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July 21st, 2026

The College Decision Framework That Avoids Decades of Financial Stress w/ Shanna Due

  1. The College Decision Framework That Avoids Decades of Financial Stress w/ Shanna Due Larry Sprung 35:00

The college your kid falls in Love with might be the one that costs you your Retirement — and their financial future. That’s the trap most families fall into, but college financial planner Shanna Due has a system for avoiding it.

In this episode, she breaks down the three things every Family needs to consider before saying “yes” to any school. You’ll learn what to do if your child has their heart set on a specific school, how financial aid really works, and how to get the best college experience for the least amount of investment.

Grab your copy of 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺: 𝘍𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦: https://www.duefinancial.com/general-6

Topics discussed:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:51) Becoming a financial planner

(04:56) Three factors to choosing the best college

(08:14) Why the college decision is hard on families

(12:12) Start the Money talk early

(16:07) Treating college like a business

(19:02) Even More Than Money: Five Ways to Design Your Financial Life

(24:26) Using money as a tool, not the goal

(27:53) Advice for aspiring authors

(30:38) What brought you JOY today?

If you’re a writer who wants to take control of your finances, read Mitlin Financial’s Write Your Financial Future: A Financial Guide for Authors: https://www.mitlinfinancial.com/insights/blog/write-your-financial-future-a-financial-guide-for-authors/

Resources:

Connect with Larry Sprung:

  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrencesprung/
  • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larry_sprung/
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LawrenceDSprung/
  • X (Twitter): https://x.com/Lawrence_Sprung

About Our Guest:

Shanna Due is a Certified College Financial Consultant (CCFC), Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), and Accredited Financial Counselor® (AFC®). She is the founder of Due Financial, editor of More Than Money, and an advisor for The Braun Financial Literacy Program at the Boehly Center, Mason School of Business, College of William & Mary.

Her mission is to end the student debt crisis—one family at a time. Shanna guides parents and students through the complex financial aid landscape so families can make smart, informed decisions—without sacrificing retirement plans or limiting a student’s future with unnecessary debt. She brings Clarity, confidence, and strategy to one of the biggest financial decisions a family will make.

Shanna lives in Williamsburg, Virginia with her husband, two children, and rescue pup. When she’s not cheering from the sidelines or exploring a hidden mountain lake, she’s likely curled up with her latest book obsession.

Connect with Shanna Due:

  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanna-due/
  • Website: https://www.duefinancial.com/

Disclosure:

Guests on the Mitlin Money Mindset are not affiliated with CWM, LLC, and opinions expressed herein may not be representative of CWM, LLC. CWM, LLC is not responsible for the guest’s content linked on this site.

This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique https://www.podcastboutique.com

Lawrence “Larry” Sprung, CFP® is a husband, father, entrepreneur and mental health advocate.

Larry is the author of the Amazon Bestselling book “Financial Planning Made Personal” and the also host of the Mitlin Money Mindset™ a podcast that reminds you to ask yourself “What did you do today that brought you joy?®”

In 2004 he founded Mitlin Financial, Inc. naming the firm memory of Larry’s wife’s grandfather, Mitchell, and his mother, Linda. During his career, Larry has found that a lot of industry terms and concepts can seem confusing to outsiders. That’s why he works with the families he serves to break down complex financial topics into easy-to-understand concepts.

In recognition of Larry’s significant contributions to his profession, he has received quite a few awards. In 2021, Larry was named to the Investopedia 100 Top Advisors in 2021 and was even more humbled to make their Top Ten list for 2022.

Outside the office, one of Larry’s greatest passions is raising awareness for mental health. He spent over 12 years serving on the National Board of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and sits on its financial and investment committees. With his wife, Denise, he has raised more than $1.7 million for the organization through the Keith Milano Memorial Fund. The fund was created in memory of his brother-in-law.

Larry values his family tremendously and his desire to do right by his wife and two sons drives who he is in and out of the office.