college

College costs have increased substantially from 1964 to today, and higher costs and borrowing may affect young workers’ retirement security

When I was 8 years old, my teacher told my parents that I was failing third grade, that I was mentally retarded (a label used frequently in those days) and that I was essentially unteachable.

October at colleges and universities may evoke images of falling leaves and football games, but midsemester exams bring a spike in anxiety, the No. 1 mental health problem on campuses.

A recent family party celebrated a first-born child heading off to college. As the evening wound down, relatives gathered around the picnic table and offered advice to the college freshman, ranging from “Study hard but have some fun” to “Call your mom occasionally.”

The great college move-in begins this week. Getting the students there is the easy part. Getting the parents to leave — in both mind and spirit — is the challenge. Indeed, though some colleges have show-parents-the-exit programs, many parents still hover from home.

With the kids returning to school, you’ve earned a sigh of relief. But don’t breathe too easy just yet.

How are families paying for college?

Thanks to the determination of millions of hardworking Americans, our economy has come a long way since the financial crisis seven years ago. Our businesses have created more than 12.8 million new jobs over 64 straight months — the longest streak on record. Our high school graduation rate is at an all-time high. More Americans are finishing college than ever before. And more than 16 million additional Americans have health care — and the uninsured rate is the lowest on record.

We all want our children to be successful and happy. And though being financially fit won’t make anyone happy in and of itself, it can at least take away money stresses and allow the kids to pursue happiness. Just in time for Financial Literacy Month, three journalists from the Wall Street Journal offer 10 great tips in the video below.

Any high-school junior or senior about to accompany her or his mother on a college tour will feel understandably nervous about fitting in.