CNBC reported yesterday that the 2014 Retirement Confidence Survey, produced by the non-profit Employee Benefit Research Institute and Greenwald & Associates, shows that American workers are more confident in their ability to retire comfortably because of recent stock and housing market gains over the last few of years. 

In the comment section, I said, as I often do, “A home is not a retirement plan.” This garnered comments, which I appreciate. Comments inspire me and make me think. One commenter said that a home can be part of a retirement plan. They included the example of northeasterners who sell their homes and move to a smaller, less expensive home down south. They often pay for their new home with cash and then have money left over. Another commenter said that it is nice to have a free place to live in retirement, rather than a place to rent.

I do not believe this is entirely accurate.

When most future college students and future college-student-parents think about college they think about ways to find additional money to pay for college and college expenses.  As you’ll learn, especially if you go to business school, there are two sides to a balance sheet: assets and liabilities or, in this case, income and expenses.  Here are idea to keep college expenses down.