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Professional Articles
Best performing 529 plans
Recommending 529 college savings plans to your clients? View the latest rankings of each 529 plan -- from top to bottom -- for one-year investment performance, three-year investment performance, five-year investment performance and ten-year investment performance.
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Calculating How Much Clients Can Afford for College
Learn how to help your clients determine how much they can afford to pay for college. This involves using all available resources, including 529 plans and financial aid, and keeping student loans to a minimum. These four questions will help you start the discussion.
Read moreHow to Grow Your Practice With 529 Plans
As college costs continue to rise, parents and grandparents are seeking help from financial professionals to help with college funding. College is a major expense, and the amount a family invests in a 529 plan can have a big impact on their overall financial plan. Helping families with college funding can help you grow your client base and increase assets under management.
Read moreThe Pro 529 Evaluator Helps You Stay Compliant with Regulations
Financial professionals who sell 529 plans are required to act in their clients’ best interests and must adhere to the rules of the MSRB. The Pro 529 Evaluator is a tool designed to help financial professionals confidently recommend 529 plans while staying compliant with rules and regulations.
Read moreGrow Your Practice with Grandparent 529 Plans
529 plans are an effective tool for clients who want to help pay for a grandchild's college education. But, a grandparent's financial gift may hurt their grandchild’s eligibility for need-based financial aid. Here are some important points to cover when discussing 529 plans and college funding with your clients.
Read moreStates that Do Not Conform with Federal 529 Plan Tax Laws
529 plans were added to the Internal Revenue Code in 1996 to authorize federal tax-free status of qualified tuition plans. Federal tax benefits of 529 plans include tax-deferred investment growth, tax-free distributions for qualified education expenses including up to $10,000 in K-12 tuition and tax-free 529 plan rollovers. However, some states do not fully conform with the federal laws regarding qualified tuition programs.
Read moreFINRA Gives Firms Until April 1 to Self-Report 529 Plan Share Class Violations
FINRA’s new 529 Plan Share Class Initiative allows firms to self-report any issues with 529 plan share class recommendations and supervision by April 1 to avoid fines. FINRA hopes the initiative will help to remedy potential violations and return money to affected investors as quickly and effectively as possible.
Read moreTop 10 direct-sold 529 plans: Q3 2018
The highly-anticipated Savingforcollege.com 529 plan rankings are here! This slideshow provides information on the top 10 direct-sold 529 plans, including performance score, program manager and how to enroll. Based on 3-year performance as of 9/30/18.
Read moreMorningstar Publishes Paper about How to Increase Interest in 529 Plans
Morningstar Inc. has released a research paper about family use of 529 plans, New Lessons about 529s. The paper shows that getting middle-income families to shift college savings to 529 plans will yield increased investment returns. The paper also provides practical ideas for getting more families to invest in 529 plans.
Read moreTop 10 reasons clients aren't saving for college - and how to respond
See more articlesWhen asked why they aren't saving more for college in a 529 plan, clients will typically give one of these 10 excuses. Here are some ways financial advisors can address their concerns and stress the importance of planning for future education costs.
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- 529 Performance Rankings
Access rankings by asset allocation or on a composite basis to view best-to-worst quarterly performance results for both direct-sold and advisor-sold 529 plans.
- Gift Tax Center
View specific information and examples relating to gift tax reporting requirements as they relate to 529 plan contributions.
- Income Tax Center
View tax forms and information concerning the reporting of 529 plan distributions on the federal income tax return.
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Professional Newsletter
529 Pro Update
This twice monthly newsletter is essential for financial professionals who want to stay up-to-date on the latest strategies and industry news

529 News
- 02/03: ScholarShare 529 launches Matching Grant Program
- 02/01: Virginia529 launches new savings option that keeps pace with tuition growth
- 01/26: CollegeChoice 529 Savings surpass $6 billion
- 01/26: Two of Illinois' college savings plans reach record investments
- 01/04: New Illinois law gives every child born after 2021 money for college
You can also view allfederal, industry, state, or plan news.