Rethinking Education Funding in the Age of AI

College planning used to feel pretty straightforward.

Save into a 529, borrow if you have to, send the kids off, and hope it all works out.

But now?

Tuition keeps climbing, borrowing is getting tighter, and AI is reshaping entire industries. That “default” path doesn’t feel so default anymore. In fact, Gen Z men with college degrees now have the same unemployment rate as non-grads

As such, we’ve been having more conversations with clients about not just how to fund college, but whether the old playbook still even makes sense.

Education Funding: Starting with the Basics

When it comes to education funding, most families use a mix of:

529 Plans: Still a strong option. Tax-free growth, state tax perks, and now, thanks to recent changes, any leftover funds can roll into a Roth IRA for your kid (up to $35k under certain conditions). That’s a great backstop – college savings that can double as retirement savings if plans change.

UTMAs: More flexible (can be used for non-education expenses), but they hit harder on financial aid forms, and the money becomes your child’s at the age of majority. Use these if you want optionality and don’t mind relinquishing control down the line.

Out-of-pocket (Parent-funded): Works well for high-income families with strong cash flow, but can become a stressor if it competes with other goals (like funding your own retirement).

New Twist: Borrowing Just Got Harder

We wrote about the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) last month after its passing. Included in it was a reduction of federal student loan limits.

On the surface, that might feel like a loss, especially for families who planned to “bridge the gap” with borrowing.

But zoom out a bit, and there may be a silver lining.

For years, colleges could raise tuition without real consequence, knowing families could just borrow more. That’s part of what’s driven runaway costs. Tighter lending rules might be the first meaningful pressure to slow that growth.

We saw a version of this during the 2008 financial crisis: when banks tightened lending, the housing market corrected. Now, we might see something similar (finally) in higher ed.

So, yes – less access to credit is tough in the short-term. But it may help rebalance the system long-term.

Is College Still Worth It?

It depends. We know families on both ends of the spectrum.

John has put three daughters through college (with a fourth on deck). He’s lived it. The decision-making, the financial strain, the pride, the stress – all of it.

Lisa and I, meanwhile, have four kids under 7 (with baby McNamara #3 due in December!). We’re still in the early innings. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking hard about what college (and really, the world) will look like when Manny and his 8-day older cousin, Damien, reach 18.

Will K-12 provide them the skills they need to thrive in this new world? 

Will the linear path of high school to college still make sense? 

Will AI have transformed what it means to be “employable”?

How To Prepare Our Children For The Future:

Tech leaders like Elon Musk and Pavel Durov (founder of Telegram) believe math and physics are the two most valuable subjects kids can master in this new world. Not because everyone needs to be an engineer – but because these subjects teach systems thinking, logic, and problem-solving. AI-proof skills, essentially.

Others, including my compadre (ahem… ChatGPT), echo Musk and Durav’s sentiment but also suggest layering in communication, behavioral psychology, and philosophy – timeless skills that sharpen how we relate to others, understand ourselves, and make thoughtful decisions in a world moving faster than ever.

Either way, it’s no longer about “go to college, get a degree, get a job.”

It’s about learning how to think, how to learn, and building the kind of core skills that make you adaptable for life.

So What Should You Do?

Here’s what we’re encouraging families to consider:

– Get clear on your values. 

Do you want to fully fund your kid’s education? Share responsibility? Encourage a gap year, trades, entrepreneurship?

There’s no one right answer – but there is your right answer.

– Don’t overfund 529s.

They’re great tools, but not your only option.

Balance them with other accounts (like a personal brokerage account or UTMA) that give you more flexibility if your kid doesn’t go the traditional route.

– Understand the new loan rules.

Tighter lending = more planning. You might not be able to borrow your way through like past generations did. While that might not be a bad thing (long-term), it could present funding challenges in the short/medium-term.

– Invest in timeless skills. 

Math. Communication. Resilience. Emotional intelligence. Curiosity. Regardless of what the world looks like 15 years from now, those skills will still matter.

Final Thought

College planning used to be a math problem. Now it’s a values question.

What kind of life do you want to help your kids build? What tools do they actually need? And how can you give them the best shot without sacrificing your own goals in the process?

If you’re navigating these questions, or just want to make sure your education strategy is keeping up with the times, we’re here.

Let’s figure it out together.

Becoming a Supple Leopard: Why Longevity Lives in the Middle of the Strength-Flow Spectrum

A leopard is a rare combination of raw power and effortless grace.

As Manny taught me (BIG fan of Wild Kratts and all things animals), leopards can haul prey twice their weight into a tree… then move through the branches like water.

Humans, on the other hand, tend to pick a side.

Some of us chase maximum strength – think of the “gym bro” focused on pushing the numbers on the barbell higher and higher.

Others chase pure flow – think of the yogi who moves as fluidly and gracefully as possible.

Both are admirable.

Neither, on its own, is built to last.

The Strength–Flow Spectrum

Spend too long at the strength end of the spectrum and you become brittle – strong but restricted, unable to rotate or move deeply without stiffness or pain.

Camp out too long in pure flow and you become fragile – flexible but lacking the strength and joint integrity to make that movement durable under real-world load.

Longevity lives in the middle.

Strength gives structure.

Flow gives freedom.

You need both for a body that will still serve you decades from now.

Your Physical Portfolio

Think of your body like an investment portfolio.

Overweight one asset class, and you’re exposed.

Go all-in on strength and you’re like an investor with every dollar in a single hot stock – impressive returns when things go well, but one bad turn and your portfolio takes a hit you’ll struggle to recover from.

Go all-in on mobility and you’re like sitting on a mountain of cash – safe in the short term, but missing the growth you’ll need to go the distance.

The smart play?

As with both our investment + physical portfolios: diversify.

Blend assets – strength and flow – so your “physical portfolio” grows, adapts, and weathers whatever life throws at it.

Five Ways to Build Strength + Flow for Life

Imagine having all your faculties at age 100.

What would you want to be able to do to stay independent?

Some that come to mind for me:

  • Sitting on the floor and getting up unassisted
  • Carrying groceries upstairs
  • Going on a hike or long walk
  • Stowing my luggage in an overhead bin
  • Throwing my (great)grandkids in the air

Whatever your list looks like, those abilities require your physical vessel to be functional. That means training those capacities (both strength + flow) now.

  1. Train Full-Range, Loaded Positions You Want to Keep Forever

Kelly Starrett, DPT and author of “Becoming a Supple Leopard” (the inspiration for this piece!) has a great line:

You don’t lose the ability to squat because you get old – you get old because you lose the ability to squat. 

Press overhead with arms locked out. Lunge deep. Hang from a bar. Carry weight with a neutral spine.

The load builds resilience; the range preserves your options.

  1. Make Movement Part of the Day, Not Just the Workout

Mobility doesn’t need to be a 30-minute block.

It can be “movement snacks” while the coffee brews – shoulder rolls, hip circles, ankle work, floor sitting.

I’ve started balancing on one foot while brushing my teeth – when the electric toothbrush buzzes at the halfway mark, I switch feet.

Integrate movement into daily life, and you won’t lose it.

  1. Layer Rotational and Anti-Rotational Strength

Life isn’t linear. Your spine, hips, and shoulders must rotate and resist rotation under load.

Pair rotational work (medicine ball throws, kettlebell windmills, mace swings, or my newest hobby – rope flow) with anti-rotation (single-arm farmer’s carry, Turkish get-up, single-leg Romanian deadlift)

You’ll protect your back and build athleticism that lasts.

  1. Train “Get Up, Get Down” Capacity

From deep squat to standing.

From the floor to your feet without using your hands.

These patterns keep you confident in every environment, and they’re highly predictive of independence as you age. Add load for an even greater return.

  1. Test, Retest, Adjust

Keep a simple dashboard:

  • Can you hold a deep squat for two minutes? 
  • Balance on one foot for 30 seconds? 
  • Hang from a bar for 60 seconds? 
  • Lunge without wobbling? 

Retest monthly. If something slips, address it before it becomes a permanent loss.

Final Thoughts

The goal isn’t to be the biggest lifter or most limber mover, it’s to maintain physical competence for decades – strong enough to lift, mobile enough to move, resilient enough to adapt.

Becoming a supple leopard means training the full strength-flow spectrum for the rest of your life.

Do that, and your body becomes an asset that pays dividends deep into the future.