Financial Tips for Parents

When you have children, you get lots of advice and tips from everyone but one area that tends to be overlooked is the financial aspect.

In the excitement of impending parenthood, or the crazy first few months – and years – you may never get around to taking some important financial steps. It’s too easy to forget this essential topic so this article is designed to be a useful guide to some of the issues you need to consider.

Multiple surveys have put the cost of raising a child at eye-watering levels over their first 18 years and expats working in the UAE have the added cost of education and medical bills to contend with.

Factor in university or college costs and the fact that many young adults may not be fully financially independent until closer to age 25, and you can see just how important it is to plan sensibly.

Let’s look at some of the financial steps you need to consider.

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Higher education costs – the facts & how you can plan

The days of most expats having their children’s school fees paid for them are gone and even if you have an education allowance as part of your salary package it will stop on finishing secondary school. If they then want to go on to tertiary education, whether that is university, college, or vocational study someone has to pay and the burden is likely to fall on to parents.

Have you thought about how much may be required, or how to fund the additional study that you children may want, or indeed may need, in order to do what they want in life and be successful?

Statistics show that over their working life someone with a bachelor’s degree in the USA will earn, on average, almost twice as much as workers with a high school diploma. Source: US Census Bureau

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Higher education costs – the facts and how to plan

This article has been superceded so please see the latest version published on 1st April 2021/

Higher education costs – the facts & how you can plan

Universities Uncovered – a presentation. How to get the best for your child.

If your children are currently studying for A levels, or the International Baccalaureate, then the topic of university is probably not far from your mind. I am working with Gabbitas a UK based educational consultancy and would like to invite you to a free seminar that is taking place this Wednesday, 30th April on the topic of universities and how to choose the right one.

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Saving for a future: plan for education

Statistics show that over their working life someone with a bachelor’s degree in the USA will earn, on average, almost twice as much as workers with a high school diploma. Source: US Census Bureau

 As a parent you worry about your children. You have high hopes for their future and want them to do well.  One of the best things you can do for them is to provide them with a good education. This will give them freedom to succeed in life and greater opportunities for achievement and happiness.

We all know that school fees in the UAE are expensive, although many have employment packages that include the fees which lightens the burden. Education these days however, doesn’t stop at age 16 or 18 and these days the majority of young people go on to some kind of tertiary education. The cost of this is increasing and many young people finish their education with considerable debts. Not an ideal situation for anyone starting out in the world. So how do you avoid the headache of paying for their education without getting into debt?

The best solution is to plan for this well ahead of time. Parents can help their children to receive a good education, as well a reducing the future burden on themselves, by planning for these expenses. Not only are there likely to be tuition fees, but factor in rent and living expenses and the outlay could be very high indeed.

The younger the children are when you start the better as investments have time to grow and ride out the vagaries of investment markets. Ideally this should be for at least a 10 year period, but plans allow you to take withdrawals if monies are required sooner and have flexibility.

When I speak to people about savings plans one of the concerns related to the costs in running the plan – the charges from the insurance companies.  The good news is that Holborn has exclusive access to a new plan from a major offshore provider with much reduced and thus highly competitive charges.  The Freedom 10 plan is designed to run for a period of 10 years for a minimum monthly premium of $750 (or £500/€500) and for all plans taken out before the end of 2011, there will be no initial charges for the duration of the contract. This is a huge saving and makes this the best value for money plan on the market.

Why not take advantage of a great offer and start planning for your children’s futures now? Contact me to make a no-obligation appointment  keren@holbornassets.com

And if your child doesn’t go to university after all? Well, then you have a large pot of money to put towards a first home for them or to keep and spend on yourself! Whatever happens the monies saved and invested can be put to good use.

Even if you don’t have children , you can still take advantage of this great value plan for your own future.