Are You Making These Retirement and College Savings Mistakes?

In this episode of Something More with Chris Boyd, Chris and Brian dive into two of the biggest areas where families unintentionally sabotage their financial success: retirement savings missteps and education planning mistakes.

Brian discusses patterns he's seen after reviewing hundreds of 401(k) plans — especially the surprising frequency of investors mixing target-date funds with additional stock funds, inadvertently doubling their risk. Chris and Brian explain how target-date funds are designed, why adding extra funds defeats the purpose, and how investors often fall into the trap of chasing performance or comparing themselves unfairly to the S&P 500.

The conversation also unpacks:

• Why the S&P 500 is not an appropriate benchmark for most people
• How risk tolerance, time horizon, and personal financial stability should determine allocation
• Why short-term performance viewing leads to emotional decisions
• The "illusion of diversification" when holding many similar stock funds
• How to properly evaluate whether your portfolio risk matches your goals
• The importance of focusing on time in the market, not timing the market

Then the episode turns to education planning mistakes — an increasingly urgent topic as college costs continue skyrocketing. Chris and Brian cover:

• Why early and consistent saving matters most
• Why 529 plans remain the best savings vehicle for education
• How the new Trump savings accounts fit in (and don't)
• How costs differ dramatically between public vs. private education
• Why parents often damage their own retirement security trying to pay for college
• The importance of setting expectations with children early
• Brian's personal system for projecting education costs to 2044
• Why lifestyle decisions (cars, home choices, spending patterns) impact your ability to fund education

Finally, the discussion closes with a thoughtful segment on whether buying a home is always the right move, especially for Millennials and Gen Z. Chris and Brian outline why today's high prices and high mortgage rates reduce affordability — and why renting may sometimes make more financial sense until conditions improve.

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