Many of you know or heard of Mike Rowe. His fame came from his hosting of “Dirty Jobs” and his narration of “Deadliest Catch”. Mr. Rowe has been a champion of skilled trade jobs, and as of the last few years, has become a very outspoken critic of forcing every one into getting a college degree. He has also spoke about the fear that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will replace many white-collar jobs people went to college to get.
The fact of the matter is, college has become very expensive and the actual return on investment is not as high as the people who make a living in the higher education industry would have you believe. Student debt has skyrocketed in this country to the point where there has been much talk about getting relief for those who will carry that debt into their middle age and beyond. Hence, Mr. Rowe’s position on learning and obtaining a skilled trade.
Funding a 529 Plan for your child, grandchild, niece, or nephew can be a wonderful way to hedge against whatever may happen in the future. It can not only be used to fund a pursuit in a college degree but it can also fund a accredited trade school. Additionally, the funds for can also be used to purchase the tools much the same way that books and lab fees are funded at colleges and universities. We have also had clients who used their children’s 529 plans to fund their pursuit of a culinary education in retirement.
No matter what the career choice ends up, investing in a 529 plan can help anyone pursue their career choice. And finally, you can set them up all on your own. You don’t need to an advisor to do that for you.
Mike
Mike Mickels is the President of CochranMickels Retirement Specialists and an avid sporting clay competitor. CochranMickels Retirement Specialists provides personalized planning and investment services to individuals approaching and in retirement. They also provide retirement and benefits training to Federal employees. Securities offered through Registered Representatives of Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a broker-dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc, a Registered Investment Advisor. CochranMickels and Cambridge are not affiliated.