Savingforcollege.com's College Savings Month festivities

http://www.savingforcollege.com/articles/savingforcolleges-college-savings-month-festivities-676

September is nationally recognized as College Savings Month and many events and promotions are being held across the country to emphasize the importance of saving early and often.

Why is it so crucial to save for college? In case you haven’t heard, tuition costs have been rising faster than inflation and student loan debt has reached a record level of around $30,000 per graduate. Yet at the same time the value a college degree also remains at an all-time high. In fact, a bachelor’s degree for the average graduate is worth about $300,000. What’s more, according to recent data released from Burning Glass, more mid-level careers such as executive secretaries, construction supervisors and entry-level IT positions are requiring applicants to have a bachelor’s degree when a high school diploma or two-year degree used to suffice. The message is clear: if you want a job, you’ll likely need a degree.

Our mission at Savingforcollege.com is to provide families with the information they need to effectively plan for future higher education costs. To celebrate College Savings Month, we’re featuring exciting new content dedicated to sharing our knowledge and answering your questions regarding 529 college savings plans and other planning tools. Here’s a quick list of what we’re currently offering-

1. FREE College Savings Month Webcast
Tuesday September 30, 1PM ET

Moderator:
Sandra Block, Kiplinger's Personal Finance

Panelists:
Joseph Hurley, Savingforcollege.com
Mary Morris, Virgnia529College Savings Plan
Gary Carpenter, CPA, CCA, National College Advocacy Group

Join us Tuesday, September 30th at 1:00pm Eastern Time for a live one-hour Q&A with college savings industry experts. Here’s your chance to pick their brains on topics such as the tax benefits of 529 plans, how savings impact financial aid and which purchases are considered qualified expenses for 529 purposes. Questions should be submitted at the time of registration, and all registrants will be automatically entered to win a Kindle Fire HD Tablet.

REGISTER HERE

2. College Savings Month Survey

At Savingforcollege.com, we aim to provide families with the most accurate and relevant information pertaining to 529 college savings plans. As part of this initiative, we invite you to participate in a quick survey to help us better understand the factors that impact decision making when it comes to selecting a 529 plan.

TAKE OUR SURVEY

3. Podcast Series “Getting Started With a 529 Plan” Featuring Joseph Hurley and Kathryn Flynn

You get it - 529 plans are the best way to save for college. You understand the tax benefits and you know they are easy to maintain and offer flexibility. But how exactly do you start using one? In this three-part series, Joseph Hurley and I discuss the steps you need to take to get your account going and start making contributions. The sooner you get started, the better. A 529 plan is an investment account, which means that earnings will compound over time and each day you wait could cost you.

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST