To understand the financial values and concerns of today’sfamilies, check out a thoughtful new survey published by T. RowePrice. It is the "2015 Family Financial Trade-offs Survey"and you can see a summary of findings here: http://www.slideshare.net/TRowePrice/2015-03-final-tradeoff-deck

The 2,000 parents who participated in the survey were selectedbecause they have a retirement savings account and at least onechild age 15 or younger. The participant pool was equally dividedbetween men and women.

Here are a few high-level takeaway points:

• Couples therapy – The most basic goal ofeffective college planning is to achieve agreement between spouses.Sixty-seven percent of respondents with spouses/partners said theydisagree about money matters in general occasionally or frequently;46% often don’t see eye-to-eye about how to save for kids’education. A financial advisor can be an effective mediator inresolving money-related differences between spouses. Yet, only 39%of respondents say they currently have a paid advisor.

• Separating retirement and education – Althoughmost parents are saving for both college and retirement, the samefunds may be earmarked for both. Thirty percent of parents say theyare saving for college through their own 401(k)s – almost as many(31%) as are using 529 plans. Another basic planning goal is toestablish separate savings accounts for collegeand retirement.

• Focus on women – Women are more likely thanmen to feel overwhelmed by financial pressure (68% vs. 58%) and beconcerned about running out of money in retirement (63% vs. 57%).They are less willing than men to rely on debt for personal oreducational needs. Women need information about the choicesavailable for education saving. Once they are informed, they arelikely be the decision-makers for new college savingsprograms.

The survey confirms that college education remains a primaryfinancial goal for most U.S. parents. Ninety-one percent believetheir kids will go to college, and 62% say that putting money intoa college education is a better investment than savings for theirown retirements. Increasing parents’ confidence about reachingcollege savings goals still can be a catalyst for creating stronglong-term client relationship.