Capstone Wealth Partners

Capstone Wealth Partners Fee-only financial planning for college-bound families and beyond. Schedule an appointment with one of our advisers today.

We serve families with college-bound students – focusing first on education funding, and then folding in retirement planning and investment management. We also advise on basic tax and estate planning. Rather than dedicate their own time, energy, and money, our clients prefer to delegate to a financial advisor who relies on sound strategies, leverages technology for their convenience, and proactively communicates.

07/10/2026

Parent PLUS loan interest rates just went over 9%... 😳💸

The new federal student loan rates for the '26-'27 school year are locked in:

🔹 Student Direct Loans: 6.52% (plus a ~1.057% origination fee)
🔹 Parent PLUS Loans: 9.07% (plus a ~4.228% origination fee)

Federal loans are getting pricier, so families with good credit may want to consider private loan alternatives. (We just locked in a 6.8% private loan with ZERO origination fees for a client this week!)

Do your homework before you borrow, and schedule a complimentary session with me using the link in the comments.

06/26/2026

College test prep matters!

Test scores aren't just about getting accepted into your dream school—they are about getting paid to go there.

While elite schools like Harvard, MIT, and Princeton do not offer merit scholarships (only need-based aid), small private universities can offer up to $33,000 in merit scholarships—but without test scores to back up your GPA, you’re less likely to hit that top tier.

At schools like Ole Miss, bumping your ACT from a 29 to a 30 can mean an extra $6,000 a year. That’s $24,000 over four years!

Investing a few hundred dollars in test prep right now could yield a massive return on investment by the time tuition is due.

Shop smart, prep early, and secure that scholarship money with test prep this summer.

06/25/2026

Don't waste your time on college visits... unless you do these three things!

It’s great to "get the vibe" of a college campus, but vibes don't translate into careers. You need the facts!

Here are 3 essential tips to maximize your college tours this summer:

1️⃣ Schedule an official visit. Don't just wander around. Make sure the admissions office knows you are there—for some colleges, tracking this demonstrated interest actually matters!

2️⃣ Stop by the Financial Aid office. Ask the tough questions. Do they offer merit scholarships? Is their need-based aid made up of grants or just student loans? Know before you go.

3️⃣ Meet with your specific major's department. Universities are huge. Try to connect with a professor or dean in your field of interest to learn about the program and any future scholarship opportunities for upperclassmen.

Want to read more about what to do during your college visits? Click the link in our comments to read our full guide!

06/15/2026

⏰ THE DEADLINE IS ALMOST HERE!

If you have a child currently in college and another one starting soon, federal student loans are about to look completely different on July 1st, 2026.

Under the new One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), Parent PLUS loans will be strictly capped at $20,000/year and $65,000 over a lifetime per student. No more borrowing up to the full cost of attendance.

However, I recently had a great question from a family with one sophomore and an incoming freshman: "Can you take out a small loan now to get 'grandfathered' into the old rules for BOTH kids?

No. Not for BOTH. You can only take out a Parent PLUS loan for a student who is currently enrolled, so because the incoming freshman won't start until the fall, you can't sneak them into the 2025-2026 school year rules early.

HOWEVER, if you take out even a $100 Parent PLUS loan for your currently enrolled college student before July 1, 2026, you successfully “lock in” the old Parent PLUS loan rules for that specific student.

I call this the "Catch Me If You Can" loophole because you have to act before July 1st to secure the old rules for your current student.

If this sounds like your situation and you think you may need access to some capital (loan) to fund the last year or two of college when you have overlapping students in college, you may want to consider taking even a small amount of Parent PLUS loan before July 1st, 2026 to be grandfathered into the current rules.

Click the link in the comments for more information!

06/05/2026

If you’ve been coasting on federal student loan forbearance, you’re in for a rude awakening.

The SAVE Plan is officially DEAD. Following a federal court ruling, SAVE has been completely terminated, and a brand new system called the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) is taking over.

Here is what you need to know fast:

⏱️ 90-Day Clock: If you were on SAVE, you only have 90 days to manually choose a new plan before you're forced into a standard, higher-payment schedule.

💰 The Calculation Shift: RAP doesn't look at your discretionary income; it looks at your total AGI on a 1% to 10% sliding scale. This means some families could see their monthly bills jump from $36/month to over $440/month.

📅 30-Year Sentence: Forgiveness timelines are jumping up to 30 years under RAP.

🛠️ The Only Good News: Your balance won't grow from unpaid interest if you make your payments, and the government will throw an extra $50/month at your principal balance if you pay on time.

