What are some tips in lowering a families (EFC) Exepected Family Contribution?
815167
talk tothe financial aid offices at the colelges where your children plan to attend. Ask about an income appeal where they may be able to help you lower your EFC.
43751
first know exactly what the funds go for and tell them when you call/contact them, also give them suggestions of what they may contribute, tell them how successiful it was in past years. Hope this helps
69558
None.  Use a debit card, save money, invest.
982576
get a savings account with someone else (like a parent or spouse, depending on your age) and put some money in it every time you get paid. make sure that it is a savings account that requires both peoples signature to withdrawl money. this is what I did when I wanted to save money and it worked great!
344263
This plan should help assist you.\n\nhttp://everyonebenefits.com/40374893
1084530
Look into DRIP accounts.  Direct ReInvestment Program.  There are many companies that will allow this.
143349
it sounds like a good old fashioned family that sticks together. the only negative might be that it does not teach financial independence of the young family members.\n\nmaybe you could suggest that you keep a portion, maybe 10% in a seperate fund so you could learn how to use money.
842850
Yes you can!  In fact, this is a great way to lower your SE and federal/state income taxes, get your children involved with your business, and teach them about income, taxes, and savings.  Definitely do it!\n\nYou can only deduct the wages you pay them on your Schedule C if the work is done in connection with your Sch C business, the child actually does work, and the money you pay them are reasonable in relation to the service provided.  Keep records of services and wages.  You need to give your child a W-2 and send the appropriate forms to the IRS, but any tax preparer worth their shingle knows how to do that.  The first $5150 of earned income is federal tax-free because it falls below the standard deduction for 2006.  And if all that isn't enough, if your child is under 18, all income they earn from your unincorporated business is exempt from FICA (social security and medicare) taxes.  If the child is under 21, the income is exempt from FUTA.
233208
Lower efc.  Higher efc suggests that you are more capable of affording the cost of tuition.
523192
PF rule is -\nEmployees' share of contribution is Minimum 12% of Basic +DA.\nEmployers' share is 12% of B+DA, out of this 8.33% of B+DA (maximum-6500) goes to EPS (Penstion fund) with the Govt.and, the balance to your PF a/c.\nYou can close the account by filling Form 19 ,and,if the employer is exempted unit then by Form 10-C (if the total period is less than 10 years) for EPS amount and by an application to the Employer for PF amount. \nIf the period is more than 10 years then EPS amount can not be drawn but at the age of 51-58 you can fill Form 10-D to get pension from the Govt. (RPF Commissioner)\nfor further details you can chat with me.
198423
On the AMT form 6251, the only adjustment for charitable contributions goes on line 26, which is for very specific situations. Otherwise, there is no add back to income for AMT calculations so there is a chance it will lower the AMT income and reap a benefit.\n\nSources list the 6251 form and instructions.
831591
If you aren't sure of what the changes are or how they will affect your family, talk to your Human Resources person...they should be able to fill you in on the details!!  Good luck!
1163265
Do you have a rainy-day fund?  If not, I'd focus on saving money into a rainy-day fund in case you lose your job or your car needs work.\n\nWould the company match more if you put more into your 401-k?  If so, try to at least get all the company match.  Otherwise, consider a Roth IRA since you probably don't pay any income taxes anyway with two kids and their associated $1000 tax credit.  There's no point in trying to reduce taxes in a tax-deferred account if you don't pay any to begin with.
912797
loans \ncollect cans \nfamily (not all from one person but split it between a few money comfortable  people)
1117757
Yep, I've thought about it.\n\nFirst, form a trust and pick a solid company to administer it.  That prize is paid out over 30 years (usually, or something close) and I don't want to lose over half of it in order to get the cash lump sum, yet I might not live long enough to see it all come in.  The trust then keeps it going for my family after I croak.\n\nSecond, a big chunk is going to taxes first and before I see a dime they will want to withhold at least a third.  Current taxes, state and federal would be really close to 40 percent (a rate that undoubtedly will go up in the future, but hopefully not as much as to cost the loss of the over 50 percent discount of the lump sum payment).  So instead of 30 percent withheld, I would have the full 40 percent withheld.  I would rather have government owe me than owe government.  Also, current rates are something like 35 percent for federal and 4 percent (actually 6, but the federal tax is deductible) state, which is 39 percent, so tack on the 1 percent that the trust company expects and make the numbers easier.\n\nThird, I would want to make some charitable donations, so set aside a quarter for a trust fund or foundation to distribute that.  As a Christian, I like to pay my tithe, an old word for a tenth, so that still leaves some 15 percent for things like schools and scholarships and helping poor families out with their health bills, medicines, and such.\n\nFourth, I would want to make some investments to keep the money working.  With today's uncertainty, I might shop for a bunch of banks to make jumbo certificate of deposit (CDs) accounts and get the better interest rates.  When the bank needs to give the money back, especially if I go to federally-insured small banks, they will probably notice that I have a few bucks and want to let me in on local opportunities like some good housing developer that needs some partnership money (he will incorporate first and give me shares or it ain't gonna happen with me).  When I identify an opportunity that will make me money better than the CDs, cash them in when they mature and invest elsewhere.  I've got a couple of practice stock portfolios, one making 19 percent and the other 6 percent increases, so those strategies might work for some of this.\n\nFinally, with the ten percent that remains, divy it up over the time as income.  With that I pay off my bills, go on to get my doctorate.  My wife can get her master's or more too.  My son will probably want to open an upscale coffee shop which will then be no problem.  I can travel abroad periodically, as well as about this country, because there are lots of beautiful places and fascinating things I haven't had a chance to actually experience yet.  Besides, there might be some fun opportunity to invest in and while I'm holding the checkbook folks tend to be nice who otherwise probably wouldn't give more than the time of day.\n\n50 million over 30 years is 1.6 million a year.  That's 1 million after taxes at the current rate.  That's a little over $400k for contributions and another for investments.  An annual $166k for disposable income is more than enough for what I want to do.  Besides, as contributions are often tax-deductible, I expect to get a chunk of that tax withholding back in tax refunds.  Thanks for the dream.
163045
best way to settle them is to sit down and go over your monthly budget together, pay bills together.  do it the same time every month, have one household account that you both put in the amount you need to keep the account open and pay for all the household expenses.  Do it in equal amounts.  what's left at the end of the month from you individual paychecks is spending money and you can do with it what you want to.  ie save it, spend it, put it in your individual checking accounts or saving accounts.  (btw, household expenses includes food and clothing for the house ie yourselves and the kids.  gas for your cars needs to come out of your individual spending amounts.)  NOW KISS AND MAKE UP.
148458
Many mutual fund families will waive their intial minimum requirement if yu set up an automatic investment plan, usually as low as $25-$50 per month. It is a good way to systematically save. Try American Funds, I believe they have very low minimums on this kind of approach.