The Wealthfront 529 College Savings Plan Is College Investing With a Robo-advisor Right for You

Wealthfront, one of the largest and most well known online financial advisors, has recently announced that it will offer a state-sponsored 529 college savings plan to complement its existing suite of investment products. Partnering with Ascensus College Savings and the state of Nevada, Wealthfront is the first robo-advisor to launch its own 529 plan, which could be a worthy competitor to direct- and advisor-sold plans. What does this mean for families saving for college? The Wealthfront 529 College Savings Plan operates just like any other 529 plan, with federal tax-free earnings growth, flexibility of ownership and favorable financial aid treatment. Yet there are also some significant differences when it comes to fees and required initial contributions. So if you're in the market for a new 529 plan, or looking to switch, make sure you understand the pros and cons of using Wealthfront's new product. RELATED: What is a 529 plan? Pros: Convenience For busy parents, being able to set up a college savings plan without having to sit through a lengthy, in-person conversation with a human financial advisor can make the Wealthfront product particularly attractive. Instead of having to carve out a few hours for the meeting and find a babysitter, moms and dads simply fill out an online questionnaire from the comfort of their couch. Personalized advice Unlike direct-sold 529 plans, which can require some savvy DIY investing, Wealthfront's college savings plan uses the information provided in the questionnaire to develop personalized recommendations. This includes advice on how much to save each month, based on the type of school the child will attend and the parents' tolerance for risk. Wealthfront will also let a family know if they're missing out on potential tax benefits from not using their home state's plan. Low cost According to Savingforcollege.com's Annual College Savings Survey, 80 percent of families who use 529 plans did not work with a financial advisor to open one, mainly because they were concerned about the costs. Typical advisor-sold plans carry a front-end ï ¿ ½load,ï ¿ ½ a commission to compensate the advisor, of between 3.25% and 5.25% (A-Shares) or a flat load of 1.00% (C-Shares). But the Wealthfront plan offers a solution for families who want professional advice without the high fees. Investors will pay a monthly advisory fee based on an annual rate of 0.25%, plus investment management fees ranging from 0.18%-0.21%. However, the advisory fee is waived on the first $10,000 you have invested with Wealthfront, including any funds in retirement or other accounts. For Nevada residents, the fee is waived on the first $25,000. That means total, all-in fees for the Wealthfront 529 plan ï ¿ ½ including the advisory fee ï ¿ ½ would be 0.43% - 0.46%, which is less expensive than advisor-sold plans and even many, if not most, direct-sold 529 plans. RELATED: The 15 lowest-cost 529 plans Investment choices Most 529 plans offer static or age-based investment options, with the majority of parents choosing the latter. Age-based portfolios will automatically shift investments over time based on the beneficiary's age. As he or she gets closer to college, a larger portion of the account will be allocated toward less risky fixed income investments. Traditional 529 plans generally only offer a handful of age-based options. With Illinois's Bright Start College Savings Program, for example, accounts are placed into one of six portfolios, depending on the child's age. Yet the Wealthfront 529 plan boasts 20 different portfolios, or glide paths, offering different levels of risk to suit investors' needs. Diversification One common strategy investors use to reduce risk is to include investments from a variety of asset classes that perform differently over time. In other words, don't put all your eggs in one basket. The underlying investments of Wealthfront's college savings plan contain nine exchange-traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to a greater mix of equity and fixed income investments than the average direct-or advisor-sold 529 plan. RELATED: Are parents getting savvier about saving for college? Cons: Relatively expensive to start Families who enroll in the Wealthfront 529 plan will have to make an initial contribution of at least $500, which is higher than the required minimum deposit for almost all direct-sold plans and many advisor-sold plans. And unlike Wealthfront, many of these plans will lower the initial contribution amount if you link the plan to your bank account to make automatic monthly investments. You could miss out on potential state tax benefits Currently, 28 states, including the District of Columbia, offer residents a tax credit or deduction for contributions to their home state's 529 plan. For example, a married couple in Indiana earning $100,000 and contributing $100 each month to an Indiana 529 