Are You Stressed Out Trying To Pay for Your Child’s College and Still Afford Your Retirement?

As A Fee Only Raleigh Financial Planner, We Help College-Bound Families Choose Smart Options For College & Retirement.

  • PCollege Funding Guidance for School Selection + Affordability
  • PRetirement & Investment Management for Your Long Term Goals
  • P Dave Ramsey 7 Baby Step Financial Coaching for a Peaceful Future
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We are open and here to help you in these challenging times. Any meetings requested/scheduled can be conducted via phone or virtually via Zoom.
Mark Kelly, Founder of University Financial Strategies Featured in…
Funding Your Children’s Education While Planning Your Own Retirement Is A Balancing Act

We Help Families & Individuals Manage Their Wealth and Create Financial Plans For Success

College Funding

Our client relationships often begin when families realize they don’t have a plan in place to pay for college. We help our clients increase affordability by making the most of school selection, financial aid, tax opportunities, and using their own savings and income.
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Retirement Management

It’s often hard to think about your own retirement when you’re staring down the barrel of four years of tuition and housing expenses. Once we have established a college funding plan, we turn to your retirement goals. Together we’ll create a plan that helps you prepare for the retirement you want.
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Investment Management

Did you know human beings are twice as concerned about avoiding losses than they are about achieving potential gains?  This is why humans tend to sabotage their own investing.  We utilize active and passive investment strategies with an emphasis on risk to help you understand how your portfolio may do in various market conditions. We help guide you with management of both your 401k/403b and custodied assets.
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Financial Coaching

If you want to win with money, you need a plan that works. Dave Ramsey's 7 Baby Steps work because it is a clear path to know where you are and where you are headed next. It is not a simple fix to making you wealthy, but we believe as we guide you and you follow each step in order with great focus and intentionality it will change your life.
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How It Works

As A Fee-Only Raleigh Financial Planner, My goal is to give you a clear understanding of your current financial status along with plan to serve as a solid foundation moving forward into the future.

For complete details with video instructions please visit Our Process Page.
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1. GETTING ACQUAINTED

 

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3. GETTING A PLAN

  • Establish measurable financial goals
  • Build your financial plan or Investment Strategy together
  • Finalize saving strategies

4. GETTING AHEAD

  • Confirm plan action items
  • Review & track goal progress
  • Investment Check In(See Sample Picture)
  • Adjust plan as your situation evolves

Helpful Financial Planning Tips

Our blog is filled with smart financial strategies to help you build a solid foundation moving forward into the future.
5 Steps to Budgeting to Change your life

5 Steps to Budgeting to Change your life

Budgeting might seem overwhelming at first, but hear this: You can do it. How? By breaking down the process a bit.

What Is a Budget?
Real quick though, let’s define the word budget. A budget is just a plan. It’s not a restriction on spending—it’s a plan for what you’ll do with your money. It’s a plan for what’s coming in and what’s going out.

When you learn how to make a budget—and do it every month—you’re giving your money purpose. You’re taking control. Goodbye, money anxiety. Hello, money goals. Learn the 7 Baby Step Process

Small Business Retirement Plans— SIMPLE, SEP-IRA and SOLO 401(k)

Small Business Retirement Plans— SIMPLE, SEP-IRA and SOLO 401(k)

Small companies shouldn’t forgo retirement savings just because a 401(k) plan can be expensive to set up and maintain. There are options specifically for smaller businesses: a Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees (SIMPLE) plan, a Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) plan, and a SOLO 401 (k).

How Do You Create a Retirement “Paycheck?”

How Do You Create a Retirement “Paycheck?”

“How do I get my money out of my retirement plan and into my checking account?”

The question is not as simple as it appears – that’s why people ask it. They’re not asking about the mechanics of a 401(k) withdrawal. They want to understand the switch from saving to spending, and it’s an entire cascade of questions covering how to decumulate assets in retirement. These include:

• When should I take social security?
• How can I ensure I’ll have enough income for my needs?
• How can I invest for growth without taking too much risk?
• What about taxes?

College Planning Resource Videos

College Pre-Approval

College Pre Approval in Action

EFC and Financial Aid Eligibility

Retirement Planning Resource Videos

Benefits of Saving Early

Life Expectancy Probabilities

The Retirement Equation

Check the background of this financial professional on FINRA’s BrokerCheck & AdvisorInfo

At University Financial Strategies our mission is to help families think beyond just saving for college, but helping leverage strategies that leverage your unique situation to help you save on college costs. We take into consideration topics like specialized college-planning strategies for business owners, planning for financial aid, school-specific scholarships, coordinating college planning with grandparents, cash-flow strategies and options for covering shortfalls, to name just a few.

Address

4801 Glenwood Avenue
Suite 200-630
Raleigh NC 27612

Disclaimer

The information on this site is provided “AS IS” and without warranties of any kind either express or implied. To the fullest extent permissible pursuant to applicable laws, University Financial Strategies, LLC.(referred to as "University Financial Strategies") disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including, but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability, non-infringement and suitability for a particular purpose. University Financial Strategies, LLC.does not warrant that the information will be free from error. None of the information provided on this website is intended as investment, tax, accounting or legal advice,  as an offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or as an endorsement of any company, security, fund, or other securities or non-securities offering. The information should not be relied upon for purposes of transacting securities or other investments.

Your use of the information is at your sole risk. Under no circumstances shall University Financial Strategies, LLC.be liable for any direct, indirect, special or consequential damages that result from the use of, or the inability to use, the materials in this site, even if University Financial Strategies, LLC.or a University Financial Strategies, LLC.authorized representative has been advised of the possibility of such damages. In no event shall University Financial Strategies, LLC.have any liability to you for damages, losses and causes of action for accessing this site. Information on this website should not be considered a solicitation to buy, an offer to sell, or a recommendation of any security in any jurisdiction where such offer, solicitation, or recommendation would be unlawful or unauthorized.