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WEALTH MANAGEMENT | FINANCIAL PLANNING
College Planning
For many successful families, paying for education is one of the most meaningful uses of wealth. Heirloom is with you at every step, from birth to graduation.
Whether you want to fully or partially fund college for children or grandchildren,
support private K–12 or specialized programs,
or help family members graduate with little or no debt, Heirloom Wealth provides college planning as an integrated part of comprehensive wealth management.
The Problem
Writing checks “as you go” or opening a single 529 plan without a strategy can create uncertainty and unintended trade-offs
Heirloom Wealth provides college planning as an integrated part of comprehensive wealth management for high-net-worth families
High-net-worth families typically do not struggle with the question, “Can we help?” The harder questions are:
How much should we commit—and for how many students?
Which accounts make sense (529s, taxable accounts, trusts, Roth IRAs, others)?
How does this interact with our retirement, tax, and estate strategies?
What happens if a child does not go to college, earns a scholarship, or needs more time?
Common pain points Heirloom sees when families arrive from other advisors include:
No integrated plan – College savings decisions made in isolation from the rest of the balance sheet.
Product-driven recommendations – Emphasis on selling a particular account or strategy rather than building a coordinated roadmap.
Reactive planning – Conversations that begin when tuition bills are already arriving, limiting options.
No connection to legacy goals – Education gifts not tied to the broader estate or multigenerational plan.
For an educated, high-achieving investor, this can be frustrating, especially if you feel your current advisor is “checking the box” on college savings rather than helping you think strategically.
Heirloom’s Approach to Education Planning
Heirloom’s college planning process is designed for high-net-worth families who have more moving pieces to coordinate: multiple children or grandchildren, significant taxable and tax-advantaged accounts, and meaningful estate and gifting considerations.
While every client’s situation is unique, the process typically follows these steps:
Our Approach
1. Clarify Your Education and Legacy Priorities
Heirloom begins with what you want education to represent in your family:
Do you want to fully cover tuition, or share costs with students and parents?
How important is it to fund graduate school or advanced degrees?
Are you hoping to support private K–12, trade school, or non-traditional paths?
How does education support your broader legacy—what message do you want this gift to send?
These preferences are documented and built into your broader financial plan, alongside retirement, lifestyle, charitable, and estate objectives. Education becomes a core planning pillar, not an afterthought.
Our Approach
2. Map Out Students, Timelines, and Cost Ranges
Next, Heirloom builds a practical framework around “who, when, and how much”:
Current and expected future students (children, grandchildren, other family)
Time horizons until enrollment for each student
Cost ranges based on school types (public, private, in-state, out-of-state, etc.)
How much you prefer to contribute for each person (e.g., a set dollar amount, a % of expected cost, or “up to” a defined cap)
This helps quantify the education promises you are making—explicitly or implicitly—and tests them against your other goals using realistic assumptions.
Our Approach
3. Evaluate the Right Mix of Accounts and Funding Vehicles
With goals and costs framed, Heirloom evaluates which types of accounts may be appropriate, and in what proportions. This may include, where suitable:
529 plans – Tax-advantaged accounts that may be used for qualified education expenses. Rules around contribution limits, qualified uses, and potential transfers to other beneficiaries or, where permitted, to retirement accounts for the beneficiary are considered in the context of your broader plan.
Taxable investment accounts – Flexible, non-qualified accounts that can be earmarked for education while preserving broader optionality.
Trusts and other estate-driven structures – For families with complex legacy or control considerations, trusts may be used to define how and when education funds are accessed.
Roth and other retirement accounts – In limited and carefully evaluated circumstances, existing accounts may play a role, always with retirement security as a priority.
Heirloom does not provide legal or tax advice. Instead, the firm helps you understand trade-offs, then coordinates with your attorney and CPA so that college funding decisions are consistent with current laws and your overall strategy. Tax benefits and financial aid impacts are evaluated where relevant, with the recognition that rules can change and outcomes depend on individual circumstances.
Our Approach
4. Integrate College Planning with Retirement, Taxes, and Estate Strategy
For high-net-worth families, education planning is rarely about “either/or.” It is about balancing:
Your desired retirement age and lifestyle
Income and capital gains tax exposure over time
How much you want heirs to receive during your lifetime versus through your estate
Other goals such as business transitions, real estate, and philanthropy
Heirloom’s core value proposition is integrating wealth management and tax awareness under one roof. That means college funding is modeled alongside:
Retirement income projections
Expected required minimum distributions (RMDs) and tax brackets
Estate and legacy objectives, including gifts during life and at death
This integration helps prevent well-intentioned education gifts from unintentionally undermining retirement security or creating avoidable tax friction.
Our Approach
5. Design a Contribution Plan and Implementation Schedule
Once the structure is determined, Heirloom helps you translate the plan into specific actions:
How much to contribute annually, and to which accounts
How contributions should be invested based on time horizon and risk tolerance
How to phase funding across multiple students and generations
When and how to adjust as circumstances change (new grandchildren, school choices, scholarships, etc.)
Investment management is handled in-house, with Heirloom applying its disciplined, evidence-based approach and maintaining an audited performance track record at the firm level. Past performance does not guarantee future results, and investment strategies are always tailored to your overall risk profile and objectives, not just a standalone account.
