Derek Tharp

Once the cost of coverage is accounted for, the implied rate of return for investing through a return of premium term policy can be quite attractive, Derek Tharp writes.

The key is to think about what clients ultimately want to know, writes finance professor Derek Tharp.

There are attractive hedges against rising college tuition costs. But, not every student will benefit.

Both are structured to last a long time — sometimes forever. But beware of one-size-fits-all approaches.

While there’s no fail-safe method for modeling the costs, a popular calculation may significantly under- or overstate the burden of tuition, room and board, Kitces.com research associate Derek Tharp writes.