Many private colleges offer academic merit aid scholarships of between $15,000 and $25,000 per year based on good grades and test scores, but estimating ahead of time what your child will get isn't easy. Here are three examples of colleges offering a lot of money, but different ways of qualifying for it. read

Elite private colleges don't award financial aid based on good grades and high SAT or ACT scores. The only way to lower your cost at an elite college like the Ivies, Stanford or Duke, is for your family to show a need for aid based on your finances. If you don't, you'll be expected to write a check for sticker price. However, there are hundreds of excellent private colleges offering $5,000 - $25,000 per year based on good grades and test scores. Public universities are creating more and more Honors[...] read

Student loan rates have dropped for the 2015-2016 academic year, making borrowing for college less expensive, but students and parents should still try to avoid college debt if possible. read

Risk is an inherent part of life. read

Life settlements may seem like found money to investors, but you can get ripped off by selling your life insurance policy. Here's how to avoid trouble. read

The economy remains weak and stocks continue to rise. This cannot continue indefinitely. read

You've probably heard or read about all kinds of strategies that will make you rich investing. They go by many names, but they all follow the same basic idea: Zigging when others zag. It might be buying sectors at certain points of the business cycle. Or stocks that have been bid down to unusual lows. Or only owning stocks ahead of elections, when Congress is out of session or the moon is full. Yet any kind ofmarket timingor stock selection strategy depends on the same basic mechanism[...] read

In conversations recently with several people who are very close to retiring (within the next 3-6 months), the financial planning rule of thumb of a 4% safe withdrawal rate has come up in their discussions. It seems as though its become an almost universally accepted rule and is rarely questioned. To combat complacency and willing acceptance, I routinely question it, making it the starting point for conversations regarding retirement income. read

Today's question asks how having taken an early retirement benefit will affect the amount of a later spousal benefit. The answer explains how excess spousal and survivor benefits are calculated and reviews the effects of claiming early. read

A 529 College Savings Plans is Still a Good Idea to Avoid College Loans. Here are some of the best plans. read

Read the original here:
Forbes - Retirement Information and Retirement News ...