“Water Balloons and Summer Break”
By Rachel Biar Assistant State Treasurer for the Nebraska 529 College Savings Program June 29, 2015 Growing up, I couldn’t wait for summer break. Warmer temperatures, more time outdoors, water […]
College
-
-
The Trend is your Friend: Paying for College
By Paul Curley, CFA
Director of College Savings Research, Strategic Insight
June 22, 2015As a society, we seem to focus quite a bit on trends. While not all trends are great, there are a few that can help your children excel in some pretty incredible ways.
First, the world is becoming more digital. Just look around you, most people have multiple devices. While some have multiple devices to divide work and personal emails, others have wearable devices for more technical purposes such as keeping pace during a marathon. Is it that these devices are so ingrained in our culture that we do not even notice them, or is it that we have become more detached than ever before? For example, the late spring season marks the beginning for many things including college graduation and baseball. In Boston where I grew up, the trains this time of year would be flooded with people going to a Red Sox game and the air would be electric from the overall excitement for the game, but now interaction through technology devices is typically higher than face-to-face communication. Further, the expansion of robo advisors shows a push by technology into the financial service industry and replaces what has typically been completed by meeting in person with a financial planner.
-
Summer Break
By: Hon. Michael L. Fitzgerald
State Treasurer, State of Iowa
June 15, 2015
Just because your kids are on summer break doesn’t mean their college savings has to be as well. For many, summers are filled with carpooling to baseball games, backyard BBQs and trips to the pool. Let your kids enjoy their time away from the classroom while continuing to bolster their college savings.
• If you haven’t done so already, consider using an automatic investment plan (AIP). Saving with AIP allows you to set up automatic contributions on a regular basis by connecting your financial institution account to your 529 plan. This allows you to make saving a part of your routine without taking time out of your day each month. If you already use AIP, consider increasing the amount you contribute. Even a few extra dollars a month could mean big savings when it comes time to write that first college check. You and your kids may be taking a break this summer, but your account will not!
-
It’s Graduation Season Again
By Paul Paeglis Executive Director, Ohio Tuition Trust Authority/CollegeAdvantage 529 June 8, 2015 Graduation season is the time of year when families and friends come together to celebrate accomplishments of […]
-
Cousin’s Legacy Lives on Through Investments in Children’s Futures
By Ryan Betz
Associate Director of Marketing & Communications with Washington State’s Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) program
June 1, 2015Fifteen years ago my cousin Michael passed away after a tragic airline accident. He was only 30 years old and had a bright future ahead of him. Over the years following my cousin’s death, my aunt and uncle searched for ways to honor Michael’s life. One of the ways they chose to recognize Michael’s contributions to the world was by establishing a 529 college savings account for both my daughter and my son. My aunt and uncle believed education was the one way Michael’s legacy could be carried on by giving my children the opportunity to follow their dreams and aspirations through a college education.
My aunt and uncle’s choice to celebrate Michael’s life through a 529 plan contribution was not based on maximizing investment returns in order to make a lot of money; it was a much deeper and meaningful decision. They simply wanted to ensure all the amazing experiences that were afforded to Michael because of his education were passed along to the next generation of our family. In fact, I remember Michael’s college graduation pretty vividly since it was the first I had ever attended. I recall thinking at the time, how cool it was that he achieved such a high level of education. That memory was left engraved in my mind and was something I circled back to when I needed a little motivation with my own studies.
-
It’s 5/29, Are you Saving for College?
Patricia Roberts
Managing Director, AllianceBernstein L.P. & Chair, College Savings Plans Network Corporate Affiliates Committee
May 26, 2015Across the country as the clock strikes 5:29 a.m. and p.m. each day, if you’re listening to the radio, you may hear a Public Service Announcement that begins by posing a timely and important question: “It’s 5:29, are you saving for college?” In an informative and encouraging manner, the PSA, playing on hundreds of stations across the country, seeks to educate listeners about what 529 college savings plans are and how these plans can play a valuable role in helping families prepare for higher education expenses. -
Statement from College Savings Plans Network on Senate Finance Committee Passage of College Savings Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 30, 2015) – Yesterday, the Senate Finance Committee considered S. 335, the companion bill to H.R. 529, which was passed with a bipartisan vote by the House of Representatives in February. Introduced by Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Bob Casey (D-PA), the Senate Finance Committee voted unanimously in favor of the bill 26-0.
The legislation will make 529 plans more flexible by making computers an eligible education expense; allowing the redeposit of college refunds without negative tax implications in certain circumstances and updating outdated accounting rules.
Betty Lochner, chair of the College Savings Plans Network (CSPN)—the nation’s leading objective source of information about Section 529 College Savings Plans and Prepaid Tuition Plans—issued the following statement:
-
College Decision Day
Mary G. Morris
CEO, Virginia529 College Savings Plan
April 27, 2015As college acceptance day approaches for high school seniors, I have been reading Frank Bruni’s new book, Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be, about the “college admissions mania” and thinking about the admissions process.
Soon-to-be high school graduates – this is for you. If college is not in your immediate future, stay open to opportunities in the future and know that learning takes many shapes and forms throughout our lives.
For those heading straight to some form of higher education – congratulations! As you consider your options this month, remember that where you go does not define you now and it will not control your future.
-
Why Not Pay Sale Prices for College?
Nancy Farmer
President, Private College 529 Plan
April 6, 2015“How come anything you buy will go on sale next week?” – Erma Bombeck
American humorist and columnist Erma Bombeck died before 529 plans became a common vehicle for families to save for college. But I think she would have approved of 529 prepaid tuition plans. They each offer college education in the future, at guaranteed prices.
And unlike Erma’s wistful complaint, the 12 states and one private college organization that sponsor prepaid college tuition plans don’t make any secret of when you can buy their products on sale. In fact, they advertise trying to get more and more families to take advantage of the benefits.
-
Reaching your dreams takes a lot more than a little bit ‘o luck
Lucas Minor
GET Marketing & Communications Manager
March 16, 2015
Many symbols associated with St. Patrick’s Day signify luck. Shamrocks, horseshoes and the color green are often revered as tokens that promise bounties of good fortune. However, while there definitely are times where the cards seem to be more in our favor than usual, good fortune typically takes more than luck alone. In fact, the things we attribute to luck are usually direct results of the efforts we make. As Thomas Jefferson is credited with saying, “I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.”
-
I’m Not Worried About Paying for College; My Child’s Going to Get a Scholarship
Jim Peterson
Marketing Manager, Michigan Education Trust (MET)
March 9, 2015
During the course of any conversation I have concerning saving for college with a 529 plan, parents will inevitably ask, “What happens if my son/daughter gets a scholarship?” I understand the question; it’s a valid one. Parents are considering investing their hard-earned money and they’re looking at all the possible outcomes that may affect their investment. Those are important questions to ask.
But, if you’re a parent that’s putting off saving for your child’s education because you believe your child will attend college on an athletic scholarship, let me share a word of caution – the thousands of dollars you spend in supporting your student athlete will, most likely, not translate into college dollars.
-
Statement from College Savings Plans Network on Passage of H.R. 529
WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 25, 2015) – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 529, legislation introduced by Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) and Congressman Ron Kind (D-WI) that would make 529 plans more flexible by making computers an eligible education expense; allowing the redeposit of college refunds without negative tax implications in certain circumstances and updating outdated accounting rules.
