529 Plan and College Savings

Archive for December, 2007

Question: Looking for financial calculator/advice?

I am looking for someone or something to answer this question for me. I have a home mortgage at 5.75% with 28 years on it fixed, and I also have a student loan at 4.125% with 25 years on it fixed. The mortgage is around $200k, and the student loan around $30k. I need to know if it is better to pay off the student loan first, and then use that extra monthly payment to pay off or down the mortgage, or is it better to pay down the mortgage since it is at a higher interest rate. Both payments are tax deductible, and I am in the 28% tax bracket. I have no other debt. I am working on creating a savings account to cover expenses in case of an emergency, and I contribute the max each year to my ira account. I can not get a 401k. I have 2 young children, that I need to start saving for their college, but have not done so yet.
Anyone know of a good calculator that will let me plug in my numbers to see where I can obtain the best results with any extra income? Thank you.

Answer: In general, you always want to pay your most expensive debt off first, however, in your case, you have excellent rates on both loans, and you’re not really in a position to be concerned about paying off the debt in a hurry. You have other priorities, so just pay the minimums. The last thing you want to do is tie up money you may need to use for retirement/childrens education in the equity of your home (which does not affect the market value of your home in the least) and then have to resort to a home-equity loan at a higher rate than you are currently paying for the mortgage if you need the money down the road. Additionally, both your rates are low enough that if you invest any money beyond what is required to make the minimum payment, you will come out significantly ahead in the long-term.

As far as saving for the kids for college, you need a knowledgable financial planner to look over your total assets and income to put together some projections. Your income, which you didn’t mention, is what will have the most significant impact on anything you would like to do. Future inheritences can also play a role in long-term planning.

Student Financial Aid : College Financial Aid Calculator