Legacy options like IBR are still around for old loans, but the clock is ticking. Hit the link in our comments to read our full guide on how to survive the new student loan rules before July 1st! 📲

05/29/2026

It’s 5/29, and you know what that means…

Happy 529 Day! 🎉 College 529 Day, that is.

The College 529 Plan is hands down one of the best savings vehicles and financial tools for your child’s education and your family’s future. And we have a GREAT one right here in Ohio with CollegeAdvantage Ohio's 529 Plan. (Give them a follow!)

Here are the top 3 reasons to love the 529:

💵 Major Tax Benefits: For Ohio residents, you can get up to a $4,000 state income tax deduction per beneficiary, per year! Plus, your money grows tax-deferred, and all withdrawals are 100% tax-free when used for qualifying education expenses.

💪 Extreme Flexibility: Getting money in is easy—anyone can contribute (grandparents, aunts, uncles), and you can start with as little as $25. Getting money out is just as flexible. It’s not just for standard college anymore; it covers K-12, graduate school, apprenticeships, tuition, room & board, and books at any federally accredited institution nationwide.

🪤 No "Unused Money" Trap: Worried your kid won't use all the plan money? You can easily change the beneficiary. Even better, you can now use up to $10,000 to pay off student loans or roll over up to $35,000 into a Roth IRA to give them a massive head start on retirement!

Investing in your child’s future starts with a plan… a 529 Plan!

05/22/2026

Millions of graduate students are about to hit a financial wall this summer.

The Department of Education has finalized massive new federal borrowing caps for graduate school, and nearly 30% of all graduate students will run up against these new limits.

The government’s plan? Cut back federal lending to force colleges to lower prices, and let private banks fill in the gaps.

A new report from the Student Borrower Protection Center reveals a flaw in that logic: Over 40% of Americans cannot qualify for a traditional private student loan.

But when you slash federal safety nets and force students into a private market that rejects nearly half of them, you don't lower college costs. You just slam the door on higher education for millions.

What are your thoughts on the new student loan caps and how they will affect funding higher education? Sound off in the comments.

Click the link in our comments to read more about the July 1st deadline and what it entails.

05/15/2026

Is your leftover College 529 money trapped after you graduate from college? 😰

Nope! Actually, leftover money in your 529 plan is a GREAT "problem" to have!

If your student has graduated and you still have a 529 balance, here are 5 ways to use it:

1️⃣ Roth IRA Rollover: Kickstart your student's retirement (up to a $35k lifetime limit).

2️⃣ Pay Student Loans: Use up to $10k to wipe out debt for the beneficiary or their siblings.

3️⃣ Change the Beneficiary: Pass the funds to a sibling or save them for future grandkids.

4️⃣ Keep Learning: Use it for grad school or professional certifications later in life.

5️⃣ The Scholarship Loophole: Withdraw penalty-free up to the amount of any scholarships earned.

Click our link in the comments to read our latest blog about how to use your leftover 529 funds after college.

05/11/2026

This is one of my FAVORITE strategies to unlock more free money for college! 🎓💰

Here it is: open a College 529 plan in a grandparent’s name.

While financial aid forms (FAFSA) look closely at parent and student assets, grandparent-owned accounts are currently NOT assessed on the FAFSA.

This means you get all the classic benefits of a 529 — like tax-deferred growth and tax-free withdrawals for qualified expenses — without it counting against your student’s aid eligibility.

Here’s why it’s a win-win-win:

🔐 Financial Aid Protection: Assets aren't assessed on the FAFSA.
🏡 Family Contributions: Aunts, uncles, and parents can still contribute to the account for birthdays and holidays!
💪 Flexibility: You still get the same tax-free growth and investment options.

Use this tip to make your college savings work harder for your family!

05/01/2026

Is your student’s major on the chopping block? 😰

When a university loses millions in funding — like the $8 million drop recently seen at Case Western from the NIH — budgets get tight. Before you commit to a school, now more than ever, you need to ensure the program you're paying for will actually be there in four years.

With some schools dropping 15 to 30 different programs recently, college shopping requires more than just a campus tour. Programs in the humanities and language arts are often the first to go if they aren't producing "positive dollars" for the university.

Before you sign that enrollment agreement, ask these critical questions:

🧑‍🏫 Check the Faculty: How many professors have they recently hired for this specific major?
📊 Track the Data: How many students have successfully graduated with this degree from this college?
🤝 Verify Commitment: Speak directly to professors and deans to understand how committed the university is to the program’s future.
💰 Follow the Money: What does the endowment look like, and is it supporting your specific field of study?

Don't just assume a major is safe because it’s in the brochure. Do your homework now so your student isn't left without a department mid-degree.

For more information on the Great Higher Ed Reset, click the blog link in the comments.

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