August 31, 2007

Children Savings Accounts - Making the Best Decisions Now for Your Child's Future

From the first flutter we feel inside to the first time we hold our children in our arms, we realize that we are responsible for a life other than our own. We want to make the best decisions we can and ensure that our child’s needs are provided for. But what if something happens to us? What would happen to them?

529 & Other College Savings Plans for Dummies
by Margaret A. Munro

A simply way to find a reasonable solution to a seemingly unreasonable problem: saving for future college costs in the sanest, least stressful way possible for you. In keeping with the theme of stress reduction, you can use this book in a variety of ways:

  • As a reference: It’s all here: the ins, the outs, the do’s, and the don’ts. The world of college savings is one of very specific rules, and they’re here, in all their glory, and they’re all explained.
  • As an advisor: It’s a case of the very good savings techniques, the merely okay savings techniques, and the truly ugly techniques (which you really want to avoid), and this book highlights them all.
  • As a little light reading: Amazingly enough, the topic of money can be mildly amusing, and college savings is no exception. Read this with an eye towards the absurd, and you won’t go far wrong.

While life insurance can provide some security that our children will be provided for, by starting a child’s savings account or purchase bonds in their name we can secure their financial future. In the beginning, we will be the ones who will add money to our children’s accounts for the purpose of offsetting the increasing costs of college tuition or private education. Unlike college savings plans, a children savings account offer the flexibility of accessing money when your child needs it most; whether that is before they are of college-age or after.

The money that has been invested in a children savings account will be available to the child immediately without penalty. A number of financial institutions offer a children savings account, so search for the best rates possible with the fewest restrictions. Many banks have a children savings account that offers no minimum age, but require that an adult take trust of the money until the child reaches a certain age, usually 18 years of age.

Bonds are another option for brightening your child’s financial future. Because bonds hold the initial monetary investment for a set amount of time before they mature, they may have a higher interest rate than the more flexible children savings account.

However, in order for bond purchasing to be beneficial you have to be prepared to wait for the bonds to mature over a period of time, usually a minimum of three years and in most cases, much longer. By opening a children savings account or purchasing bonds, we create a cash flow cushion available when our children may need it as well as the peace of mind of knowing that the small investments we make over time will give to our children in more ways than we imagined. Whenever you are doing a research on one subject, try to get to the essence of what you are studying. It is true of mundane areas as well.

As you search for information about savings accounts try and reach the best value, definitions and clarity. Read what we have on our site on savings accounts and if you need more material on this you can always go to the world wide web again to finish up on your studies. In this information age, there is a lot of options for increasing your knowledge base.

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