Our Approach
6. Monitor, Review, and Communicate with Family Members
College planning is not static. Heirloom revisits education funding as part of your ongoing review cadence, updating as:
Students’ plans and schools change
Market conditions impact account values
Tax laws or planning opportunities evolve
Your priorities shift—for example, deciding to increase support for grandchildren
When appropriate, Heirloom can participate in or help structure family conversations so that parents, children, and grandparents understand:
What is being provided
How decisions were made
The broader financial context and responsibilities that come with the gift
Education becomes an opportunity for multigenerational alignment, Rather Than confusion.
Outcomes / Results
Every family is different, but high-net-worth clients who engage Heirloom for college planning often experience several key benefits:
Clarity and Confidence Around Commitments
Instead of vague promises (“We’ll figure it out”), you have:
Defined education goals for each student
Funding levels that have been tested against your retirement and lifestyle needs
A clear understanding of how much you are committing—and what remains flexible
This clarity helps you communicate confidently with family members and avoid over-extending yourself.
Alignment with Broader Wealth, Tax, and Estate Strategy
Because college planning is integrated into your overall wealth management relationship, decisions are made with full awareness of:
Your investment strategy and risk profile
Potential tax implications over time
Your estate and legacy priorities
This alignment helps reduce the risk of fragmented decisions that feel good in the moment but complicate your picture later.
Reduced Administrative Burden and Better Organization
Instead of juggling multiple accounts and ad hoc contributions, clients benefit from:
A consolidated view of education assets across all relevant accounts
A defined process for contributions and adjustments
Professional management of investment decisions within those accounts
For busy professionals, entrepreneurs, and retirees, this reduces mental load and frees up time for higher-value conversations.
A Thoughtful Legacy of Opportunity
Many Heirloom clients view education as a cornerstone of their legacy. College planning, done well, can:
Help children and grandchildren pursue meaningful opportunities
Reinforce family values around learning, responsibility, and gratitude
Complement other legacy efforts such as charitable giving or estate planning
Rather than simply writing checks when bills arrive, you build a structured, intentional education legacy that fits seamlessly into your broader wealth story.
Is Heirloom's Education Planning Right For You?
Heirloom’s College Planning service is particularly valuable for:
High-net-worth investors
who want education funding to be part of a coordinated wealth, tax, and estate plan - not an isolated decision
Professionals and executives
who are short on time and want a structured, math-driven approach rather than piecemeal advice.
Business owners and entrepreneurs
whose income and liquidity may be uneven, and who need help timing and structuring contributions.
Families already working with an advisor
but not receiving proactive, integrated college planning—and who may feel that conversations are overly product-focused.
First-time advisory clients
who are ready to move from self-directed saving to a comprehensive, fiduciary relationship that includes education, retirement, tax awareness, and legacy.
FAQs
Q: How does Heirloom approach college planning for families?
College planning at Heirloom starts with understanding a family’s goals—whether the focus is helping children, grandchildren, or both. The objective is to reduce future student debt while integrating education funding into the broader financial plan so it supports, rather than competes with, retirement and legacy goals.
Q: Why does Heirloom often recommend 529 plans for college savings?
529 plans offer flexibility, long-term growth potential, and control. Contributions can be invested in age-based strategies that automatically become more conservative as college approaches. Funds can be used for college, certain K-12 expenses, trade schools, or transferred to siblings or future generations if not fully used.
Q: What happens if a child doesn’t use all of the money in a 529 plan?
Unused 529 funds are not lost. They can be reassigned to siblings, passed down to future beneficiaries, or—under certain rules—rolled into a Roth IRA for the beneficiary. This allows college planning to double as a long-term wealth-building tool rather than a single-use account.
Q: How do college savings choices affect financial aid eligibility?
Account ownership matters. Assets held in a child’s name—such as UTMA accounts—can negatively impact financial aid eligibility, while parent-owned 529 plans are often treated more favorably. Heirloom helps families understand these rules in advance to avoid unintended consequences when applying for financial aid.
Q: How does Heirloom decide between a 529 plan and other savings options like UTMAs?
The decision depends on flexibility, control, and family dynamics. UTMA accounts become irrevocably the child’s at adulthood, which may not be ideal in every situation. 529 plans allow families to retain control while still offering multiple education-focused and long-term planning benefits. Heirloom evaluates these options within the context of each family’s broader financial plan.
If you are serious about funding education for children or grandchildren - and you want those decisions to support, rather than compete with, your other goals -Heirloom’s integrated college planning may be a strong fit.
Schedule A Strategy Session with Our Team
This initial conversation is designed to understand your goals, current situation, and priorities. You’ll have the opportunity to ask questions, explore how Heirloom’s integrated approach works, and determine whether a longer-term relationship makes sense—without pressure or obligation.
Our Services
A coordinated approach to managing investments, planning, and cash flow, designed to bring clarity and confidence to your financial life today and over time.
Tax strategies integrated with your broader wealth plan, helping inform decisions, improve efficiency, and support long-term outcomes through coordinated planning.
Contact
6400 S Fiddlers Green Circle
Suite 1970
Greenwood Village, CO 80111
3200 Cherry Creek S Dr.
Suite 130
Denver, CO 80209
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