August is here, and it has me thinking about how quickly summer flies by! Between partnering with clients to navigate their financial priorities and getting the kids ready for another school year, this time of year always brings a mix of anticipation and preparation.
Whether you're shopping for school supplies, planning family trips before schedules get too busy, or thinking about longer-term education goals, late summer is a great time to focus on education planning. This timing isn't coincidental - many of the conversations I've been having with clients lately center around the question: "How do I best prepare financially for my child's (or grandchild's) education?"
With recent changes in education savings options and the complexity of choosing between different vehicles, I wanted to share some practical insights that might help you make more informed decisions.
Best,
Strategic College Planning: Beyond Just Saving
Thinking about education funding? While most families know about 529 plans, the landscape continues to evolve with a new option (Trump accounts), tax benefits, and more.
To add some clarity, I've put together a guide that walks through the key considerations for education savings, including:
How to maximize 529 plan benefits and flexibility
When other savings vehicles might make sense
Strategic timing for contributions and withdrawals
Coordination with financial aid planning
Smart approaches for grandparents who want to help
The goal isn't just to save money for college but to create a strategy that aligns with your broader financial picture and gives your family the most flexibility.
August markets have shown their typical late-summer character with modest volatility and resilience. The key themes we're watching include employment numbers as well as inflation trends, including potential tariff impacts that may influence interest rates.
July core inflation rose to 3.1% year-over-year. While this excludes the more volatile food and energy prices we see at the pump and grocery store, it gives us a clearer understanding of underlying price pressures. The number remains above the Fed's 2% target, but the broader trend continues to show gradual moderation, strengthening expectations of an interest rate cut before the end of the year.
While headlines can create noise, the fundamentals supporting long-term investment strategies remain intact. We continue to emphasize diversified positioning that can adapt to changing conditions while staying focused on your individual goals and timeline.
Looking Forward
The start of a new school year brings natural opportunities to reassess and adjust. Whether that's education planning, updating your overall financial strategy, or simply taking stock of where you are, we're here to help you navigate these decisions with confidence.
As always, feel free to reach out if you have questions about your unique situation or want to discuss any of the topics covered here.
Financial Advice is offered through Certus Wealth Management LLC, a Registered Investment Adviser.
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This material prepared by Certus Wealth Management, LLC (“Certus Wealth”) is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to serve as a substitute for personalized investment advice or as a recommendation or solicitation of any particular security, strategy or investment product. Opinions expressed by Certus Wealth are based on economic or market conditions at the time this material was written. Economies and markets fluctuate. Actual economic or market events may turn out differently than anticipated. Facts presented have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. Certus Wealth, however, cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information, and certain information presented here may have been condensed or summarized from its original source. Certus Wealth does not provide tax or legal advice, and nothing contained in these materials should be taken as tax or legal advice.
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