Some advisor-sold 529 college savings plans have up-front sales charges. For example, Class A shares may involve a sales charge of as much as 5.75%, but also involve lower annual expenses.
A breakpoint reduces the sales charge on new investments when the total investments exceed a specified threshold.
This table shows the ladder of one such breakpoint scheme.
Breakpoint
Sales Charge
Less than $50,000
5.75%
$50,000 to $99,999
4.75%
$100,000 to $249,999
3.75%
$250,000 to $499,999
2.50%
$500,000 to $999,999
2.0%
$1 million or more
0.0%
ScrollSwipe to see full table
Some 529 plans provide investors with rights of accumulation, which let investors qualify for a breakpoint by combining all assets held by the investor and the investor’s immediate family, including investments in mutual funds and trusts outside the 529 plan that are managed by the same 529 plan manager.
Rules for breakpoints and rights of accumulation vary by plan.
To get these discounts, it is best to tell your financial advisor about your family’s holdings with the plan manager. The discounts aren’t necessarily automatic.
Mark Kantrowitz is a nationally-recognized expert on student financial aid, scholarships and student loans. His mission is to deliver practical information, advice and tools to students and their families so they can make informed decisions about planning and paying for college.
Mark writes extensively about student financial aid policy. He has testified before Congress and federal/state agencies about student aid on several occasions.
Mark has been quoted in more than 10,000 newspaper and magazine articles. He has written for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Reuters, Huffington Post, U.S. News & World Report, Money Magazine, Bottom Line/Personal, Forbes, Newsweek and Time Magazine. He was named a Money Hero by Money Magazine. He is the author of five bestselling books about scholarships and financial aid, including How to Appeal for More College Financial Aid, Twisdoms about Paying for College, Filing the FAFSA and Secrets to Winning a Scholarship.
Mark serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Student Financial Aid and the editorial advisory board of Bottom Line/Personal (a Boardroom, Inc. publication). He is also a member of the board of trustees of the Center for Excellence in Education. Mark previously served as a member of the board of directors of the National Scholarship Providers Association.
Mark is currently Publisher of PrivateStudentLoans.guru, a web site that provides students with smart borrowing tips about private student loans. Mark has served previously as publisher of the Cappex.com, Edvisors, Fastweb and FinAid web sites. He has previously been employed at Just Research, the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Bitstream Inc. and the Planning Research Corporation.
Mark is President of Cerebly, Inc. (formerly MK Consulting, Inc.), a consulting firm focused on computer science, artificial intelligence, and statistical and policy analysis.
Mark is ABD on a PhD in computer science from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). He has Bachelor of Science degrees in mathematics and philosophy from MIT and a Master of Science degree in computer science from CMU. He is also an alumnus of the Research Science Institute program established by Admiral H. G. Rickover.
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