What percentage of our income should we save for our kids’ education? We know you recommend setting aside 15% for retirement, but do you have a similar rule that applies to paying for college?
A: I don’t really have a rule, or percentage, for how much you should save toward a college fund. If you’re following the Baby Steps, I recommend getting 15% of your income going toward retirement before saving for college. After you have your retirement savings rolling, put what you can, based on your own unique situation, toward college funding.
If you have teenagers in the house, you need to get serious about college funding soon — like right now. There’s no rush if they’re toddlers, but you might want to start looking at things like a 529 or an ESA (Education Savings Account).
The thing is, there are just too many variables, the main one being the ages of the kids, to set a strict percentage. You also have to consider things like where you’re thinking about them going to school, how much you want to save up and other factors.
We’d like to start preparing for the future, but our debt is preventing us from investing for retirement. Would it be OK to use a home equity line of credit to start investing? We were thinking the eventual returns might justify doing this.
A: No! Never put something as important and meaningful as your home on the line just for the sake of investing. Do not borrow against your home!
I’m guessing you’re new to my way of doing things, so let’s start from the beginning. First, follow the Baby Steps. Getting $1,000 in the bank as a starter emergency fund is Baby Step 1. Next, pay off all your debts from smallest to largest — except for your home — using the debt snowball method. That’s Baby Step 2. It’s time then to revisit your emergency fund, and bulk it up to a full three to six months of expenses in Baby Step 3.
Now, it’s time to really start thinking about your future and retirement. In Baby Step 4, take 15% of your gross household income and start investing it for retirement. Start with your company’s 401(k) plan, up to the full employer match. Then, invest the rest into Roth IRAs — one for you, and one for your spouse, if you’re married.
Here’s the thing, Nick. Investing becomes easy at this point because you’ve freed up your income. And that’s the most important wealth-building tool you have!
Dave Ramsey is an author and radio show host. Follow Dave on the web at daveramsey.com and on Twitter at @daveramsey.
"save" - Google News
June 18, 2020 at 07:18PM
https://ift.tt/2AQDNki
Saving for college: What percentage should we save? | Dave Ramsey - Knoxville News Sentinel
"save" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2SvBSrf
https://ift.tt/2zJxCxA
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Saving for college: What percentage should we save? | Dave Ramsey - Knoxville News Sentinel"
Post a Comment