🎓 From piggy bank to cap and gown without losing your wallet (or your mind)
Paying for college doesn’t have to feel like applying to college: stressful, expensive, and packed with red tape (and possibly requiring three cups of coffee and a stress ball). Whether you’re a parent trying to save smart or a student mapping your next step, our guide, Read This Before Planning For College, created in partnership with The College Investor, is your go-to strategy for building a plan that works.
Because college planning shouldn’t feel like an Ivy League tuition bill.
Who This College Planning Guide Is For
✅ Parents saving for college (whether your kid is 3, 17, or still thinks money grows on trees)
✅ Students looking to make confident financial decisions
✅ Families who want clarity instead of confusion
✅ Anyone asking: “How do we pay for this without wrecking our finances?”
What You’ll Get Inside
🔹 Quick Action Checklist: High-impact quick steps to jumpstart your college plan today, even if you don’t have time to dive into all of the deep strategies to follow
🔹 Smart Paying For College Savings Tips: What the heck are 529 plans, Roth IRA strategies, and Coverdell accounts? We’ll help you choose the right account
🔹 Financial Aid & Scholarship Tactics: How to find free money and make FAFSA work for you
🔹 Admissions Hacks: Build a smarter college list, compare real costs, and avoid common traps
🔹 Student Loan Guidance: Borrow wisely with strategies that protect your future
🔹 Campus Life Prep: Build money habits that stick and avoid the broke college student cliché
Why This College Financial Planning Guide?
Tired of sorting through conflicting advice from schools, websites, and financial pros (all of whom seem to have completely different opinions)? The Read This Before Planning for College guide filters out the noise and gives you real, practical guidance.
Whether you’re a first-time planner or already deep in the process, this college planning guide will help you:
✔ Save more with the right tools for your family
✔ Compare college options with confidence
✔ Find hidden sources of financial aid
✔ Avoid debt mistakes that follow you for years
✔ Help your student launch into adulthood with a strong financial footing
Throughout the guide, you’ll also find:
💡 Stacker Pro Tips to help you sidestep costly mistakes
📋 Stacker Action Plans so you know exactly what to do next
Whether you’re just getting started or in the thick of planning, this college savings guide helps you take real steps toward a smarter, more affordable college experience.
Why This Guide Works
We teamed up with The College Investor to ensure our advice is grounded in years of research, practical strategies, and real-world results for families just like yours.
Our Huge Guarantee: Lifetime Access & Continuous Updates
College costs change. FAFSA rules shift. New savings tools and strategies pop up all the time. That’s why your purchase includes lifetime access to all future updates.
Every time we uncover new ways to save money, reduce stress, or simplify the process (without selling a kidney), we’ll update the guide and you’ll automatically have access. In fact, these updates will happen every month. The earlier you start, the more value you get.
So, Who Are We and Why Should You Trust Us?
We thought you’d ask, Stacker!
This guide was created by Stacking Benjamins in partnership with The College Investor, a leading resource for student loans, scholarships, and college savings strategies. Together, we’ve helped thousands of families make smarter money moves and plan for college with confidence.
Joe Saul-Sehy was a financial advisor for 16 years before turning to financial media, earning a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Plutus Awards for empowering people like you. OG is a practicing Certified Financial Planner and co-host of the show Kiplinger called the Best Personal Finance Podcast in the U.S. The College Investor team brings deep expertise in student loans, scholarships, and maximizing financial aid.
Why trust us? We’re not tied to any investment firm, college, or loan provider. This college financial planning guide isn’t a sales pitch. It’s packed with independent, no-fluff advice designed to help your family win—period.
And just like every guide we offer:
🎯 If you don’t think this guide is worth your money, we’ll send a full refund. No questions asked.
Don’t let college planning catch you off guard. Grab your Read This Before Planning For College guide today and start stacking a smarter, more affordable path to higher education.
