The life and faith and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. inspires me. His words ring in my head: "I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never...

Here's What We're Talking About This Week! It was my happiest phone call of the day. "Guess what!?!" said the excited voice on the other end of the line. "I did it! I got my scores back--and I got a 514 on the MCAT! The 91st percentile! Better than 91% of the...

Here's What We're Talking About This Week! If you as a parent are out of debt by the day your kid starts college, you’ll have more cash on hand to help with college bills. If you start the process of getting out of debt years before your kid starts college, you’ll...

I'm spending the holidays with my family—and I hope you are too. Whenever I take time off like this, I like to point you to some of my most helpful past articles that you may have missed. This gives you a chance to catch up—right on a week when you may have a little...

Mom, Dad, I know your holidays are busy. You're working frantically to get all the shopping, cooking, and decorating done so that all the holiday magic will appear to flow effortlessly at your house. I know it's a lot—especially in addition to everything else you do...

Here's What We're Talking About This Week! Books make great gifts. Why? Because a carefully chosen book can literally change a life. In this short article I share the top 9 books I most love for parents, 20-somethings, and students ages 12 and up. (For anyone having...

Here's What We're Talking About This Week! You’re a loving parent—so of course you want to make your kid’s future college breaks as warm and memorable as possible. But will you be able to do that if your newly-flown offspring comes home snarly and inconsiderate? What...

Here's What We're Talking About This Week! There's little that's more trying for a parent than December college applications. If your 12th grader has put off completing college applications until the busy holiday season is breathing down his neck—you know what I mean....

You’re with extended family at Thanksgiving, and while you’re setting the table or washing dishes together—you want to say something about the fun, inspiring, exciting debt-free college journey your family's on. What do you say? Mention how fun and reassuring and...

Here's What We're Talking About This Week! Most grandparents love to dote on their beloved grandchildren, but let's face it. Older kids and teens are notoriously hard to shop for. How can grandparents give a relatively inexpensive holiday gift that will be remembered...

Here's What We're Talking About This Week! Most college students would love to earn significant money while home on a December college break. Tell the students you care about—UPS may be the place to apply (for more reasons than just the paycheck). What does UPS...

Here's What We're Talking About This Week! Students are telling me they're scared. They hear their parents' tense, late-night discussions downstairs in front of the TV, and they see the angry vitriol that's been roiling in their social media feeds. They're worried...

Here's What We're Talking About This Week! Parent, I urge you: DO NOT cosign a student loan for your child. Today I'm featuring information from an article by nationally syndicated radio host and author Clark Howard. I consider this to be must-read info for every...

Here's What We're Talking About This Week! Could you one day have your social security checks garnished to pay for your kids' college? Yes. You may be in danger of having your social security checks garnished and not even realize it. Parents duped into taking out...

Here's What We're Talking About This Week! Learn my 9 best strategies for putting together effective, stress-free college visits. You’ll find my most current info on this subject here.

Today I'm featuring a 5-minute video clip from the TV show Adam Ruins Everything. This 5-minute clip is titled, "How College Loans Got So Evil." It's funny! But then again, it's not funny at all—because it's true. Please share this post with every parent, teacher,...

Here's What We're Talking About This Week! A girl recently contacted me, asking me to explain to her how she could wrestle control of her 529 college savings plan away from her parents. "They are unreliable and untrustworthy," she told me. "What!?" I thought. "Are...

Parents ask me, "Jeannie, I've got kids ages 12–18. What's the fastest, easiest way for me to get these kids through college debt-free and into jobs they love afterward?" My answer: "It's actually fairly easy to do this—if you can plan ahead just a little!" Let me...

Who feels most excited and happy at dorm drop off day? It’s parents (at all different income levels) who've laid the groundwork necessary to get that kid through college debt-free—and then directly into a career that kid excels at and loves. Even if he or she never...