Articles

9 college savings tips to start the year off right

Posted: 2016-12-22. By: Kathryn Flynn

The New Year is the perfect time to review your 529 college savings plan strategy. Learn about how these nine tips can help achieve your goals in 2017.

Asset Allocations in Age-Based Portfolios - Advisor

Posted: 2016-12-21.

A Savingforcollege.com study looks at how advisor-sold 529 plans allocate among stocks, bonds, and money market (or similar) investments as the beneficiary gets close to college age or is in college.

I withdrew too much 529 money. Now what?

Posted: 2016-12-21. By: Kathryn Flynn

What happens if you withdraw too much money from a 529 college savings plan? Learn how to avoid paying taxes and penalties and keep your savings intact.

Asset Allocations in Age-Based Portfolios - Direct

Posted: 2016-12-21.

A Savingforcollege.com study looks at how direct-sold 529 plans allocate among stocks, bonds, and money market (or similar) investments as the beneficiary gets close to college age or is in college.

Industry chatter: A look ahead at 2017

Posted: 2016-12-20. By: Brian Boswell

This was the year of the Fiduciary Rule, roboadvisors, and money markets. What will be the big topics among 529 plans in the year ahead?

How to calculate your state tax benefit

Posted: 2016-12-20. By: Brian Boswell

You can plug the numbers into our State Tax Calculator, but how do we arrive at those numbers? Here we dig into the weeds.

What you can do in middle school to start preparing for college

Posted: 2016-12-16. By: Maria Carla Chicuen

Middle school is a great time to start preparing for college. Here are steps to take during sixth, seventh and eighth grade to become a competitive applicant.

Are 529 plans REALLY tax-free?

Posted: 2016-12-16. By: Brian Boswell

Sometimes, even professionals can be fooled by complex tax code language. In fact, some of it reads like 529s might not actually be tax-free!

Save it forward: States that allow you to carry benefits into future tax years

Posted: 2016-12-14. By: Brian Boswell

There are a few states that allow account owners to make a large contribution and claim their tax benefit in future years.

Top college savings stories of 2016

Posted: 2016-12-14. By: Kathryn Flynn

2016 was another big year for the college savings industry. Our top stories covered 529 withdrawal strategies, the presidential election, financial aid and more.

3 ways the PSAT will help your college admission chances

Posted: 2016-12-14. By: Lulu Curiel

How to determine the ROI on a college education

Posted: 2016-12-09. By: Kat Tretina, Student Loan Hero

The Best Way to Save For College Live Q&A Event

Posted: 2016-12-08.

How much could you save for college by not buying these top toys?

Posted: 2016-12-02. By: Matt Toner

The January Question

Posted: 2016-11-18. By: Joseph Hurley

Can we reimburse ourselves out of our child's 529 plan without be subject to taxes or penalty?

Does a financial advisor deserve their 529 commission?

Posted: 2016-11-17. By: Brian Boswell

One of the most common questions from advisors is, "How can I justify my fee?" But it shouldn't be a question at all.

5 education changes we might see under President Trump

Posted: 2016-11-17. By: Kathryn Flynn

President-elect Donald Trump was relatively quiet about education policy during his campaign, but here are five key changes we might see under his presidency.

What does the future hold for prepaid tuition plans?

Posted: 2016-11-17. By: Brian Boswell

Virginia529 prePAID may consider changing its structure to limit new participants to in-state schools. So are prepaid tuition plans still viable?

2016 plan performance rankings Q3

Posted: 2016-11-14.

Savingforcollege.com's Q3 529 performance rankings analyze one, three, five, and ten year investment performance as of September 30, 2016 and rank 529 savings plans from best to worst.

2016 one-year top performing direct plans Q3

Posted: 2016-11-14.

Savingforcollege.com ranks the one-year investment performance of direct-sold 529 plans as of September 30, 2016.