Articles

5 reasons we were outraged by the President's 529 proposal

Posted: 2015-02-04. By: Kathryn Flynn

In the week following the President's surprising proposal to tax 529 plan withdrawals and subsequent dropping of the proposal, we began to wonder why it was ever brought up in the first place. After taking a closer look, here are five reasons we feel the president's proposal was based on some pretty misleading data.

Automatic scholarships: New way to impact college planning

Posted: 2015-02-03. By: Preston Silverman

Looking for scholarships to help pay for college? Learn how the Raise.me platform helps students earn automatic "micro-scholarships" towards participating colleges for every milestone they achieve throughout high school.

Proposed legislation H.R. 529 - Withdrawals, Reporting and Redepositing

Posted: 2015-02-02. By: Kathryn Flynn

A bipartisan legislation intended to modernize and expand 529 plans.

529 plans and their tax benefits are here to stay

Posted: 2015-01-27. By: Matthew Toner

College savers can now breathe a sigh of relief as the President plans to drop his proposal to eliminate tax-free withdrawals of 529 college savings plans.

What you need to know about President Obama's 529 tax proposal

Posted: 2015-01-22. By: Kathryn Flynn

In light of President Obama's recent proposal to eliminate the federal tax benefits of 529 plans, here are the facts on the proposal as it currently stands, as well as some ideas on how you can take action against it.

The President's backdoor plan to increase 529 savings

Posted: 2015-01-21. By: Joseph Hurley

Reaction to President Obama's proposal to impose tax on qualified distributions from 529 savings accounts.

10 reasons why president obama's proposal to reduce 529 benefits will NOT be enacted

Posted: 2015-01-21. By: Chris Stack, Esq.

President Obama's proposal to streamline education tax incentives calls for a rollback of the tax-free qualified withdrawals from 529 education savings plans that were enacted in 2001. Here are ten reasons why it's most likely that this proposal will not be enacted into law.

5 ways to avoid student loans

Posted: 2015-01-20. By: Rachel Cruze

What would you do with free community college?

Posted: 2015-01-15. By: Kathryn Flynn

In case you haven't heard, President Obama recently announced a plan that would allow some students to attend two years of community college for free. Here are five ways families could take advantage of the potential savings of this plan, should it come to fruition.

529 plans and the FAFSA

Posted: 2015-01-09. By: Kathryn Flynn

Before you fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), it's a good idea to understand how your current savings, including those in 529 plans, are analyzed in calculating your financial aid eligibility.

The 25 best 529 plan questions of 2014

Posted: 2014-12-30. By: Kathryn Flynn

Is opening a 529 plan one of your New Year's resolutions? Here's a list of some of the most commonly-asked 529 questions (and their answers!) to help you stick to your goal.

The ABLE Act and what it means for your 529 plan

Posted: 2014-12-23. By: Kathryn Flynn

The long-awaited Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act has been signed into law by President Obama. Learn about how the 529A accounts created by this Act will help Americans with disabilities better save for the future.

[PODCAST] How to give a gift of college savings

Posted: 2014-12-18. By: Kathryn Flynn

Happy holidays! In this new podcast, Joe Hurley and Kathryn Flynn discuss why a contribution to a 529 plan can be a more meaningful gift for a child than a toy or cash.

529 plans: Underappreciated Benefits Part I

Posted: 2014-12-11. By: Joseph Hurley

When Congress in 2001 transformed 529 plans from being tax-deferred vehicles into being tax-free vehicles, I'm not sure they contemplated an environment in which investment returns might regularly outpace increases in college costs.

5 ways to get money for college this holiday season

Posted: 2014-12-11. By: Kathryn Flynn

Instead of receiving more trucks or dolls to add to your already overflowing toy chest, why not consider asking your loved ones to contribute to your child's college fund this year? View this slideshow to learn more about some of the creative 529 gifting programs available to help you do just that.

Making the right year-end moves

Posted: 2014-12-10. By: Joseph Hurley

December 31 is fast approaching. If you haven't yet completed your year-end 529 housekeeping, now is the time to do it. This checklist should help:

College: The Ultimate Gift Idea This Holiday Season

Posted: 2014-12-10. By: Keith Bernhardt, vice president of college planning at Fidelity

Grandparents Can Help Fill the College Savings Void

5 ways to judge your 529 plan's performance

Posted: 2014-12-02. By: Joseph Hurley

You expect excellent investment results from your 529 plan, but how do you really know? Here are five approaches to help you judge your 529 plan's investment performance.

Despite rising tuition prices, more students are just saying "No" to loans

Posted: 2014-11-18. By: Kathryn Flynn

Last week, the College Board released its annual "Trends in College Pricing" report, which revealed some much needed positive news regarding student borrowing.

2014 plan performance rankings Q3

Posted: 2014-11-17.

Savingforcollege.com's Q3 529 performance rankings analyze one, three, five, and ten year investment performance as of September 30, 2014 and rank 529 savings plans from best to worst.