Questions we help answer
- How much will college actually cost us? Four years at a Texas public university and four years at a private college can be $200,000 apart, and the number that matters is what your family pays after merit awards, not the sticker price.
- Which accounts should hold the money? 529 plans, including a five-year gift election of up to $95,000 per child ($190,000 for a couple) in 2026; the Texas Tuition Promise Fund; UTMA accounts; Roth IRAs; Coverdell ESAs; taxable accounts; and trusts. Each one trades off control, taxes and aid treatment differently.
- Are we saving in the right place first? For most families, retirement accounts come before college accounts, because you can borrow for college and not for retirement. We run both projections together.
- What will the FAFSA and the CSS Profile count? Retirement accounts, home equity, a family business and grandparent-owned 529s are treated differently, and the two forms don't agree. Starting with the 2026–27 FAFSA, a family business with 100 or fewer employees is excluded.
- Can grandparents help without creating problems? Grandparent-owned 529s, direct tuition payments that bypass gift tax entirely, and how to handle a grandparent who wants to contribute but keep control.
- What about loans? Parent PLUS loans are capped at $20,000 per year and $65,000 per student for new borrowers beginning July 1, 2026, so families that planned to borrow the gap need a different plan.
- What if we end up with too much in the 529? Beneficiary changes, up to $20,000 a year for K-12 tuition and related expenses starting in 2026, the $35,000 lifetime Roth IRA rollover, and graduate school.
- Do any tax credits apply to us? The American Opportunity Tax Credit phases out for joint filers between $160,000 and $180,000 of income, but there are situations where a student can claim it instead.
Our college planning guide for high-income families covers each of these in detail, with the Texas-specific rules called out.
How we work on college planning
You can start with just the college question. A common starting point is a child entering high school and a 529 you aren't sure is on track. That is a limited-scope engagement, and it stays that way unless you want more.
We look at college and retirement together. The most expensive college mistake a high-income family can make is funding tuition out of accounts that were supposed to carry them through retirement. We enter your numbers into the planning software together and show both goals on the same timeline, so you see the trade-off before you commit.
Your business is part of the analysis. If you own a business, the aid formulas, the option to put your child on the payroll, and the timing of distributions in the base years all belong in the plan. Our business owners page covers the broader picture.
We don't sell or manage the accounts. We help you choose a plan and an investment track; you open and hold the account yourself. Nothing we recommend pays us anything.
When to start
The ideal time is early, because the five-year 529 election and compounding both need years to work. If aid is a possibility, the key dates are the FAFSA base years: the forms use income from two years before the school year, so the first base year begins January 1 of the student's sophomore year of high school and base years continue through college. Bonuses, stock sales, retirement contributions and business distributions in those years show up on the aid forms. Families who come to us the summer before senior year still have real options, but fewer of them.
What it costs
All work is $600 per hour with a 2-hour minimum, and the fit meeting is free. There are no asset minimums, no subscription and no commissions. You receive an engagement letter with the scope and an estimated range of hours before any work starts, and you can stop when you have your answer. The services and fees page explains how fees work and lists typical hours for the common starting points.
