CCM Insights- Issue 31 by CompassCapitalMgt

CCM INSIGHTS

by Compass Capital Management

OUR FAMILY’S COLLEGE JOURNEY: LEARNING AS WE GO

BY: MICHELLE LOWE

Starting Late. Managing Overlap. Planning Forward.

College planning did not start early in our house. Like many families, we were busy raising kids, paying bills, and managing everyday life. College always felt far away until suddenly, it wasn’t.

We have four children, all at different stages. Two are already in college One is about to graduate high school and start college soon. Our youngest just began high school, which means we still have four years before their college journey begins.

For the next few years, we will have three kids in college at the same time, while also preparing for the fourth.

Facing the Reality

When our oldest began talking seriously about college, we had to face a difficult truth: we had no college savings plan. We felt we were

A LOOK INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

1.Our Family’s College Journey: Learning as We Go

2.Team Retreat

3.Cornhole For a Cause

behind, overwhelmed, and unsure where to start. It’s a hard place to be especially when more than one child is heading toward college.

What we learned quickly is that planning does not stop once college begins. Even starting late, there are still choices and strategies that can help.

Understanding the True Cost

The first step was learning what college really costs. We discovered that the price listed on school websites isn’t what most families actually pay. Grants, scholarships, and financial aid changed the numbers significantly.

Seeing the real cost helped us move from fear to planning. After understanding our options,

we could start making informed decisions instead of guessing.

Different Kids, Different Paths

Our children didn’t all choose the same path and that turned out to be a big advantage.

One child is enrolled in EMT school, training for a hands‑on career with a shorter, lower cost program. Another is in Paramedic school, focused on a clear career path with a strong job demand. Our next child will attend a four year college to pursue a more traditional degree

We learned that college does not have to look the same for every child. Matching the education path to each child’s goals helped us manage costs and set realistic expectations.

Paying as We Go

Because we had no savings, we focused on paying as we went We adjusted our budget, cut back where possible, and used payment plans to break costs into manageable pieces. We avoided student loans to give our children a start to their future, after college, without debt.

Most importantly, we talk openly as a family. College is a shared responsibility, with everyone understanding that choices matter

Planning Ahead for the Youngest

While we started late for our older children, we are determined not to repeat that for our youngest. With four years before college, we are saving what we can and planning earlier.

The plan may not be perfect, but it’s far better than having no plan at all.

What We Would Do Differently

Looking back, we wish we had taken the same proactive steps to plan for college that we took to plan for retirement. As we navigate through our budget with college at the forefront of our minds, a few lessons stand out:

We would have asked for help earlier from professionals who understand college planning.

We would have started saving something, even small amounts.

We would have explored non traditional paths sooner

And we would have realized sooner that waiting only adds stress later.

A Message for Other Parents

It wasn’t until I started working at Compass Capital Management that we realized there are investment account options specifically designed to help families save for their children’s future Looking back, my husband and I can clearly see the opportunities we missed by not having guidance from a financial advisor earlier in the process.

Although we wish we had taken the same proactive steps to plan for college that we took to plan for retirement, we now understand that college planning isn’t just about tuition. It’s about having a clear savings strategy, a manageable budget, and making informed choices along the way.

If there is one key takeaway from our experience, it’s this: cut out the stress don’t try to navigate college planning alone. It’s never too late to start planning and never too early to prepare for what’s ahead. The best time to begin is now.

If you wish to learn more about how your family can save more for the future, contact a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professional for a complimentary consultation. ®

TEAM RETREAT!

Last Friday, our team had our semi-annual team retreaat day locally in McAlester! We had a great day of training, team bonding, and a little bt of creative fun! Here are the WORKS OF ART our team created!

Check out our Socials for more retreat content!