Plan and Finance Your Family's College Dreams - by John Hupalo & Peter Mazareas (Paperback)

About the Book

Planning and paying for a college education is a daunting task for most parents. It is a stressful and costly process that needs a well-thought-out academic and financial strategy. This guide offers just that! Two of the nation's leading college planning and financing experts provide clear step-by-step guidance on how to successfully save, plan for, apply to, and finance a college education.

Book Synopsis

Peterson's Plan and Finance Your Family's College Dreams 1st Edition

Planning and paying for a college education is a challenging task for most parents. It can be a stressful and costly process that requires both a well-planned academic and financial strategy. This guide offers just that!

Two of the nation's leading college planning and financing experts provide clear step-by-step guidance on how to successfully plan for, save, apply to, and finance a college education, including the benefits of a 529 plan

Authors John Hupalo and Peter Mazareas PhD have received outstanding

5 star reviews for this guide.

Some customer comments on the website include:

"This book is a must read for parents with children, of all ages, who plan to send their kids to college. In understandable terms, Hupalo and Mazareas, have demystified the college finance and admissions process with easy-to-follow steps to college finance self-sufficiency."

AND

"As a financial advisor of 20 years, I found this book to be an ideal balance of easy to read, substantial range of information, and helpful at the same time. Well written! I intend to buy several to hand out to my clients who have children or grandchildren heading to college."

Chapters include:

1. Saving for college. Start now!
2. 529 Plans - excellent savings vehicles
3. Financial aid primer - the basics
4. Scholarships - get free money!
5. Student loans - finding the right balance
6. Tax benefits - tax credits and deductions
7. College admissions - prepare, prepare, prepare
8. The application - pulling it all together
9. Financial aid - the second college application process

Review Quotes

"Plan and Finance Your Family's College Dreams is a well-written, comprehensive road map simplifying complex financial strategies to saving and paying for higher education. Build the best personal college savings plan, navigate student loans to your advantage, get admitted to the best university possible-it is all here, and more, in one volume. This is an essential reference for families of all income levels, with children of all ages, to secure a financially stress-free college experience. In my thirty years in the industry, I have never seen a better guide for financing and preparing for college. This book is a must have."--William W. Montjoy, Honorary Chairman and Senior Counsel, Global Education Group

"Dr. Peter Mazareas and John Hupalo's book provides students, parents, and family members an excellent resource that is very thorough and easy to understand. Plan and Finance Your Family's College Dreams offers families the extensive (wide-ranging) information about the financial aid process and the guidance needed to establish effective savings and financing plans for a college education at any stage in the student's life."--Bernard (Bernie) Pekala, Director of Student Financial Strategies, Boston College

"Hupalo and Mazareas pull together the complex financial and college planning issues facing families and make them easy to understand. Their explanation of why it is important to start saving early-even small amounts-is straightforward and compelling, as is the discussion of ways to save for college, including the benefits of 529 Plans. This step-by-step guide will greatly benefit both parents and students, with great practical advice for all situations. The focus on age-appropriate financial education for children of all ages is an added treat. This comprehensive resource demystifies the college planning and application process and shows that with planning and teamwork, families can make their college dreams come true."--Mary Morris, CEO, Virginia529
Chair, The College Savings Foundation

"This book is a must read for families and financial advisors focusing on paying and planning for college. As a founder and manager of an investment firm, I will recommend this book to my financial advisors and their clients. A truly comprehensive and valuable book and resource for all engaged in college planning."--Larry Glazer, Founder, Mayflower Advisors, LLC
Top 250 Wealth Advisors Award Recipient


"Two things keep parents, students, and grads from properly and responsibly managing their debt: easy access and accurate information. John Hupalo and Dr. Peter Mazareas adroitly address both at a time when rumors of a crisis loom and young borrowers and their parents need to be more educated on financing, now more than ever before."--Vince Passione, CEO and Founder, LendKey Technologies

"We all want our children to succeed in life. Education is one of the most important elements in the path to success. This step-by-step guide is an excellent resource to navigate this path."--Jack L. Kopnisky, President and CEO, Sterling National Bank

About the Author

John Hupalo is a nationally recognized expert in education loan finance and private credit student loans-having structured or securitized more than $50 billion of student loans, helping over 1 million students finance their educations. His career spans three decades with senior positions of a publicly traded education finance company and as Manager of a number of Education Loan Groups on Wall Street. In 2012, he co-founded Invite Education to empower families with better information, tools, and services to more effectively plan and pay for college.

John began his career in 1982 on the Washington staff of Congressman John Porter, a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Education and Labor. From 1987-2003, he was a member or Manager of Education Finance Groups at Manufacturers Hanover Securities Corporation, Salomon Smith Barney, PaineWebber/UBS, and Deutsche Bank (2010). In 2003, he joined First Marblehead Corp., where he participated in the IPO and served as Senior EVP and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Hupalo received his B.A. with Honors from Boston University in 1982 and an MBA in Finance from NYU's Stern School of Business in 1987. He has testified before Congress, frequently speaks at industry conferences, and has had articles published in U.S. News & World Report, the Association of Finance Professional Exchange, and the Greentree Gazette.

Dr. Peter Mazareas is considered one of the nation's foremost experts on college planning and financing.
He is one of the founders of 529 Plans, having worked with Congress on legislation to enable the creation and implementation of 529 savings plans. Peter helped establish and was elected Chair of the two 529 Trade Associations-the College Savings Plan Network (CSPN) and the College Savings Foundation. As a consultant, he helped design, launch, and market several of the nation's largest 529 Programs. He is the former Executive Director of the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority, where he implemented some of the nation's first college loan and 529 savings plans. He is featured at national conferences and has been quoted and interviewed in a variety of national publications and radio and TV shows, including The Wall Street Journal; USA Today; Kiplinger's; CNN; PBS; Bob Brinker; Money Magazine; Smart Money Magazine; and Investment News.

Dr. Mazareas has also served as Deputy Treasurer, Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He was a senior administrator and on the faculty at 3 universities, including as a full-time Professor of Business at Boston College's Carroll Graduate School of Management. He is a co-founder of Invite Education.

Dr. Mazareas received a B.A. from Harvard College and an M.B.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.