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I spent 6 years as a manager in Vanguard’s 529 department so when it comes to college savings strategies, I’ve seen everything.
Here’s one you should be aware of:
For years, families would have grandparents hold the 529 and wait until the student’s LAST year of college to use it. Why? Because distributions from grandparent-owned 529s used to count as student income and hurt federal aid eligibility.
But last year, everything changed.
Thanks to the new FAFSA rules, grandparent-owned 529 withdrawals no longer count as income for the student.
That means they can now help pay for school without impacting financial aid eligibility.
This is a game changer for families trying to bridge the gap.
And just so you know, 529 accounts have a very small impact on FAFSA even when owned by a parent.
Only 5.64% of the 529 account balance is counted in the aid formula.
So if you have $20,000 saved, only $1,128 is considered “available” to pay for college.
That’s it.
If you’re on the edge of qualifying for aid, knowing how to position these assets could make all the difference and yes, it’s 100% legal. The tax code is the playbook. Learn it. Use it.
07/14/2026
Nobody told me how hard it was going to be.
The bills. The debt. The pressure from family to spend money you don’t have. The friends who make you feel weird for saying no. The weddings, the trips, the dinners, the “you only live once.”
And then you look up one day and wonder why you’re still stuck.
Here’s what I had to learn the hard way. Nobody is coming to save you. Not the government. Not your employer. Not the family member who gave you bad advice in the first place. The plan has to start with you.
That means getting honest about where your money is actually going. It means saying no to things that feel good today but cost you tomorrow. It means tuning out the noise, including the people closest to you, and deciding what you actually want your life to look like.
Society has a plan for you. Work, spend, repeat. Stay broke, stay busy, stay distracted. And if you follow that plan without questioning it, you will end up exactly where it leads.
You don’t have to.
Take control of your finances. Not because someone told you to. Because it’s the only way to build a life on your own terms.
That’s the real American Dream.
If you want a 21 page plan that will show you exactly how to take control of your financial life and live your dream life, comment: GUIDE below and I’ll DM it to you.
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