Financial Aid Is Not An Education Funding Strategy.
We’ll help you plan for a quality education in conjunction with your long term financial goals.
Your financial planning may include sending your children off to college. And the earlier you plan, the better. Higher education requires an investment and a strategy to fund it. Here are questions we can answer for you:
- How much do I need to save for my child’s college education?
- What is the best way to save for college?
- Can a 529 be used for all education expenses? Even outside of my resident state?
- Do I need to complete the FAFSA if I know my child won’t qualify for any financial aid?
- When do I need to complete the FAFSA?
- How often do I make a distribution from my 529 account to pay for my child’s education?
- Does taking money from my 529 account affect my taxes?
Planning for education can be a complex challenge. We’ll create a financial plan and monitor your progress so you know exactly where you stand.
An Education Plan Factors Many Considerations.
You need to save for your child’s college education, but what amount do you need to save, and where will it come from?
Many factors go into funding and paying for college—like the number of children you have, their ages, where they’ll go to school, and the educational aspirations they have. We’ll help you take the details into account and build the right financial plan for your child’s future.
Financial Goal Setting
In-state? Out of state? Public? Private? How many years? We start by understanding the education you envision for your children—and then devise a plan to get there. This includes evaluating in-state or out of state tuition, public or private university and length of time for the degree.
Inflation Projections with Education
What will college tuition cost 10-15 years from now? What will private schools cost 4-5 years from now? Whether planning for future children or the education of your current children, we help identify the expected real costs.
Education Investment Strategy
We will identify the best and most effective college savings account for you, and determine if we should use a 529, UTMA or another alternate plan. Some investments are better than others, depending on your goals. We help you start or grow an investment plan for college and discuss other factors to consider.
Tuition Payment Planning
We’ll plan for the best ways to pay for your child’s tuition, including if you should utilize your own savings. We help you properly decide when and how much to distribute from savings to pay for your child’s education so that you help your child, and keep your own sound financial plan.
Financial Aid for College
You may wonder if you should fill out the FAFSA even if you think you don’t qualify. We provide comprehensive support to navigate the financial aid structures of your children’s colleges, guiding you with the best courses of action for you and your child’s future.
Think you could benefit from a pragmatic approach to financial planning? Let’s have a conversation to see how we may be able to help.
Know Exactly What You Pay Your Financial Advisor—And Why.
When saving for a child’s education, it’s important you receive objective advice that’s truly in your family’s best interest.
Unlike other advisors who mask their fees with seemingly marginal percentages, or make commission from the sale of products, we operate from a core belief: our primary focus is to enhance your wealth, not ours.
That’s true fiduciary responsibility.
Transparent Fee-Only Structure
We charge a clear fee for the time and resources it takes the do the planning work required.
Dollars, Not Percentages
We believe it’s unfair to pay more simply because you’re worth more. That’s what a percentage-based fee does. Our fixed-dollar fees reflect our work, not your net worth.
No Commissions
We don’t receive compensation for the sale of securities, insurance products, or other investments.
No Performance-Based Fees
Performance-based compensation creates an incentive for advisors to recommend riskier investments.
No Hidden Costs
We don’t pay referral fees to third-parties, participate in wrap-fee programs, or charge fees for work we don’t perform.
We Work For You
Some firms make money from referral fees. Not at PDS. The only person who pays us is you.
We Know How to Help— Regardless of Your Circumstances.
Whether you’re planning for a future family, have young children, or want to help fund the education of your grandchildren, we can help you determine the best way to meet your savings goals.
Get Organized
Whether you need to pay off student loans or want to start planning for the cost of a child’s education, we identify a sound strategy to accomplish your goals.
Optimize Your Strategy
If you’ve started saving, we can help you maximize your investments and save more in time for college.
Maximize Your Strategy
If you want to allocate funds to help pay for a family member’s education, we can integrate those savings into your financial plan.
It’s Your Life. Let’s Plan For It, Together.
Do you want comprehensive financial advice when it comes to funding an education? Do you want to feel confident that you have an actual plan, validated by credible financial planners, to accomplish your specific goals? And do you want to have all that without paying any inflated costs or hidden fees?
We’d be happy to meet you. Send us a message and you’ll hear back soon.