Money Matters (July 2016)
By Chuck Dudley
SCHOOL IS BACK IN SESSION
It seems more and more the school year drives and determines our personal schedules and priorities. And probably rightfully so. Even us empty nesters are subject to the economic activity a new school year brings.
School seems more stressful these days. There is the need for students to get those grades up, score higher and higher on standardized tests, and get involved in activities for scholarship and admission applications. They start taking the tests younger and younger, and keep taking them over and over.
With the cost of college exploding beyond any normal measure over the past 10 years ( I know, I’ve had 2 in college the past 10 years….), parents trying to find enough savings, enough grants and scholarships will find this a full time job.
Spending on administrative expenses at universities seems to go unchecked, thus leading to an annual rise in tuition and fees way beyond the cost of inflation. And, of course, we know about the massive increase in student debt and the long term effects on saving and investment for these graduates.
What’s a person to do?
A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO HELP
A few questions first.
Are you a parent with children less than 5 years old?
Are you a grandparent with grandkids less than 5 years old?
Do you have a lump sum you would like to contribute for your child/grandchild?
What if you could provide a gift, up front, that would help assure your child/grandchild would have little to no debt when they graduate or very soon thereafter?
Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?
A SIMPLE STRATEGY
The key, of course, is to have a lump sum you want to contribute. The larger the sum, the better it will be for the student, obviously.
Very simply, we look to use the lump sum to fund a single pay insurance policy for the child at as young an age as possible. It could be $20,000, $50,000, or any amount you wish.
Using a combination annuity/whole life policy strategy, a single payment is made up front. The annuity will fund the insurance policy for a set number of years and then it is paid up. The student can then withdraw cash from the policy after they complete college to pay off student loans if they had them.
If they were fortunate enough to have had scholarships, then the policy is a wonderful start on a solid financial plan for the future, with the Protection part of the plan already set in place.
There can be no better gift for a young person than to have a head start on a great financial plan.
As we all know, results will be dependent on the type of school one chooses, the amount of financial aid, and the length of time one is in school.
But having something is better than nothing.
When that baby is brought home, the parents and grandparents have plans and dreams for their precious child. The act of securing the college funding will help advance those dreams.
Want to talk about how to do this?
ACTION PLAN
If you really want to make sure you have right ideas for moving forward in a positive manner, we will listen. We’ve been able to help families and businesses learn to use money wisely, and we’d like to help you too. We would be honored to visit with you about how to help you and your business. My number is 501-318-0010, or you can send me an email at cdudley@argentfinancial.com.
An hour of your time spent analyzing your situation might make a lifetime of difference
Arkansas Insurance Producer # 1005698
That’s all for this month! If you’ve enjoyed what you read, please share Money Matters with a friend, family member or loved one.
Sincerely,
Chuck Dudley
