By Lucas Minor
Marketing & Communications Coordinator, Guaranteed Education Tuition
July 18, 2013
Part I
“School’s out for summer!” This magical phrase is one your child likely spends the whole school year dreaming about – three carefree months to kick back, forget homework and just be a kid.
By Joan Marshall
Executive Director, College Savings Plans of Maryland
July 12, 2013
There is no “off season” when it comes to promoting the benefits of saving for college! Those of us who manage 529 plans are passionate about meeting families wherever they are to help them learn about how important it is to save for college and how easy it is to save in a 529 plan.
By Hon. Michael L. Fitzgerald
State Treasurer, State of Iowa
June 27, 2013
Recent Congressional action seems to indicate that the Senate will be unable to reach a compromise that will keep student loan interest rates from doubling before the July 1 deadline. “If I were a betting person, I’d say that’s something we’ll come back and attempt to fix retroactively,” Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., told ABC News.
By Mary Anne Busse
Managing Director, Great Disclosure LLC
June 20, 2013
I know one young student, let’s call him Sam, who wants to attend college but he just hasn’t focused enough on his grades. Smart kid, but hasn’t applied himself. Now that he’s about to be a senior in high school he’s realized that he needs to step it up. He even thinks it may be too late. I also hear many students say that college won’t work for them because they don’t know what they want to do. Others think they have too many financial responsibilities. Still others may think college costs too much.
By Lucas Minor
Marketing & Communications Coordinator, Guaranteed Education Tuition
June 13, 2013
You may have heard someone say, “My grandmother left me some money for college.” It’s clear how much that grandparent valued higher education, and it shows her belief in that student’s future success. That kind of confidence is an inspiring gift with many intangible qualities.
By Hon. Michael L. Fitzgerald
State Treasurer, State of Iowa
April 30, 2013
Whether they are graduating from kindergarten, elementary school or high school, there is no better way to celebrate a child’s education than with a contribution to their 529 Plan college savings account. This graduation season, in order to encourage families and friends to give the gift of higher education, the College Savings Plans Network has compiled information and tips for people looking to give the gift of education.
10 Important Questions to Ask Before you Decide<
By Joan Marshall,
Executive Director, College Savings Plans of Maryland
April 23, 2013
For those of us who manage 529 college savings plans, this is a question that we hear from time to time – primarily when families see an ad (usually on TV) that promotes life insurance as a way to save for college.
In Maryland, we have responded to this question by creating a chart that compares our 529 prepaid tuition plan and our 529 savings plan with one of the popular life insurance products.
By Gina Rae Smith
Assistant to Alabama State Treasurer Young Boozer
March 26, 2013
These are the words my mom told me when I asked if I needed to get an afternoon job during my high school years. She and my dad hadn’t saved money for my college tuition. We were a middle class family, both my parents were employed and both believed there was value in higher education. However, having grown up in small-town Alabama in the 1960s, my parents didn’t see going to college as the most common path to take after high school graduation. They both entered the work force and didn’t look back.
By the College Savings Plans Network
March 13, 2013
The College Savings Plans Network recently published its 2012 Year-End 529 Report and found that the total amount invested by American families in the plans has reached a record high of $190.7 billion. In 2012, total assets in the plans grew by $25.86 billion dollars, more than three times as much as the $7.43 billion increase in 2011. Additionally, the total number of accounts increased 3.7% over the past 12 months, going from 10.7 million in December 2011 to 11.1 million as of December 2012.
By Steve Dombrower, CFA
Vice President, College Savings Plans
OppenheimerFunds, Inc., Program Manager for Numerous 529 Plans
March 7, 2013
In my January 4th posting titled “You Can Afford College”, I talked about how with a little knowledge, planning, and the right tools, paying for college can be within reach. Specifically, we explored how savings is only one of several sources of funding you will use when the time comes to send your loved one off to college. In this entry, we will discuss how saving today can potentially reduce your overall out of pocket college costs.
By Steve Dombrower, CFA<
Vice President, College Savings Plans
OppenheimerFunds, Inc., Program Manager for Numerous 529 Plans
January 4, 2013
I’ll bet “You Can Afford College” is something you don’t hear very often. More likely than not what you’ve heard about paying for your child’s higher education includes things like continuously rising tuition inflation and adjectives like astronomical or impossible. Perhaps you’ve seen or have been presented with six figure numbers in terms of what you need to save making you feel like you just won’t be able to get there.
By Hon. Michael L. Fitzgerald
State Treasurer, State of Iowa
December 30, 2012
The New Year is just around the corner, which means it is a great time to start thinking about saving for your child’s future education. Rather than having friends and family purchase toys that will soon be forgotten or broken, invite them to give one of the most meaningful gifts a child may ever receive – help toward paying for a college education.