College! When I hear the word the first thing that pops to mind is John Belushi's sweater in Animal House. While many of us have had some of the best times of our lives in college, the planning for college is one of the highest priority items for all parents. With that high priority come high emotions around the admissions process and the deciding of which school to attend. A "Dream School" can quickly turn into a decades long nightmare if the family and the student don't sit down and make an informed decision on how much has been saved, the outlook for the student's chosen career path and the financing of the education if loans are taken.

In this our the first part of our 3 part series on College Planning we talk about saving for college. This episode with Jonathan Sparling, Director of Strategic Partnerships with CollegeWell, aka the Private College 529 plan. Please listen in to hear about this very unique and interesting college savings plan along with some other strategies to save for your children's college. In this episode we primarily discuss 529 Plans which typically are at the center of the college savings discussion.

In our next episode, we will have a conversation with a college entrance specialist for some guidance on the dreaded application process. Our Final Episode will focus on paying for College with a financial aid and student loans expert.

As always, if there is any topic you wish to hear us discuss or have any other questions, you can contact us at [email protected].