Dan Serra, a retirement planning specialist for Rainsberger Wealth Advisors, has five simple financial strategies for your college student that I thought was worth passing on…

He suggests fiscal responsibility by putting together a plan to manage financial affairs during the college experience.

Some tips he shares: Using Amazon.com or Craigslist for buying used text books (there are many sites online for used text books); Getting around campus on a bicycle -it is more prudent to have a car when you graduate to get a job than as a student; Protect yourself by having medical insurance; Save for emergencies such as student trips, your computer is stolen etc…; And No Credit Cards - a better option is a debit card.

My next posting is more advice of preparing for the hidden costs of college.