Brian M. Boswell

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Brian M. Boswell

Brian M. Boswell, CFP® is a financial planner. He has over 20 years of experience in financial services, and has specialized in college planning since 2001.

Brian is an active contributor at Forbes as a specialist in higher education funding strategies.

04/07/2026

I’m excited to return as a sponsor for Pintastic New England, the region’s biggest pinball expo and one of the most family-friendly events around. I won’t be able to attend in person this year due to a family commitment, but I still wanted to be part of the weekend and share something fun with everyone who goes.

Pinball is a luxury hobby. Machines cost real money, and keeping them running takes ongoing care. A lot of the planning work I do with families is about making room for the things they enjoy, whether that’s travel, hobbies, or even a machine they’ve always wanted.

Pintastic kicks off at 6:00 PM on April 9th and runs straight through Sunday at 2:00 AM at the Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel in Marlborough, Massachusetts. Passes are available online or at the door.

Have a great time, and enjoy a few games of White Water for me.

02/23/2026

Eighteen years ago, the night our kids were delivered ten weeks early, my wife went into a seizure. She'd told me to go home and get some rest, but something in me wouldn’t leave. If I'd left she might not have made it. That was the beginning: Three premature babies fighting to stabilize and a fourth life I almost lost.

They were so tiny at birth that one of their hands could wrap around just one segment of my pinky. We spent those first couple months moving between home and the NICU, bringing one or two babies home while another stayed behind. When the last one was released he came home with a heart monitor, and we learned what it meant to remind a child to live. That is not a metaphor: We had to give him a little shake once in awhile so he'd breathe and his heart would beat.

Nobody prepares you that, nor for what comes after those early weeks. The fear. The strain on a marriage. The helpers who disappear once the crisis ends. The financial pressure. The constant worry that ages you. You try to relate to kids growing up in a world so different from the one you did. You wonder if you’re doing enough, or too much, or the wrong things entirely. Parenting three at once means you’re always aware of how thin you can get stretched and how quickly things can turn.

That's not to say there isn't joy. There's joy in abundance. The first time they could tell us what hurt. The performances they worked for and couldn’t believe they pulled off. The friends they made. The trips where everything went right. The illnesses we got through together. The moments they cried and we held them until they steadied. The victories in sports and robotics and music and life. The gratitude they show now, even if they’ll never fully know what it took.

Today they're 18. They're driving, dating, applying to colleges, becoming themselves. We're standing on the edge of an empty nest, proud, exhausted, grateful, and still learning how to let go.

Nothing about the last eighteen years followed a plan. We just keep moving forward and try to do right by them. No bigger lesson than that.

12/16/2025

Her husband gave me permission to share this story.

For the first time one of my clients passed away. She retired a few months ago, excited for more time with her family, her hobbies, and travel. She passed away two weeks ago.

I thought about her family non-stop on the snowy drive to her wake, where loved ones spoke of her impact in the community and the joy she brought. She'd lived a full life, but retirement was meant to be more. Her passing was a reminder of how suddenly life can change, and why estate planning matters.

Two-thirds of Americans have no estate plan, and only about one third have a will. Families left without have to navigate grief while facing probate courts and state laws that decide how assets are distributed, and it can get messy fast.

Estate planning isn't about anticipating tragedy, it's about ensuring that the life you built continues to support those you love, even when you're no longer here. If you don't have a basic estate plan, consider speaking with an estate planning attorney.

11/27/2025

A client recently asked me how much AI exposure they had in their portfolio. It's a fair concern since nearly a third of the S&P 500 is tied to AI‑related stocks. But AI isn't the issue that should keep investors awake at night. Unlike the dot‑com era, today’s "AI companies" are firms like NVIDIA and Microsoft: They're profitable, cash‑rich, and investing in durable infrastructure.

The real challenges are structural pressures like fractured unemployment, higher tariffs, soaring debt levels, a downgraded U.S. credit rating, and healthcare costs climbing 8.5% this year. Many white-collar employees are seeing healthcare insurance premiums rise 24% to 44%. These are the forces that will shape portfolios for the next decade.

Investors should revisit asset allocation models that rely too heavily on historical assumptions and focus on diversification, stress‑testing, and fundamentals.

I’ve shared a deeper breakdown on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/bboswell_financialplanning-economicoutlook-portfoliostrategy-activity-7399615915266416640-P4Kp

10/31/2025

Financial aid is a broken, overly complex process. After helping our triplets complete both the FAFSA and CSS Profile, I can finally say first-hand that the CSS Profile is far more confusing than it needs to be, even for someone who has attended dozens of webinars and read multiple books on the subject.

