<p>So it looks like I will be paying for cal poly completely by loans. In my "award" package they gave me a unsubsidized stafford loan and my parents a plus loan. My parents are a little reluctant to jump on the plus loan do to the other possiblities of paying that might end up cheaper in the long run (refinance, home equity, credit cards, pension plan). So we are thinking about making an appointment with a financial/college planner in our city. I have the feeling he is just going to tell us stuff we already know. Has anybody ever met with a financial planner? Do you think it is worth it? Do they actually know their stuff? I am transferring from a cc, so I could meet with our financial aid counselor, but if they are anything like my cc's other counselors, than it would not be worth it.
Any ideas?
Thank you,
Kyle</p>
<p>Anytime you meet with anyone like a financial aid counselor, an interior decorattor , psychologist, tutor, college counselor, it is good to have someone you know and respect be able to recommend the person to you. I say this because too often you can get nothing for your time and money except disappointment. I have met great accountants and financial planners, and horrible ones. Some of these "for fee" college financial services that are often panned do have people on board who are pretty good. It's finding these gems that is the problem. You need to look around and find someone well recommended by someone who knows. It may not even be a true financial planner, but someone who knows his stuff very well.</p>
<p>Meet with the CC financial aid counselor. What do you have to lose?</p>
<p>Yes, We have met with several. Not sure it they were/are really good or bad, they just have different opinions. We also read alot of financial books, college books, all of which eventually led us to our final solution...Everybody had a different opinion and any one choice could later be the wrong choice. Thus we did a little bit of everything and we were then & are now ready to change and to be flexible to different conditions. </p>
<p>There is one thing that ALL the advisors/planners told us when we had our son 20 years ago-Expect 6% increase in college costs per year! Their projections has been true!</p>
<p>BTW if your planner told you something you already know; then that would be a confirmation, so what. If the guy told you something you didn't know; How you you know that this new information was true or false?</p>
<p>Have you read "Dooley's Uncertainty Principle of College Costs,"
<a href="http://www.collegeconfidential.com/financial_aid/aid_conundrum.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.collegeconfidential.com/financial_aid/aid_conundrum.htm</a></p>
<p>Life overall kinda works that way.</p>