plan would save $360 a year in state taxes - based on claiming a 20 percent tax credit on up to $5,000 per year in contributions. Savingforcollege.com's State Tax Calculator can help you determine how much your state tax benefit is really worth, and whether it makes sense to stick with your home state's plan. No performance track record A 529 college savings plan is an investment account, which means its value will fluctuate based on financial market conditions. Savingforcollege.com tracks 529 plans and assign ratings based on historical performance to help families make a selection. Since the Wealthfront plan is brand new, there's no way to evaluate whether the plan performed in line with the market, or if there were any unusual periods of volatility to be concerned about. Yet as with any 529 plan, past performance doesn't guarantee future results, and there are other important factors to keep in mind ï ¿ ½ such as available features and related fees and expenses. RELATED: 5 ways to judge your 529 plan's performance Uncertainty about the future College has become one of the biggest expenses a family will face, with the costs of attending four years at an in-state public university getting close to six figures. One of the biggest advantages of a 529 plan is that tax-free investment growth allows you to maximize your savings potential for the next 18 years, or until your first tuition bill is due. According to the Statistic Brain Institute, only 58 percent of financial startups remain in business after four years. Wealthfront is still a new and, relatively speaking, small company, especially compared to other 529 managers such as Fidelity, Merrill Lynch, and T. Rowe Price. For some families, this could be a valid concern. However, the Wealthfront 529 plan isn't completely run by a startup. The program manager, Ascensus College Savings, is part of Ascensus - the largest independent retirement and college savings service provider with over 30 years of experience. Today, Ascensus College Savings services over 3.5 million 529 college savings accounts, including plans with a much longer track record, such as New York's 529 College Savings Program and Missouri's direct- and advisor-sold college savings plans. What's more, the plan is administered by the Nevada State Treasurer's office, which is responsible for one of the largest college savings programs in the country with five savings plans and one prepaid plan, and over $17 billion in assets under management. RELATED: How to pay your tuition bill with a 529 plan Wealthfront, one of the largest and most well known online financial advisors, has recently announced that it will offer a state-sponsored 529 college savings plan to complement its existing suite of investment products. Partnering with Ascensus College Savings and the state of Nevada, Wealthfront is the first robo-advisor to launch its own 529 plan, which could be a worthy competitor to direct- and advisor-sold plans. What does this mean for families saving for college? The Wealthfront 529 College Savings Plan operates just like any other 529 plan, with federal tax-free earnings growth, flexibility of ownership and favorable financial aid treatment. Yet there are also some significant differences when it comes to fees and required initial contributions. So if you're in the market for a new 529 plan, or looking to switch, make sure you understand the pros and cons of using Wealthfront's new product. RELATED: What is a 529 plan? Pros: Convenience For busy parents, being able to set up a college savings plan without having to sit through a lengthy, in-person conversation with a human financial advisor can make the Wealthfront product particularly attractive. Instead of having to carve out a few hours for the meeting and find a babysitter, moms and dads simply fill out an online questionnaire from the comfort of their couch. Personalized advice Unlike direct-sold 529 plans, which can require some savvy DIY investing, Wealthfront's college savings plan uses the information provided in the questionnaire to develop personalized recommendations. This includes advice on how much to save each month, based on the type of school the child will attend and the parents' tolerance for risk. Wealthfront will also let a family know if they're missing out on potential tax benefits from not using their home state's plan. Low cost According to Savingforcollege.com's Annual College Savings Survey, 80 percent of families who use 529 plans did not work with a financial advisor to open one, mainly because they were concerned about the costs. Typical advisor-sold plans carry a front-end ï ¿ ½load,ï ¿ ½ a commission to compensate the advisor, of between 3.25% and 5.25% (A-Shares) or a flat load of 1.00% (C-Shares). But the Wealthfront plan offers a solution for families who want professional advice without the high fees. Investors will pay a monthly advisory fee based on an annual rate of 0.25%, plus investment management fees ranging from 