This is part three of our college series. In the last article, I told you that the 529 plans are a great way to save for college. This week, let’s get into the details of deciding how much money you actually need to save for your kids' college education.

Last week, I talked about how to prioritize retirement vs. college savings. This week we'll talk about where to put your hard-earned college funds as you prepare the way to higher ed for your children. So let's jump to the big questions on this topic.

Today I bring you the first in a 4-part series on college savings. I know the numbers about the rise in college tuition is daunting, but you have lots of resources at your disposal to help you make the right choices. This college savings series is a great start. I’m going to teach you everything you need to know about the basics of college savings. To kick off the series this week, let's see if putting aside money for college makes sense for you right now, or if you should consider focusing on retirement savings instead.

Many of my clients’ financial questions center around college savings and student debt. I’m going to focus several blog posts on these topics. To get us started, let’s look at a popular college saving vehicle which could be a good option for you: 529 plans.