General InformationDownload PDF Report
Stable Value Plus College Savings Program
The Colorado Stable Value Plus College Savings Program offers a single option: a stable-value investment under a funding agreement with MetLife that declares a new interest rate each year.
Our Ratingix
Fee Scoreix
Performanceix
- Program typeSavings
- Inception2003
- State agencyCollegeInvest, a division of the Colorado Department of Higher Education
- Tax deduction
- Program ManagerMetropolitan Insurance Company of Connecticut (MetLife)
- Program distributorMetLife Insurance Company
- Manager contract termUNLOCK PRO
Ratings & Rankings
Our overall rating for CO residents
This is an excellent program with many benefits for the participant and positive investment attributes. If it has any significant weaknesses then it also has some particularly good things to recommend it.
Our overall rating for non-residents
This is an excellent program with many benefits for the participant and positive investment attributes. If it has any significant weaknesses then it also has some particularly good things to recommend it.
Savingforcollege.com's 5-Cap Ratings provides an evaluation and comparison of 529 plans, utilizing a formula that examines dozens of factors grouped into the following categories.
Each plan's performance score is developed directly from Savingforcollege.com's Quarterly 529 Performance Rankings. A 529 savings plan must have at least one year of performance history before they will be assigned a 5-cap rating. For those plans that are not part of our quarterly performance rankings, such as plans offering a single set of bank-based investment options, we assign a performance score by evaluating the returns currently available on similar types of investments outside of 529 plans.
Eligibility
State residency requirements:
NoneWho can be a participant/owner in the program?
U.S. citizens and resident aliens, UGMA/UTMA custodians, and legal entities.Significant time or age restrictions imposed by the program:
NoneAlternative 529 Plans
Other great plans you should consider
You are not limited to opening your own state's 529 plan, so shop around. We encourage you to consider the highly rated options below:
Contributions
Maximum contributions:
Accepts contributions until all account balances in Colorado's 529 plans for the same beneficiary reach $400,000.Minimum contributions:
The minimum initial contribution is $25, and the minimum subsequent contribution is $15.Investment Options
Static investment options:
Funds are invested in a stable value investment under a funding agreement with MetLife Insurance Company. The interest rate is declared annually, with a minimum rate of 2% before fees. The 2019 rate of return is 2.49% per year, assuming the the 0.71% administrative fee remains in effect for calendar year 2019. MetLife resets the annual rate of return for the plan each January 1, and CollegeInvest makes the upcoming year's rate of return available the December before the rate is reset.View more static investment optionsUnderlying investments:
A funding agreement issued by MetLife Insurance Company.View a full list of this plan's investment optionsUnderlying fund allocations:
UNLOCK PROPortfolio Fees & Performance Lookup
UNLOCK PROFees & Expenses
Enrollment or application fee:
None.Account maintenance fee:
None.Program management fees:
0.99% administrative fee to the state (0.28% of this fee waived as of January 2019).Expenses of the underlying investments:
Not applicable, included in the program management fee.Total asset-based expense ratio:
0.99% (0.71% as of September 1, 2011)Taxes and other Benefits
- Tax deduction for single filersNo limit
- Tax deduction for joint filersNo limit
Example
Married filing jointly residents contributing $100/month can expect an additional $0 a year in tax savings.
Program match on contributions:
The Matching Grant Program provides a dollar-for-dollar match of up to $500 in contributions for lower- to middle-income Colorado residents to accounts with an eligible beneficiary (a dependent under age 13 at the time of initial application). Applications are accepted each year between September 1 and December 31. The match can extend for a maximum five years. Matching grants for future years are subject to continued funding by the sponsor. The CollegeInvest 529 Scholarship provides a $2,000 scholarship to any full-time student who is a Colorado resident, has maintained or has had a parent/guardian maintain a CollegeInvest account for at least two years, and can substantiate an expected family contribution (EFC) of $25,000 or less. The scholarship is renewable each year up to a total of four years or $8,000. Applications are accepted January 1 through July 31.State tax deduction or credit for contributions:
Contributions to a Colorado 529 plan, to the extent of the contributor's Colorado taxable income, are deductible in computing Colorado taxable income. Rollover contributions are not eligible for the deduction.The Working Families College Savings Act offers a Colorado tax credit for employers who make contributions to CollegeInvest savings plans owned by their employees. The available tax credit is 20% of the amount contributed to a CollegeInvest 529 account, up to $2,500 per employee.
State tax recapture provisions:
The principal portion of rollovers and nonqualified withdrawals from this plan are included in Colorado taxable income to the extent of prior Colorado tax deductions. Nonqualified withdrawals for this purpose do not include withdrawals made as the result of the beneficiary's death or disability or withdrawals made on account of the beneficiary's receipt of a scholarship.State tax treatment of qualified distributions:
Qualified distributions from Colorado and non-Colorado 529 plans are exempt.State tax treatment of rollovers:
Colorado follows federal tax-free treatment except that outbound rollovers are subject to the recapture of prior state tax deductions.Does the sponsoring state exclude the value of an account for state financial aid purposes?
NoDoes participation in the program provide beneficiaries with any advantages in qualifying for resident tuition status at state institutions?
NoDoes the program have a formal agreement with a rewards program or outside scholarship program?
Yes, the Upromise Rewards program can be linked to any 529 college savings plan. Upromise Rewards is free to join and offers members cash back for college.
Upromise Helps Families Save for College
Upromise Helps Families Save for College