Plan NOW to Increase College Financial Aid

Don't wait until your child is applying to colleges to plan your financial aid strategy. "To ensure the best possible financial-aid package for their soon-to-be college students, parents should reduce some of their savings by paying down consumer debt and move their child's savings to a protected 529 plan, financial counselor Ray Martin writes. And, he writes, parents should mail in their financial-aid forms as soon as they can, because money is distributed on a first-come, first-served basis." CBS MoneyWatch (8/28) http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505144_162-57500838/increase-college-financial-aid-by-planning-now/