0.18%-0.21%. However, the advisory fee is waived on the first $10,000 you have invested with Wealthfront, including any funds in retirement or other accounts. For Nevada residents, the fee is waived on the first $25,000. That means total, all-in fees for the Wealthfront 529 plan ï ¿ ½ including the advisory fee ï ¿ ½ would be 0.43% - 0.46%, which is less expensive than advisor-sold plans and even many, if not most, direct-sold 529 plans. RELATED: The 15 lowest-cost 529 plans Investment choices Most 529 plans offer static or age-based investment options, with the majority of parents choosing the latter. Age-based portfolios will automatically shift investments over time based on the beneficiary's age. As he or she gets closer to college, a larger portion of the account will be allocated toward less risky fixed income investments. Traditional 529 plans generally only offer a handful of age-based options. With Illinois's Bright Start College Savings Program, for example, accounts are placed into one of six portfolios, depending on the child's age. Yet the Wealthfront 529 plan boasts 20 different portfolios, or glide paths, offering different levels of risk to suit investors' needs. Diversification One common strategy investors use to reduce risk is to include investments from a variety of asset classes that perform differently over time. In other words, don't put all your eggs in one basket. The underlying investments of Wealthfront's college savings plan contain nine exchange-traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to a greater mix of equity and fixed income investments than the average direct-or advisor-sold 529 plan. RELATED: Are parents getting savvier about saving for college? Cons: Relatively expensive to start Families who enroll in the Wealthfront 529 plan will have to make an initial contribution of at least $500, which is higher than the required minimum deposit for almost all direct-sold plans and many advisor-sold plans. And unlike Wealthfront, many of these plans will lower the initial contribution amount if you link the plan to your bank account to make automatic monthly investments. You could miss out on potential state tax benefits Currently, 28 states, including the District of Columbia, offer residents a tax credit or deduction for contributions to their home state's 529 plan. For example, a married couple in Indiana earning $100,000 and contributing $100 each month to an Indiana 529 plan would save $360 a year in state taxes - based on claiming a 20 percent tax credit on up to $5,000 per year in contributions. Savingforcollege.com's State Tax Calculator can help you determine how much your state tax benefit is really worth, and whether it makes sense to stick with your home state's plan. No performance track record A 529 college savings plan is an investment account, which means its value will fluctuate based on financial market conditions. Savingforcollege.com tracks 529 plans and assign ratings based on historical performance to help families make a selection. Since the Wealthfront plan is brand new, there's no way to evaluate whether the plan performed in line with the market, or if there were any unusual periods of volatility to be concerned about. Yet as with any 529 plan, past performance doesn't guarantee future results, and there are other important factors to keep in mind ï ¿ ½ such as available features and related fees and expenses. RELATED: 5 ways to judge your 529 plan's performance Uncertainty about the future College has become one of the biggest expenses a family will face, with the costs of attending four years at an in-state public university getting close to six figures. One of the biggest advantages of a 529 plan is that tax-free investment growth allows you to maximize your savings potential for the next 18 years, or until your first tuition bill is due. According to the Statistic Brain Institute, only 58 percent of financial startups remain in business after four years. Wealthfront is still a new and, relatively speaking, small company, especially compared to other 529 managers such as Fidelity, Merrill Lynch, and T. Rowe Price. For some families, this could be a valid concern. However, the Wealthfront 529 plan isn't completely run by a startup. The program manager, Ascensus College Savings, is part of Ascensus - the largest independent retirement and college savings service provider with over 30 years of experience. Today, Ascensus College Savings services over 3.5 million 529 college savings accounts, including plans with a much longer track record, such as New York's 529 College Savings Program and Missouri's direct- and advisor-sold college savings plans. What's more, the plan is administered by the Nevada State Treasurer's office, which is responsible for one of the largest college savings programs in the country with five savings plans and one prepaid plan, and over $17 billion in assets under management. RELATED: How to pay your tuition bill with a 529 plan