The CSS Profile, created by College Board and required by nearly 300 institutions, looks similar to FAFSA but goes much deeper. One section asks for “untaxed income and benefits.” That sounds like tax-free income, but what they really want are pre-tax contributions to retirement plans and HSAs, not distributions. Nowhere in finance or accounting are contributions described as “untaxed income.” Then it asks for parental assets, including 529 plans owned by parents, even though these are legally completed gifts to the beneficiary. This isn't to mention the technical issues we also ran into.

However, the real problem is lack of clarity. It's 2025: Tax return data could be pulled in directly or scanned, contributions and distributions could be separated, and explanations provided for why these numbers matter for institutional aid. Beyond that, asking for home equity and retirement account data raises ethical questions. Should colleges expect families to tap retirement savings or home equity to pay tuition?

Glad our forms are done, but the system needs work.

10/01/2025

Today is October first which, for the 2026-27 academic year, is the earliest you can apply for aid via the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and CSS Profile. These applications are administered by the Federal Government and College Board, respectively. I have no idea how the latest government shutdown may affect FAFSA applications, so file them early, if possible. While the deadline for financial aid submissions may be later in 2026, many colleges require the forms be completed with college applications, and some aid is distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

If you need help, stick to reputable sources for guidance. There's a lot of misinformation and many bad actors on social media (I recognize the irony). So, who can you trust? When in doubt, go straight to the horse's mouth:

⚫Government resources: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
⚫College Board resources: https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org/

There are guides on the landing pages for both applications in terms of what information is needed, FAQs, and more. However, most families will find the applications to be relatively straightforward. This isn't the same FAFSA my generation had to fill, where you completed the paper application, mailed it, and prayed. Instead, you complete the digital submission and pray- at least you can track it.

Good luck out there.

06/21/2025

🌈 Sunday, June 22 from 12–4 PM @ Devir Park, Malden

I’m thrilled to sponsor Malden Pride Coalition's biggest “Pride In The Park” yet! This is my 5th year supporting the Coalition and 2nd as a sponsor, and I can’t wait to celebrate YOU. Swing by the Newbridge Wealth tent to chat financial planning, enjoy live performances, Q&A with speakers, vendors, and more.

Dive into the full Pride Month lineup at maldenpride.org.

Newbridge Wealth appreciates the diversity of human beings and does not discriminate based on race, age, religion, ability, marital status, s*xual orientation, s*x or gender identity.

06/13/2025

This morning my triplets earned their driver’s licenses on their first attempt thanks to professional mentorship from Caio at Patience Auto in Medford, our own practice and guidance, and especially their commitment and hard work. Seeing their confidence grow and the pride on their faces is so joyful as a parent, and a perfect reminder that diligence plus professional support delivers results!

06/01/2025

🏳️‍🌈Welcome to Pride month!🏳️‍🌈 I am proud to sponsor Pride in Malden, and to support so many of my amazing LGBTQIA2S+ clients and friends. If you'd like to learn more about Malden Pride and its upcoming events I encourage you to visit https://maldenpride.org/. If you're around on June 22nd visit my table at the festival!

Newbridge Wealth Management appreciates the diversity of human beings and does not discriminate based on race, age, religion, ability, marital status, s*xual orientation, s*x or gender identity.

05/16/2025

It’s always reassuring to see markets bounce back, but should we assume recovery is guaranteed?

Sure, the S&P 500 rebounded from April’s lows, but the nearly 19% drop from its February peak still happened, and there was no way at that time to know a recovery would happen in a month’s time, nor that this recovery will persist. Consider Japan’s TOPIX market index (the S&P 500 of Japan, in market-cap weighted terms, though you can use the NIKKEI if you prefer). Even in a robust, developed economy, the TOPIX took 35 years to reclaim its 1989 peak. That’s why “Past performance is no guarantee of future results” isn’t just a cliché, but a regulatory requirement in investment products. It reminds investors that hindsight is 20/20 and the future remains uncertain.

This is also why diversification matters. When equities falter, stabilizing assets like U.S. bonds can cushion against sudden market swings. At its April 8 low, the US Aggregate Bond index stayed relatively steady amid stock market chaos. A well-constructed, risk-adjusted portfolio not only captures upside potential but also mitigates downside risk, reducing anxiety along the journey.📊

Markets are resilient, but certainty isn’t a strategy. Smart investing is about balancing risk and opportunity, exercising patience, and preparing for whatever the future brings.

04/29/2025

Are rising college costs forcing you to rethink traditional financing?
Learn about using a HELOC to pay for college in my latest Forbes article, here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianboswell/2025/04/29/should-you-use-a-heloc-or-student-loans-to-pay-for-college/ With tuition climbing and federal aid in flux, this deep-dive explains the pros, risks, and nuanced differences between HELOCs and student loans. If you're evaluating new strategies for financing higher education, this analysis offers valuable insights on balancing short-term flexibility with long-term financial security.

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02115

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https://www.529expert.com/

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