January 2026: College Planning
COVER STORY
Rethinking Education Funding
By Danielle Andrus
With stricter federal loan limits and fewer repayment options, planners must help families make tough decisions about aligning long-term goals and resources.
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FPA NEXT GENERATION PLANNER
Forward Thinking
There’s a Place for You in Financial Planning
By Blake Pinyan, CFP®, EA
Planner Resource
FPA NexGen Career Pathways in Financial Planning
Lead Article
The Road to Success
By Editorial Staff
Planner Poll
The FPA Community Weighs in on Knowing When They Were on the Right Path
Planning a STUDY GROUP? Check out suggested questions and other resources to make your study group a success!
COLUMNS
Estate Planning
Thinking Decades Ahead: The Intersection of College and Estate Planning
By Anne Rhodes
Modern education funding is about more than saving. Planners provide profound value by helping clients bring their legacy to life.
Money and Widowhood
How a Death in the Family Affects College Planning
By Christopher D. Bentley, CFP®, CLU, BFA, CRPC
The loss of a spouse can upend a family’s future. Here’s how planners can keep clients’ long-term goals like college funding on track when the unthinkable happens.
RESEARCH
From Risk Tolerance to Portfolio Choice: Insights from a Targeted High-Income Sample
By John Grable, CFP®, Ph.D., and Swarn Chatterjee, Ph.D.
Just because someone says they’re willing to take on risk doesn’t mean that they actually do so. This study examines the dual role of financial capacity and psychological willingness to take risks in describing investment behavior.
VIDEO: BEHIND THE RESEARCH
DEPARTMENTS
STARTING THOUGHTS
Preparing Clients for the High Price of Higher Education
By Danielle Andrus
OBSERVER
Divorce and College Planning, Home Ownership and Retirement for Millennials, AI and Regulatory Requirements
Stat Bank
Q&A
Daniel J. Galli, CFP®, on Planners’ Role in Shaping the Profession
JFP ACADEMICS
Upcoming Research
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
The Social Security Claiming Decision for Married Couples
By Brian J. Alleva
Married couples optimizing Social Security must account for possibly two worker benefits, a spousal benefit, and a potential survivor or widow benefit, leading to thousands of potential options. This paper explores various scenarios and the best claiming strategies.
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