Informative Essay Amusing Ourselves For Death, Media...

After reading Neil Postman’s book, Amusing Ourselves to Death, media traps society for many reasons. The first reason is because the media limits the audience’s discourse to the bias it employs. Television has limited real discourse because of the constant need to entertain viewers. The need to entertain viewers has made the actual message far less important than the entertainment of how it’s presented. Even religion and education have become more entertaining than achieving their actual goal. Media traps us primarily because that is where we derive our information from. Television also traps young school children by constantly entertaining them. The media whether that be TV or newspapers, limit the audience to the bias they have. If a newspaper has a liberal bias, they limit their readers to the liberal bias they propagate. A television network is focused primarily on retaining the viewers’ attention. The TV networks will try extra hard to entertain the viewer, to retain their attention. The viewer, instead of receiving informative discourse, boring or not, is now getting information that is only for entertainment. There is a reason why television stations hire attractive newscasters. TV viewers are more likely to stay on the channel if the newscaster is attractive. This principle can also be expanded not only to TV but the way products are advertised in general. The quality of the products is subordinate to the fashion of the product. Do people really buy LamborghinisShow MoreRelatedLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 Pagesand relevancy should attract readers. Stanley Baronett. Jr., University of Nevada Las Vegas Far too many authors of contemporary texts in informal logic – keeping an eye on the sorts of arguments found in books on formal logic – forget, or underplay, how much of our daily reasoning is concerned not with arguments leading to truth-valued conclusions but with making choices, assessing reasons, seeking advice, etc. Dowden gets the balance and the emphasis right. Norman Swartz, Simon Fraser University Read MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 PagesInterior Design: Suzanne Duda and Michael Fruhbeis Permissions Project Manager: Shannon Barbe Manager, Cover Visual Research Permissions: Karen Sanatar Manager Central Design: Jayne Conte Cover Art: Getty Images, Inc. Cover Design: Suzanne Duda Lead Media Project Manager: Denise Vaughn Full-Service Project Management: Sharon Anderson/BookMasters, Inc. Composition: Integra Software Services Printer/Binder: Edwards Brothers Cover Printer: Coral Graphics Text Font: 10/12 Weidemann-Book Credits and acknowledgments

Visual Arts in the Philippines Essay Example For Students

Visual Arts in the Philippines Essay The Visual Arts in the Philippines Art had a vital function in pre-colonial society. The early native artists showcased their talent and skills in making of pots, bamboo containers, shell and bead jewelry. They ornamented it with various designs derived from their agricultural mode existence, such as, symbols of the fields and streams, clouds, sun and stars, lightning, bird or animal shapes. These designs acquired a social meaning and name to express authority, social position or identification in an agrarian society. Pre-colonial art was made for religion and ritual. The early sculptors carved tastes of wood and stone representing ancient or the spirit of ancestors. The Meaningful Jar is found in Planar, it is classified as a secondary burial jar. On the lid of the jar is a boat with two human figures representing two souls on a voyage to the afterlife. The boatman is seated behind a figure whose hands are crossed on the chest. The position of the hands is the traditional Filipino practice observed when arranging the corpse. The Meaningful Jar signifies the belief of early Filipinos in life after death. Its amazing how the colonizers used art as a tool to propagate the Catholic that through beautiful images and how they used images to show Chrisms life and passion. Even though the ethnic art forms such as pottery, weaving and metalwork were retained; the Spaniards introduced new art forms. Native indigo acquired economic wealth and became what was to be called the illustrator, meaning enlightened and educated. The developments paved the viva for Filipino illustrator to send their children to universities in Europe. They were exposed socio-political ideas generated by the French Revolution and they also adapted Western cultural standards, criteria and manners. Painters from the Visas were noted for their skillful manipulation Of the technique. Their paintings of saints and religious scenes show figures in frontal and static positions. Of all the new art forms introduced, the natives took to sculpture. They transformed the carvings into sculpture of the saints. Am really curious how they did that, I want to see how they make it. In the 19th century, art was only for the church and religious use, Therefore, almost all the carving and sculptures are for the church. For instance, the church door and the facade of hurries may be carved from the coral stone and volcanic rock. It may also have carved images of saints, floral decorations and leaf d ©core. Based on the article, I dont see how we can relate on the pasts culture. Way back before, they give 50 much importance in art and there are many well-known artists, unlike today. The only people who can afford painting before are who had a class and it was for the church. The artists before makes legendary artworks like Juan Ulnas Spoliation. In our present situation, dont see how our society value art anymore. I think what only matters to them is the mainstream.

