Part II of a Two Part Series on 529 Prepaid Plans
By Sheila Salehian
Senior Deputy Treasurer for the State of Nevada
November 12, 2013
Last week, I shared a bit of my personal college savings story.The following lessons I’ve learned will hopefully help you firm up your college savings plans, understand more about 529 Prepaid Tuition programs, and avoid costly mistakes!
Part I of a Two Part Series on 529 Prepaid Plans
By Sheila Salehian
Senior Deputy Treasurer for the State of Nevada
November 7, 2013
I often get asked this question when providing community outreach support. Like most Deputy Treasurers who serve the public by helping families save for college, that question is a difficult and somewhat tricky one to answer. Since most of us are not a certified professional financial planner, we can only share our experiences and the facts of what a prepaid tuition program offers. In addition to sharing facts from Bloomberg and other financial experts, which I’ll discuss in Part II of this posting, my typical response is to share my very real and personal story.
By Michael Parker
Executive Director, Oregon 529 College Savings Network
Ghosts and ghouls may scare you when they come knocking at your door for Halloween treats. But college savings isn’t as scary as some people think. One of the common pieces of feedback that 529 plans hear is that “I’m too late,” or “I don’t want to bother, because I won’t save enough.” That is scary.
Mary Anne Busse
Managing Director, Great Disclosure LLC
October 23, 2013
The College Board just came out with their annual review of college prices. Trends in College Pricing 2013, the College Board noted that in-state tuition and fees at public four-year institutions increased just 2.9% in 2013-14 compared to 2012-2013 prices. This “followed increases of 4.5% in 2012‑13 and 8.5% in 2011-12 and was the smallest percentage increase in over 30 years”. That is some promising news for college savers. If this trend continues, it means your college savings may go much further than you may have originally planned.
By Betty Lochner
Executive Director, Washington’s Guaranteed Education Tuition program
October 15, 2013
Last week I attended the National Association of State Treasurers’ (NAST) annual conference in beautiful Asheville, North Carolina. This event brings together state treasury departments from across the nation to discuss public finance issues, share policy ideas and elect new NAST officers for the upcoming year. For me, the conference was a valuable and informative three days of networking and gaining more insight into the complex financial issues throughout our nation and how those issues are affecting individual states and 529 plans.
By Mary G. Morris
CEO, Virginia529
October 1, 2013
“Why should I save for college with a prepaid tuition plan? My financial advisor said I should invest in a 529 plan instead.” Many of us in the 529 world frequently hear this from families who are exploring their college savings options. Our response is always the same, “A prepaid tuition plan IS a 529 plan, and there are some important benefits to saving for college with one.”
September 30, 2013 Tip # 29: You can move savings from one plan to anotherIf you are moving or wish to switch to another state’s 529 plan, the account owner […]
September 29, 2013 Tip #27: Have complete security of your 529 accountSecurity is of the utmost importance when opening a college savings account. As an account owner you are in […]
By Patricia Roberts
Managing Director & Senior 529 Product Manager, AllianceBernstein L.P.
September 26, 2013
Back to school season is a gentle reminder that the children in our lives are one year closer to college. Whether you’ve just recently walked hand in hand with your toddler into the first day of preschool, waved as your little one boarded a school bus for the very first time or offered an encouraging high five as an older child more independently headed off to middle school, there’s no time like now to develop a plan for what lies ahead. With a blink of an eye, not only will the children in your life have grown, but what they envision for their future will likely have evolved as well.
September 26, 2013 Alter your spending habits a small amount each week to help your college savings account grow. For instance, the average US family spends more than $200/month eating […]