– 529 Insiders Article of the Week
– News & Research
– Data
– ABLE Act Column
– Events
– Quote of the Week

529 Dash, Required Reading for Your 529 Education: The goal of the 529 Dash is to address the specific needs and concerns of advisers, accountants and estate planners who sell and service families and institutions in the college financial planning process by providing industry relevant news, product training and best practices.

Please Read, Engage and Share.

Paul Curley, CFA
Editor-in-Chief of 529 Dash
Director of College Savings Research
paul.curley@strategic-i.com
Twitter: @PaulCurleyBC
LinkedIn: Strategic Insight 529 Dash LinkedIn Group

Here is what you need to know from stories, research and data released this week:

• Credit Karma, “Have a baby, start a 529!” Editor's Take: Timely article that reminds us about the importance of starting a 529 at or before life events. Also, thank you Laura Zulliger for quoting me in the article, and much appreciated.
• 36% of 529 accountowners have automatic contributions set up for the account.
• ThinkAdvisor, “How the new tax law changed the 529 plan game board.” Editor's Take: Jeffrey Phillips, CFA, CPA of Rehmann Financial provides an overview of the impact of Tax Reform in 2017 on college financial planning, and read our 529 Insiders article on the topic here.
• Strategic Insight Blog, “The global impact of rising interest rates on college financial planning”
• CentSai Money Cents for Kids by Sammy, “Paul Curley: My Grandmother Taught Me About Work Ethic.” Editor's Take: Thank you Sammy Renick for spotlighting our Q&A, and for championing an initiative that broadens awareness and raises the importance of college financial planning through early financial literacy programs.
• WealthManagement.com, “What can clients actually expect to pay for college?” Editor's Take: Advisors have an opportunity to help their clients to understand the demand for college financial planning by using calculators, and knowing the pros and cons of them as well.
• C-SPAN, “Student loan debt – Fed Chairman Powell & Senator Schatz.” Editor's Take: The issue of college financial planning is increasing in awareness and importance, and advisors should be prepared for the demand by clients by having the conversation with their clients.
• Savvy Financial, “Save for kid's college or retirement?” Editor's Take: Thank you Jeffrey Hull for introducing an important topic, and providing several ideas around how to acheive the goal. Thank you for raising the awareness and prioritization of college financial planning.
• Last Week's Most Read Article: Kiplinger, “How well do you know 529 plans?” Editor's Take: Thank you Kiplinger for writing the creative 12 question quiz. Take the quiz to test your knowledge, and it's not as easy as one would expect. Also, thank you Brenda of Spectra Professional Services for sharing this article with me, and much appreciated.

Here is the latest 529 and ABLE market data by Strategic Insight that can be used by the media and other organizations.

ABLE accounts are tax-advantaged savings accounts for certain individuals with disabilities and their families.

News, Research, Data & Resources:
– Capstone Wealth Partners, “ABLE accounts: savings accounts for individuals with disabilities.” Editor's Take: Thank you Joe Messinger for covering ABLE accounts, and for presenting at the Strategic Insight 529 Conference 2017. Thank you for your support.
– Kessler Foundation, “nTIDE March 2018 jobs report: job growth for Americans with disabilities reaches two-year milestone.” Editor's Take: Timely article that focuses on job growth given the passage of the ABLE to Work Act as part of H.R.1 in 2017.
– Michigan State University, “Four ways persons with disabilities can safely save for the future.” Editor's Take: Article provides an overview of ABLE Accounts, and three other ways to save.
– Twitter, “Tweets. Media.” Editor's Take: This section provides links to live photos taken and posted over the past week by ABLE program managers, and this week includes posts by NC ABLE Program. Thank you for building awareness through outreach which will continue to help more families to successfully use ABLE accounts.
– 529 Insiders, “529 & ABLE 4Q 2017 529 Data Highlights”

Events: Strategic Insight ABLE Summit 2018 will be held on September 26, 2018, at the JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes.

When: September 24-26, 2018
Where: JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes
What: A highly interactive and educational industry gathering with the entire college financial planning ecosystem.

Update: The agenda for the 529 Essentials Seminar 2018 has been announced online.

“Consider automatically saving with a 529 college savings plan through payroll deduction or from your bank account. That way, automatic money going in can help you get to where you want to go regardless of market returns.”
– Paul Curley, CFA, quoted in Credit Karma's article titled, “Have a baby, start a 529!

702 King Farm Boulevard, Suite 400, Rockville, MD 20850  |  +1 212-217-6884  |  issgovernance.com