The Simpsons Is One Of Americas Most Popular Television Shows. Essays

The Simpsons is one of Americas most popular television shows. It ranks as the number one television program for viewers under eighteen years of age. However, the ideals that The Simpsons conveys are not always wholesome, sometimes not even in good taste. It is inevitable that The Simpsons is affecting children. Matt Groening took up drawing to escape from his troubles in 1977. At the time, Groening was working for the L.A. Reader, a free weekly newspaper. He began working on Life in Hell, a humorous comic strip consisting of people with rabbit ears. The L.A. Reader picked up a copy of his comic strip and liked what they saw. Life in Hell gradually became a common comic strip in many free weeklies and college newspapers across the country. It even developed a cult status. (Varhola, 1) Life in Hell drew the attention of James L. Brooks, producer of works such as Taxi, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and Terms of Endearment. Brooks originally wanted Groening to make an animated pilot of Life in Hell. Groening chose not to do so in fear of loosing royalties from papers that printed the strip. Groening presented Brooks with an overweight, balding father, a mother with a blue beehive hairdo, and three obnoxious spiky haired children. Groening intended for them to represent the typical American family "who love each other and drive each other crazy". Groening named the characters after his own family. His parents were named Homer and Margaret and he had two younger sisters named Lisa and Maggie. Bart was an anagram for "brat". Groening chose the last name "Simpson" to sound like the typical American family name. (Varhola, 2) Brooks decided to put the 30 or 60 second animations on between skits on The Tracy Ullman Show on the unsuccessful Fox network. Cast members Dan Castellaneta and Julie Kavner did the voices of Homer and Marge. Yeardley Smith (later to star in Herman's Head) did the voice of Lisa. Nancy Cartwright did the voice of Bart. Cartwright previously supplied the voices for many cartoons, including Galaxy High, Fantastic Max, Richie Rich, Snorks, Pound Puppies, My Little Pony, and Glo-Friends. Tracy Ullman later added Cartwright to her cast. (Dale and Trich, 11) Brooks, Groening, and Sam Simon, Tracy Ullman's producer, wanted to turn the Simpson family into their own show. The Fox network was looking for material to appeal to younger viewers. The only show they had that drew a young audience was Married With Children. To Fox's pleasure, The Simpsons saved the network from near failure. (Varhola, 3) On December 17, 1989, The Simpsons got their break. The Christmas special, "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" aired. (Dale and Trich, 19) In the episode, Bart got a tattoo, much to Marge's dislike. She quickly spent all of the family's Christmas money to remove Bart's tattoo with a laser. At the same time, Homer, still on his morning coffee break at 4:00 in the afternoon, learns that he will not receive a Christmas bonus. When he learns that Marge is relying on the money for Christmas, he decides that he will do the Christmas shopping for the year. He quickly buys Marge panty hose, Bart paper, Lisa crayons, and Maggie a dog toy. When he realizes that he is not doing very well, he gets a second job as a mall Santa for the extra money. On the way home from work, he steals a Christmas tree. The next day at the mall, Bart sits on his Dad's lap and pulls down his beard. Homer responds by choking Bart and making him help make Christmas better. On Christmas Eve, Homer receives his check, $13.70 for over 40 hours work. Homer takes Bart to the dog track as a final chance for Christmas money. They discovered a gem in the third race, Santa's Little Helper. How could this dog lose on Christmas Eve? The odds were 99 to 1, they were going to be rich. Homer put all of his money on Santa's Little Helper, and to his horror, he never even finished. As Homer and Bart were scouring the parking lot for winning tickets into the night, they saw the track manager throw out a dog. It was not just any dog, it was Santa's Little Helper. When Bart and Homer came home to their worried family, they had a good Christmas after all. Now they had a dog. (Pond) "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" was not the typical Christmas story. It dealt with body art, sleeping in the work place, sibling rivalry, stealing a Christmas tree, a misbehaved

