Information and education are an essential part of the client experience, and we
are here to provide resources and insights to help keep you advised.
A presidential election, summer Olympics, two regional wars, and a stock market reaching all-time highs all contributed to a year we will not soon forget. Here are some other notable statistics from 2024 as defined by their numbers. $ 36.2 Trillion – The national debt as of 12/4. That represents $ 107 Thousand per U.S. citizen or 123% of US GDP.1 $ 7.1 Trillion – Current annual U.S. Federal spending.2 $ 2.1 Trillion – Current U.S. Federal Deficit.3 $ 2.0 Trillion – The amount a proposed advisory committee of the incoming presidentialadministration believes the Federal Budget can be reduced.4 $ 1.0 Trillion – Current yearly interest on the national debt.5 $ 56 Billion – Elon Musk’s twice judicially-denied pay package at Tesla.6 50 Billion – The number of internet users worldwide as of October 2024 which amounted to 67.5 percent of the global population. Of this total, 5.2 billion, or 63.8...
08.15.2023The cost of a college education is typically the first great expense a young person encounters. According to the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (www.mefa.org), an average in-state public college will run roughly $24,000 for the 2023-2024 year and a little more than $100,000 for a four-year degree. Meanwhile, the average private college will cost about $55,000 for a starting freshman and could total more than $230,000 over the course of four years. Herbert Stein, an American economist, famously said, “If something cannot go on forever it will stop.” The growth of college costs will peak at some point and then recede; when that will occur is much more difficult to predict. Until that time, we will address circumstances as they currently are—how to finance this significant expenditure and how to view saving for college as a wealth transfer strategy. For the purposes of this piece, we will assume that our future...