aid Index (SAI) and reduce aid eligibility. Confusing FAFSA rules
Key Takeaways: A retirement paycheck isn’t one investment doing a salary’s job. It’s several resources, Social Security, pensions, cash, and your portfolio, coordinated into one system.
Key Takeaways: Your savings balance doesn’t answer the income question on its own. What matters is what your retirement life is actually expected to cost each month once
Key Takeaways The FAFSA uses the Federal Methodology (FM) to assess income and assets without considering expenses, determining eligibility for federal and state aid. The CSS Profile uses the Institutional
For families with a student headed to college, financial aid can feel like a black box. Between a federal formula that has changed significantly in recent years, differences from one
Key Takeaways Gift aid and self-help aid are not the same thing — only scholarships and grants lower your bottom line; loans and work-study still have to be earned or
Key Takeaways: Start with the after-tax income you actually need. A tax-efficient plan works backward from the spending your life requires, then figures out how much of that your portfolio
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Capstone Wealth Partners is a fee-only independent Registered Investment Advisor in Columbus, Ohio. We are financial planners for college-bound families.
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