Things Fall Apart Essays - African Writers Series, Free Essays

Things Fall Apart Essays - African Writers Series, Free Essays Things Fall Apart In the book Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe is trying to give an explanation of what it is like to live in an African society. The story is about a man named Okonkwo who is a member of the Ibo tribe. Achebe is telling the story of Okonkwo from his childhood till his death. Before I read this book I did not have a very good idea of how people lived in Africa, and the ideas of I did have about life in traditional African societies turned out to be untrue. Achebe did a very good job of illustrating a traditional African society, and by reading this book I now have a much better idea of what life is like in a non-western society. I think that this was Achebe's goal in writing this book, to educate people about some of the struggles people have and life in traditional African societies. The title Things Fall Apart is a good choice for a title of this book. The main character, Okonkwo, did not like the way his father lived. He thought that a man should be strong and do typical male tasks. But Okonkwo's father, Unoka, did not fit mold according to Okonkwo. Okonkwo was ashamed of his father, and told himself that he would make a better life for himself and his family. Okonkwo was able to do this, he became very successful in the Ibo tribe and had gained a very high standing in the tribe. It was his goal to become an elder in the tribe, and it looked like he was going to achieve that goal. Okonkwo was banished form the tribe for seven years for killing a boy, and was forced to live with his mother's tribe for the seven years. Okonkwo lost all of his titles and his standing in the Ibo tribe. After the seven years had passed, Okonkwo went back to the Ibo tribe and had to start his live over. Over the seven years that Okonkwo was away, the Ibo tribe changed a lot. Most of these changes were do to the missionaries which had come to Africa to try to convert people to Christianity. Okonkwo could not accept these changes, and in a rage of anger he killed a clansman. This was the worst crime a man could commit. After Okonkwo did this he realized that there was no hope for redeeming himself and no way that he could become an elder. So he hung himself because he could not live with the fact that he would never regain his standing in the tribe. He would have most likely been killed for committing this crime anyway. Basically Okonkwo's life fell apart on him, hence I feel that the title Things Fall Apart is very fitting for this book. I thought that Achebe did a good job at writing this book. After getting into the book I found it very easy to read and follow. It took a while to get use to the names of the people in the book, and the Ibo words and phrases. I thought that the purpose of this book was not directly stated, but it was implied. The purpose was to show people what it is like growing up in a traditional African Society, and Achebe did a good job a showing that. The book is chronologically organized, starting with Okonkwo as a child and ending with his death. I feel that the audience level for this book would be high school and above. I think that there are a lot of implied messages and ideas that mature readers will pick out easier than younger readers. I feel that the book is not biased, and I feel represents the African people as well as the white missionaries fairly. So overall I feel that the book was very well written and found it enjoyable to read. I found it ironic that both Okonkwo and his father, Unoka, ended up the same way. Both ended up being put in the evil forest after their death. Unoka ended up in the evil forest because he did from a strange disease, while Okonkwo ended up in the evil forest because he had killed a clansman. I found this ironic because it seemed the Okonkwo tried to everything different from his father. Okonkwo did not agree with the way Unoka lived, and he told himself that he was not going to live that way.

