Patricia Roberts joins us today to discuss how to give the gift of college with a 529 plan. She has spent over two decades guiding parents on how to prepare for the high costs of higher education and avoid the burden of student loan debt. Patricia played a pivotal role in launching a nonprofit program in New York City, providing seed money for college to 200,000 public school kindergartners. Now, Patricia works with Gift of College, bringing 529 education and student loan repayment benefits to workplaces. Today we discuss...
- The insights and expertise of Patricia, a seasoned professional in college financial planning.
- How to prepare for the high cost of higher education and avoid student loan debt.
- How a 529 benefits can be passed to the family.
- How Patricia helped launch a nonprofit program in New York City that provided seed money for college to 200,000 public school kindergartners.
- Gift of College and how they promote 529 education and student loan repayment benefits in the workplace.
- Patricia's book Route 529.
Subscribe & Download
Never miss out on a new episode! Subscribe using your favorite podcast app.
Sign up to be one of our Money Tree Ultimate Insiders. You will have instant access to new episodes, automatically have access to our monthly giveaways, and the potential to be a guest panelist on our show
Looking for a better way to invest? Consider Betterment.
It doesn’t cost much to start, and you get access to a portfolio built around your risk tolerance and your goals. Using Modern Portfolio Theory, pioneered by a Nobel laureate, Betterment can help you build wealth without getting caught up in the noise of the market.
Today's Guest: Patricia Roberts
I have a close personal connection to this topic. As someone who was in the process of repaying tens of thousands of dollars of student loan debt when my son arrived in my arms over 20 years ago, I was absolutely determined to help him have a less financially stressful academic experience when he grew up. So, as soon as I returned to work from maternity leave, I began investing a little at a time directly from my paycheck into a 529 college savings plan. I am happy to say, thanks to those consistent contributions, coupled with sensible decisions about which university to attend, my son has obtained both a debt-free undergrad and graduate degree. I'm on a mission to educate and inspire other parents as well. I learned about 529 college savings plans while an attorney in the investment advisory division at Citigroup. In that role, I helped to launch some of the earliest advisor-sold 529 plans and ever since, have been actively involved in a wide range of issues affecting these plans -- including ones of a legislative nature that have expanded their reach to cover trade and technical school, certain registered apprenticeships, K-12 tuition and more.
Patricia's Online Presence:
Today's Panelists
Douglas Heagren | Pro College Planners
Kirk Chisholm | Innovative Advisory Group