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Five of the best college savings apps
http://www.savingforcollege.com/articles/five-of-the-best-college-savings-apps
Posted: 2014-05-09
In today’s fast-paced world we have almost everything right at our fingertips, including our finances. Whether you pay bills on the go or deposit checks with your phone, I’m sure you can agree that mobile banking has made our lives easier. In addition to allowing you to track funds in a bank or investment account, there are also apps available that offer some fantastic planning tools. Here are five apps that help parents, students and grandparents plan for the future costs of college:
1. Big Start: Upromise Investments, Several 529 Plans

- Cost: Free
- Available on iTunes and Google Play
- This app is a fun way to introduce your child to the concept of going to college and why you need to start saving early.
- Interactive games teach children about money, explore career possibilities and demonstrate the effectiveness of saving over time.
2. Big Dreamers: Upromise Investments

- Cost: Free
- Available on iTunes and Google Play
- Think of this app as a virtual career day where kids can discover what they want to be when they grow up and how to make it happen.
- Parents and children can discover how to make their dreams a reality by saving for college with a 529 plan.
4. Mint: Mint.com

- Cost: Free
- Available on iTunes and Google Play
- With its bill reminders, alerts and advice, it’s no surprise that this app has won numerous awards, including CNN Money’s Best Apps to Manage Your Money (2013).
- Users can create a personalized budget that tracks checking, investments and savings accounts, including retirement and college savings.
5. Savings Calculator - Retirement, College, Home, Car & Vacation Goals: Kerron

- Cost: 0.99
- Available on iTunes
- This easy-to-use calculator was designed to help save for various long- and short-term goals.
- In addition to displaying future savings balances, the app also lets users adjust this figure for inflation, giving a more realistic outlook.
In today’s fast-paced world we have almost everything right at our fingertips, including our finances. Whether you pay bills on the go or deposit checks with your phone, I’m sure you can agree that mobile banking has made our lives easier. In addition to allowing you to track funds in a bank or investment account, there are also apps available that offer some fantastic planning tools. Here are five apps that help parents, students and grandparents plan for the future costs of college:
1. Big Start: Upromise Investments, Several 529 Plans

- Cost: Free
- Available on iTunes and Google Play
- This app is a fun way to introduce your child to the concept of going to college and why you need to start saving early.
- Interactive games teach children about money, explore career possibilities and demonstrate the effectiveness of saving over time.
2. Big Dreamers: Upromise Investments

- Cost: Free
- Available on iTunes and Google Play
- Think of this app as a virtual career day where kids can discover what they want to be when they grow up and how to make it happen.
- Parents and children can discover how to make their dreams a reality by saving for college with a 529 plan.
3. iCSP - TIAA: TIAA-CREF

- Cost: Free
- Available on iTunes
- This handy college savings planner helps create a realistic savings plan that can be managed anywhere, anytime.
- Users are able to project future college costs and determine what they’ll need to invest in order to achieve their goal.
4. Mint: Mint.com

- Cost: Free
- Available on iTunes and Google Play
- With its bill reminders, alerts and advice, it’s no surprise that this app has won numerous awards, including CNN Money’s Best Apps to Manage Your Money (2013).
- Users can create a personalized budget that tracks checking, investments and savings accounts, including retirement and college savings.
5. Savings Calculator - Retirement, College, Home, Car & Vacation Goals: Kerron

- Cost: 0.99
- Available on iTunes
- This easy-to-use calculator was designed to help save for various long- and short-term goals.
- In addition to displaying future savings balances, the app also lets users adjust this figure for inflation, giving a more realistic outlook.
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Top 529 College Savings Plans
One-year rankings are based on a plan's average investment returns over the last 12 months.
State | Plan Name | |
---|---|---|
1 | New Jersey | NJBEST 529 College Savings Plan |
2 | Utah | my529 |
3 | Kansas | Schwab 529 College Savings Plan |
Three-year rankings are based on a plan's average annual investment returns over the last three years.
State | Plan Name | |
---|---|---|
1 | South Dakota | CollegeAccess 529 (Direct-sold) |
2 | Wisconsin | Edvest |
3 | West Virginia | SMART529 WV Direct College Savings Plan |
Five-year rankings are based on a plan's average annual investment returns over the last five years
State | Plan Name | |
---|---|---|
1 | West Virginia | SMART529 WV Direct College Savings Plan |
2 | Indiana | CollegeChoice 529 Direct Savings Plan |
3 | District of Columbia | DC College Savings Plan |
10-year rankings are based on a plan's average annual investment returns over the last ten years.
State | Plan Name | |
---|---|---|
1 | West Virginia | SMART529 WV Direct College Savings Plan |
2 | South Carolina | Future Scholar 529 College Savings Plan (Direct-sold) |
3 | Alaska | T. Rowe Price College Savings Plan |