529 Day Webcast - Meet the experts

http://www.savingforcollege.com/articles/529-day-webcast-meet-the-experts

As part of our 529 Day celebration, Savingforcollege.com will be hosting a live one-hour webcast Friday, May 29th at 1:00pm ET. We’ve carefully selected a panel of leading industry experts to answer questions related to 529 college savings plans, financial aid, admissions and how saving for college fits into a family’s personal finance plan. Whether you are saving for your child, your grandchild or yourself, our panelists are ready to help you achieve your goals.

There is no cost to register – in fact, just for attending you’ll be entered to win one of two 529 college savings accounts, each valued at $250, from one of two 529 college savings accounts, each valued at $250, from College Savings Bank.

Not sure where to start? We recommend getting to know the panel before the event. We’ve included speakers from a variety of backgrounds to accommodate our diverse audience. As you can see below, this is a powerhouse panel you won’t want to miss!

As soon as you have your questions ready, send us a message via Twitter @529Day and be sure to include #529Day. You can also submit your questions and register for the webcast here.

Moderator:

Ashlea Ebeling, Forbes Media, LLC @ashleaebeling

Ashlea is an associate editor covering personal finance for Forbes Media LLC. She helps consumers navigate tax-advantaged workplace benefits, college savings and retirement accounts, tax and estate planning and philanthropy. You can follow her stories at Forbes.com.

Special Guest:

Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins, 2nd District of Kansas, @RepLynnJenkins

Lynn Jenkins is a member of the Republican party and has been serving as the U.S. Representative for Kansas’s 2nd congressional district since 2009. She is a Certified Public Accountant by profession and brings nearly 20 years of experience helping individuals and small businesses manage their finances to the House of Representatives.

In January, Congresswoman Jenkins introduced H.R. 529 into legislation. This bill improves 529 college savings plans by making computers a permanent qualified expense, eliminating an outdated and unnecessary aggregation rule and allowing families to re-deposit unused 529 plan funds without taxes and penalties. The house passed H.R. 529 on February 25, 2015 in a 401-20 vote.

Panelists:

Joseph Hurley, Savingforcollege.com, @529guru

Joe Hurley is the founder of Savingforcollege.com and is commonly known as the ‘529 Guru’. He began his career as a certified public accountant Peat, Marwick, Mitchell (now KPMG) in New York City and later became tax partner at Bonadio & Co. LLP, an upstate New York accounting firm.

Joe’s interest in 529 plans began after the signing of the 1997 Taxpayer Relief Act. This act made major revisions to the rules surrounding the plan, including those deductions on student loan interest that we all know and love. IN 1999, Mr. Hurley wrote and published “The Best Way to Save for College – A Complete Guide to 529 Plans”. Today, the bestselling book is in its 10th edition and has sold over 100,000 copies.

Joe is also editor of the bi-weekly 529 Pro Update Newsletter, which covers 529 industry news and effective strategies for financial professionals who help families plan for college.

Sign up for Joe's newsletter and other premium content from Savingforcollege.com.

Marguerita Cheng, CEO, Blue Ocean Global Wealth , @BlueOceanGW

Marguerita M. Cheng is the Chief Executive Officer at Blue Ocean Global Wealth. Prior to co-founding Blue Ocean Global Wealth, she was a Financial Advisor at Ameriprise Financial and an analyst and editor at Towa Securities in Tokyo, Japan.

As a Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP Board) Ambassador, Marguerita helps educate the public, policy makers, and media about the benefits of competent, ethical financial planning. She serves as a subject matter expert for CFP Board and assists in developing questions for the CFP® Certification Examination. Marguerita also volunteers for CFP Board Disciplinary and Ethics Commission (DEC) hearings, serves on the FPA National Board of Directors and is a member of its finance committee and is the 2013 Chair of the Financial Planning Association of the National Capital Area (FPA NCA). As a candid and passionate supporter of financial literacy and capability, she also collaborates with the Virginia Council on Economic Education (VCEE), and teaches financial planning and investment management at the Personal Finance Institute at George Mason University.

Marguerita also contributes regularly to the ‘Ask an Expert’ portion of the Savingforcollege.com blog.

Caroline Tucker, Director, Product Management, USAA Investments, @USAA

Caroline leads a team responsible for investment product initiatives supporting the development, strategy, distribution, marketing and innovation of USAA Mutual Funds and the USAA 529 College Savings Plan. She has more than 17 years of financial services experience and also serves as the relationship manager for Ascensus Investments, USAA's 529 program manager, and the Nevada's Treasurer's Office, USAA's 529 Plan State Sponsor.

Caroline holds a master's of business administration degree in finance from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas, and a bachelor's of business administration degree in international business management from the University of Texas in San Antonio, Texas. Additionally, she obtained a master's certificate in innovation from the University of Texas, McCombs Business School & IC Institute in Austin, Texas.

Caroline holds Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Series 7, 63, 24, and 6 securities registrations. She is also a Certified Product Manager (CPM) through the Association of International Product Marketing and Management.

More ways to celebrate 529 Day

In addition to the webinar, Savingforcollege.com is also compiling a list of ‘529 Reasons to Open a 529 Plan’. Tell us why you love 529 plans for a chance to win a $1,529 cash scholarship #529reasons. To find out if your state is hosting any activities or giveaways to promote 529 Day, be sure to check out our 529 Day Definitive Guide.