Invictus Academy of Richmond Middle School is providing access to SMARTTRACK® College Funding’s StartSmart Initiative to help you learn how best to save for college,
how to pay less for college, and how to keep your retirement safe in the process.
The first step to lower college costs?
Take our secure 5-minute online Assessment to get your free,
professional and confidential College Savings & Funding Evaluation
Assessment and Evaluation
Obviously, the sooner you start saving for college, the more time your money will have to grow.
It is also true that the more effectively you save for college, the more options you’ll have over time.
Are you saving in the smartest, most flexible and efficient ways today, so your assets are protected and liquid?
Small changes in how, where, and what you save today, can make a huge difference for your family a few years from now.
Once you create your account and complete the secure Assessment questions, follow the prompts to get your personalized Evaluation.
Our algorithms and SMARTTRACK® College Funding Advisors will review the information and make recommendations to help you save for
college in the most efficient, tax-advantaged, and financial aid-friendly ways for your specific needs.
HOW you save now can dramatically impact not only HOW MUCH you pay for college later,
but your own longer-term financial health, too.
Creating your account and answering the Assessment questions takes about 5-minutes to complete.
It’s secure, and we never ask for any personally identifiable information.
It’s secure, and we never ask for any personally identifiable information.
Don’t put this off!
The financial decisions you make in the years before your child is in high school will impact how much you pay for college.
The financial decisions you make in the years before your child is in high school will impact how much you pay for college.
Your Personalized Evaluation will address:
College saving options that don’t risk retirement or scholarships, grants and financial aid eligibility
Learn how various college formulas can penalize certain assets and college savings accounts
Stretch your dollars to cover all your kids with efficient, tax-advantaged and financial aid-friendly ways to save for college
Tax codes that may make private elementary, middle, and high school easier to afford
Understand your options for growing and protecting college savings, while keeping them liquid and under your control
How to dramatically reduce the need to borrow money to pay for college
Understand why the timeline for parents of college-bound students starts many years before kids apply
Why financial professionals and/or accountants may unintentionally be costing you thousands of dollars a year
YOU MIGHT BE ASKING...
Why is Invictus Academy of Richmond Middle School providing these resources to me?
Parents need to prepare for college, too. Invictus Academy of Richmond Middle School knows
that students are far more likely to attend their top-choice colleges
when parents have a well-planned college funding strategy. They have
brought in the StartSmart Initiative to educate and empower parents,
and by extension, help their students achieve their higher education
dreams more affordably.
My financial person recommended a 529. Is that a
good idea?
Possibly, it depends on your situation. While 529s are the most
well-known education savings accounts, they have some drawbacks.
A 529 will count against you when it comes to grants, scholarships
and aid. They can lose value and are not principal-protected. They
may have taxes and penalties, and there are restrictions on accessing
your money. There are often alternatives without these disadvantages
that provide you with performance, asset exemption, and tax advantages.
My child is years away from college. Why do I need to
start planning now?
College Funding Planning really starts when your child is born!
Most families need significant time to amass hundreds of
thousands of dollars to pay for college and still manage
their retirement. The money you save today reduces what
you have to borrow for college later, and opens up many more
options for your child’s educational future. Keep in mind that any
college savings plan should have the flexibility to adjust to changes
in your lives so you can fully realize the benefits of your efforts.
How long does the process take?
It should take about 5-minutes to complete the secure online
Assessment questions. Next, your Evaluation can take up to 30-minutes.
Is my information safe?
SMARTTRACK® employs high-tech, state-of-the-art security measures to protect your data.
We do not ask for any personally identifiable information, and SMARTTRACK® never shares
your data with any third party without your specific prior consent.
Why does it matter how I save for college?
The ways you plan and save now have a direct impact on how much you will pay for college down the road.
A well-executed plan should not reduce your chances of scholarships, grants, or aid later,
and should enhance your ability to retire. You make great sacrifices for your children,
and SMARTTRACK® thinks you should treat that with great respect. Demand more
from your savings strategies, and don’t settle for mediocrity.
Does SMARTTRACK® have resources to help me if I don’t want to go it alone?
SMARTTRACK College Funding’s expert Advisors can help you design your best diversified,
strategic and flexible savings solutions and maintain them over time, with steeply
discounted and surprisingly affordable service options for those who need advanced
funding planning.
Why didn’t my financial person tell me about the options and alternatives
for college savings that may fit my needs better?
College Funding Planning is a very specialized niche in the financial world, that takes
many years to fully learn and understand.
The fact is that most CPAs and Financial Planners
just don’t have exposure or expertise in the nuanced rules of
college scholarships, grants, and aid.
What Counselors and Parents are Saying About SMARTTRACK® College Funding
Dave Bonner
Director of College Counseling, Culver Academies
“It’s really never too early to plan, and with the way that financial aid works and the investment we’re making in our children (I’ve done this twice) this is just invaluable information to help you think about what’s best for you and your family as you move forward.”
Brian Estrada
Director of College Counseling, Canterbury School
“With all the dimensions of the college process that we help with, the question of one’s financial planning and readiness to shoulder college expenses and prepare in the best possible ways, it’s not something our team is ideally positioned to do. We want [parents] to know they are not alone, that there is a really reputable set of professionals to turn to.”
Jonah O’Hara
Director of College Counseling, Rocky Hill Country Day School
“I feel really comfortable talking about financial aid in all of its forms, but I am not a financial planner. That’s part of why the partnership with SMARTTRACK is really helpful - for looking at some other ways to make college more affordable.”
Daira
Parent in NJ
“We really appreciate the valuable information shared during the webinar. It has given us a much better understanding and made us feel more comfortable about college funding.”
Melissa T
Parent in CA
“Our college advisor recommended SMARTTRACK and we attended an informational Zoom meeting and decided to move forward. Other companies were charging thousands for this service, but SMARTTRACK was very reasonably priced! [Our Advisor] has been knowledgeable, kind, and helpful. Our situation required us to meet a few times and he was always engaged and had great solutions for us, things I would have never thought of. He stayed with us until we had everything we needed and we will circle back with him when we get acceptances. I would recommend SMARTTRACK to any family who needs to navigate the college aid process!”
SMARTTRACK® College Funding can show you how to best pay for college, how to pay less for college, and how to keep your retirement safe in the process.
DID YOU KNOW...
| How you save for college can actually affect how much you pay for college. |
| The way you structure your businesses, rental properties, taxes and estate can dramatically affect your college costs. |
| Understanding how the financial aid system really works - and how you will be assessed by the formulas - can make a substantial difference in how much you will ultimately pay for college. |
| There may be steps you can take right now to stretch your college funds to cover more of your college costs for all your children. |
| There are specific types of savings accounts that may reduce or eliminate your eligibility for grants, scholarships and merit money. How you save matters. |
| It’s crucial to know the most cost-effective, tax-advantaged college funding strategies specific to your family, because they can make college far easier to afford. |
| Because college funding planning takes such specific expertise, your accountant’s or financial planner’s best intentions may actually limit your eligibility for aid. |
Timing is everything. The younger your child is when you start this process, the better.
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