College Financial Planning

How Can You Pay for Your Kid to Go to College, Spend and Save as You Are Now, and Increase the Amount of Money You Have for Retirement? Start by Implementing Some College Financial Planning Strategies.

It sounds too good to be true. And it is too good to be true… unless you know the ins and outs of the college funding system and you pick up a few tips from us on how to use your household cash. It’s not too late to begin college financial planning!

Our College Financial Planning Services can help you…

Learn how to gain financial aid even if you don’t qualify for need-based money.

Use the IRS to pay for up to $9,000 of your student’s money for college.

Learn that private colleges can be just as affordable as state colleges, even when the initial tuition amount is more than twice as much.

Earn money while searching for money to pay for college.

Pay for college, save thousands toward retirement, and pay off your mortgage in record time!

College is an investment in your child’s future. It may be tempting to take the loans that are offered in abundance to pay for this critical investment in your child, but loans are not the only option.

Ask to speak to one of our College Financial Planning Specialists for information that could be valuable to your future, as well as that of your child.

Let Us Help:

How Does the SALT Deduction Work For Colorado Springs High Earners?

Quick Answer: In 2026, the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction allows you to write off up to $40,400 on Schedule A, but a Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) over $505,000 triggers a 30% phaseout that reduces the cap down to a $10,000 floor. To legally bypass...

How 529 Plans Are Taxed for Colorado Springs Families

Quick Answer: Contributions to a 529 plan are made with post-tax dollars, allowing your investment to compound shielded from federal and state capital gains taxes during the growth phase. Withdrawals are 100% tax-free when used for qualified education expenses,...

How Does the Lifetime Learning Credit Work for Colorado Springs Students, Parents, and Professionals?

Quick Answer: The Lifetime Learning Credit (LLC) is a non-refundable federal tax credit worth up to $2,000 per tax return. It’s calculated as 20% of the first $10,000 in qualifying higher education tuition and fees, with no limit on the number of tax years it can...

Should Colorado Springs Homeowners Add A Name To A Deed?

Quick Answer: While it’s mechanically simple to add a name to a deed, doing so during your lifetime is a financial mistake that triggers unexpected IRS gift tax reporting and destroys your child's future stepped-up basis tax shield. To safely bypass probate court...

What Is the US Retirement Age Timeline for Colorado Springs Retirees?

Quick Answer: The official US Full Retirement Age is 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later, but true retirement is an 11-to-13-year financial timeline stretching from age 62 to age 73 or 75. Your specific birth year determines where you fall on this milestone spectrum,...

Supporting Colorado Springs Charities? How 2026 OBBBA Charitable Giving Contributions Work

Quick Answer: Effective for the 2026 tax year, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) establishes a new universal deduction allowing non-itemizers to deduct up to $1,000 ($2,000 for married couples) for qualified cash donations directly from their income. And...

Calculating Crypto Taxes Simplified For Colorado Springs Investors

Quick Answer: Crypto taxes are calculated by subtracting your cost basis from your gross proceeds for each taxable sale, swap, or purchase made with cryptocurrency. The IRS treats crypto as property, so selling crypto, trading one token for another, or earning...

How the Secure 2.0 Act Changes Beneficiary IRS Tax Rules For Your Colorado Springs Heirs

Quick Answer: Under the SECURE 2.0 beneficiary IRA tax rules, most non-spouse heirs must fully liquidate an inherited IRA within 10 years, with many also facing mandatory annual required minimum distributions (RMDs) if you pass away after age 73. Because the...

Who Can Claim the American Opportunity Tax Credit? Guidance for Colorado Springs Parents

Quick Answer: The American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC) must be claimed by whoever legally lists the student as a dependent on their federal tax return. If a parent claims the undergraduate, the parent gets the credit; if the student is independent, they claim...

Do You Get Better Tax Breaks For Being Married, Colorado Springs Couples?

Key TakeawaysMost married couples lower their tax liability by choosing the Married Filing Jointly status, which preserves access to deductions that separate filers lose. When there is a significant income gap between partners, combining earnings on a joint...

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