Viewpoints

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For The Next Generation: Let’s Talk Compounding Interest

At Manchester Capital Management, we view wealth as more than a measure of current financial health — it’s also a foundation for building enduring legacies. This month, we’re pleased to feature an article tailored for the next generation of wealth stewards, written by one of our talented Gen Z team members, Portfolio Analyst Miroslava Martinez. This article explores the fundamentals of compounding interest, one of the most powerful principles of long-term financial growth. It’s crafted to inspire younger family members to think longer term and to foster meaningful conversations among families about how small, consistent actions taken today can lead to extraordinary outcomes tomorrow. To understand compounding interest, it may be helpful to imagine hypothetical scenarios with two friends, Olivia and Liam. In these scenarios, Olivia began saving $50 a month at age 20, while Liam began saving $100 a month at age 30. When they’re both 60, who do...

08.15.2023
Education Funding as a Wealth Transfer Strategy: A Valuable, Narrow Opportunity

Education Funding as a Wealth Transfer Strategy: A Valuable, Narrow Opportunity

The 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...