My Experiments in Communication Skills Personal Statement

My Experiments in Communication Skills - Personal Statement Example Social workers are designated to collect information from various sources related to a particular issue and sort out the relatively relevant ones for the references according to the requirements of the context. Involvement of verbal, written and non-verbal elements of communication makes the interaction more feasible for better understanding the situations for optimum resolution. While negotiating the problems of individuals with possible solutions, suggestions are also required from experts in the concerned field of excellence. Most of the contexts related to the social worker’s career demand consultations for better conclusions. The ability to communicate well is required for listening to the issues through interpersonal interactions and collecting the resources for developing a beneficial solution from expert opinions. When I personally evaluate my own potentials to the effect of communication, I find some defects in my oral as well as written patterns. These problems are identified with a large majority – while some of them speak rather quickly it lacks clarity of the listener. Cultural differences and the influences of the developmental stages are considered as the factors responsible for most of this condition. On the other hand, while written communication is concerned, lack of professional experience pulls me back from making most of the effect. I understand that my abilities to organize the message and chronologically listen to the information have to be enhanced. These potential variables are those that make a professional social worker distinctively able to interpret and resolve issues of clients. With the help of this project, I have developed the methods of personal assessment of communication abilities and designed certain tools to modify my present skill level. I think following certain principles like convincing nature, patient and active listening, abstinence form argument, and well-timed presentation of ideas as the basic guidelines for a possible improvement.

Evaluation of a Current Child Health Issue Essay

Evaluation of a Current Child Health Issue - Essay Example Depression, another emotional disorder, is also on the rise with young people with at least 2 per cent of children under 12 and 5 per cent of teenagers suffering from depression (op.cit.). Depression is associated with â€Å"feelings of extreme sadness† (NHS, 2010, para.6) which not only last for long periods of time, but is also recurrent and may further develop into suicidal tendencies (ibid). Brent and Birmaher (2002) noted that depression in both children and adolescents is not always demonstrated by sadness, but can take the form of irritability, boredom and the inability to find pleasure. Younger adolescents may show more anxiety-related symptoms, clinging behaviours, unexplained fears and physical symptoms, while older adolescents may experience a greater loss of interest and pleasure and also have more morbid thinking (Kalb & Raymond, 2003; Mondimore, 2002). Lewinsohn et al. (1998) found that nearly 89% of depressed adolescents reported disturbances in sleep. With youn ger children in the early childhood stage, depression is manifested by â€Å"masked† symptoms such as a complaint of stomach ache or aggression (Carlson & Cantwell, 1980; Hazel, 2002; Luby et al., 2003). These symptoms are fairly common in children, so it is not usually identified as a depressive symptom. However, when young children have these symptoms and are also seen to be irritable, bored or not finding pleasure, especially in play which is inherently fun, then they may present symptoms of early childhood depression (Brent and Birmaher, 2002). The difficulty with reaching a clear diagnosis of depression at this stage is that young children are perceived to be developmentally too immature to experience the effects of such a heavy emotion (Stalets & Luby, 2006). On the other hand, studies have shown that in fact children at this stage are far more emotionally sophisticated than they are given credit for (Denham et al., 2002; Denham et al., 2003; Saarni, 2000; Lewis et al., 1992; Lewis et al., 1989). Depression in very young children results in experiencing complicated emotions such as guilt and shame (Luby et al., 2009) and as younger children â€Å"mask† their depression it can be harder to identify a need early on. Some children who are depressed may actually avidly participate in activities with others such as singing and dancing and even exaggerate their actions. This makes diagnosis even harder and early intervention difficult. Depression can develop from a combination of different factors (risk factors) such as genetics, physiological, environmental and socio-economic factors such as parent’s unemployment , sickness and large families in small houses, bullying of peers or abuse from adults (Northen, 2004). If these risk factors are already present in the child’s life then significant life changes such as a death of a significant other, parental divorce and other tragedies will greatly increase the likelihood of childhood de pression. One particularly important factor that affects a child’s likelihood of developing depression is the quality of their relationship with their family. Brofenbrenner’s Ecological model (1979) explains that family is part of the child’s microsystem and the primary providers of the child’