TheLiveBigWay® Digest – The Merry Month of May

National 529 College Savings Plan Day

Planning for higher education costs is frequently a topic we discuss with our Clients. It can be tricky to decide when and how to start saving because of the unknown factors that make estimating college costs challenging. We have used this space before to discuss the pros and cons of using a 529 plan as part of one’s approach to saving for college. Today, in honor of National 529 College Savings Plan Day on the 29^th of May, we thought it would be worthwhile to revisit the topic to share more on two types of plans and our thoughts on the best available plans.

TYT

Congrats, Grads!  

For many people, May means caps and gowns, graduation ceremonies, and having or witnessing the experience of the slightly fearful but exhilarating realization that one chapter has ended and a new one is about to begin. Whether someone is celebrating the transition out of high school or college, graduation is a big milestone and a celebration of a student’s future. Today, we highlight three graduation pieces that exemplify the graduation spirit of deserved celebration and concomitant realism.

• The Perfect Graduation Gift: Yeske Buie has two books that we feel make the perfect gift for graduates. One book helps grads think about the things they want to do, choose to do, and can’t wait to do in their life while the other is a guide that covers many major financial decisions grads are likely to encounter. Let us know if there is a graduate in your life who would be interested in receiving one of these tools!
• Tips for College Grads – How to Retire Rich: This is an article by our friend Bob Powell, who writes for The Wall Street Journal’s MarketWatch, offering practical tips on how to prepare for life post-graduation and, ultimately, “retire rich.”
• The Student Loan Starting Line: With this piece, we hope to encourage new college graduates to be the captain of their finances with suggestions for living with student loan debt in a way that will not hinder their financial and life decisions.

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It Was a Pleasure to See Our Guests in Virginia!

We’d like to extend a warm thank you to all those who attended our special event this Wednesday! Our team enjoyed insightful conversations, delicious hors d’oeuvres and sweet treats, and a fabulous presentation from DFA’s “Secretary of Explaining Stuff” who lived up to his title. Apollo’s presentation answered questions from the audience on active vs. passive management, the current global economy, and more. We’ve put together a small gallery of photos from the event on our website. We hope our guests enjoyed the evening as much as we did and to those who were unable to attend, we hope you will save the date for a similar event we will be hosting in San Francisco, CA on August 16th – stay tuned for details!

TY

The Journey to CFP^® Certification: Congratulations, Camille!

The journey to CFP^® certification requires an individual to satisfy the CFP Board’s “Four E’s” – Education, Examination, Experience, and Ethics. We are very pleased to share that as of May 15^th, Camille Bouvet, Financial Planning Resident in our San Francisco office, has met these challenging requirements!

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Where in the World is the Live Big^® Glass?

Throughout our Live Big glass campaign, we have asked the question “Where in the world is the Live Big glass?” and you have answered with amazing photos from around the world! Inspired by recent submissions from our Clients, we’d like to add a new twist to the campaign. This summer, all newly added photos will be posted to the gallery without disclosing the location of the glass – we’ll provide a small hint as to the location of the glass but it’ll be up to you to guess! Our three most recent photos in the gallery have been posted in this manner and we look forward to receiving more photos as you Live Big this year.