The Impact of Sales Charges on Investment Return

Posted on May 4, 2013 by tleahy

  Simply put, when you pay an upfront sales charge on the purchase of a mutual fund, the money that charge represents does not go to work in the market.  All else being equal, it has a direct impact over … Continue reading →

Posted in Saving for College, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How Much Do You Need to Save for Your Child’s College Education?

Posted on March 31, 2013 by tleahy

If you want to make even the most stalwart investor weak in the knees, calculate how much four years of education will cost ten years from now. That’s what traditional college savings calculators do.  It’s fairly simple.  First, the future … Continue reading →

Posted in Saving for College | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How to Maximize Your College Investments

Posted on March 4, 2013 by tleahy

Most experts would agree that the best vehicle for saving college funds is the 529 College Savings Plan.  In Virginia, the CollegeAmerica Plan, provided through the American Funds, provides a unique opportunity. 529 plans are invested in a selection of … Continue reading →

Posted in Saving for College | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Analyzing Your College Costs

Posted on October 31, 2012 by tleahy

Paying for college is sort of like buying a car or a house.  We often overlook the associated costs of the investment.  What does it cost to maintain a home - the pest control, painting, etc.  Do we consider car repairs and … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Three Biggest Admission Lies

Posted on September 27, 2012 by tleahy

In his article for The Beast, Steve Cohen co-author of “Getting In,” speaks to the three biggest admission lies:  test scores aren’t as important as they used to be, asking for financial aid won’t hurt your chances of being admitted, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Change in Loan Origination

Posted on March 2, 2012 by tleahy

Federal student loans used to issued directly through the college or university or through a private lender, backed by the government.   Now however, Federal Stafford loans to students and PLUS loans to parents are no longer issued by private lenders. … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Application Process

Posted on December 26, 2011 by tleahy

Let’s take a look at a time line of events that should be occurring.  This time line is based on initiating the process the fall of the junior year of high school, though in reality the steps can be compressed … Continue reading →

Posted in Application Processing, College Selection, Paying for College | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Hire Campus Financial?

Posted on November 25, 2011 by tleahy

We’re often asked by prospective clients, why they can’t do all this college stuff themselves? Why should they hire us? What sort of return on the dollar can we guarantee? What do we provide that they can’t find on the … Continue reading →

Posted in College Perspective | Leave a comment

The New Landscape

Posted on October 29, 2011 by tleahy

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that nationally, tuition and fees at public colleges and universities increased by 8.3% on average this year over last. Private schools faired far better but were still ahead of inflation at 4.5%. This … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

High School Junior Action List

Posted on October 16, 2011 by tleahy

COLLEGE APPLICATION AND FINANCIAL AID CALENDAR–Junior Year It is important to maintain and improve your grades during your junior year. Grades can make the difference in whether you receive scholarships and grants. Work to improve your vocabulary, reading and math … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment