529 Dash, Required Reading for Your 529 Education: 
The 529 Dash e‑newsletter helps institutions, financial professionals, employers, and families navigate education financial planning by sharing timely industry news, product insights, market data, and best practices while promoting awareness of 529 plans and ABLE accounts.

Please Read, Engage and Share.

Paul Curley, CFA
Executive Director
ISS Market Intelligence
paul.curley@issmarketintelligence.com

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

• Florida Prepaid, “Florida prepaid announces year-round enrollment, seeds college savings for babies born on national 529 Day.” Editor’s Take: Congrats to Florida Prepaid plan for creating and launching both the product enhancment for its prepaid plan and scholarship for those board on 5/29 Day 2026. The product enhancement will improve ease of use for families, while the scholarship will raise awareness of 529s. Read, learn and share, and appreciate all that you do Florida Prepaid College Board.
• Morningstar, “2026 529 Education Savings Plan Landscape.” Editor’s Take: In May 2026, Morningstar released its annual industry landscape report focusing on 529s becoming cheaper, better and more flexible. Looking forward to learning more from Jason Kephart, CFA, of Morningstar at the 529 Conference 2026 where he will present on the “Investment Line-Up Creation, Evaluation and Oversight” panel (agenda here) in Nashville. In the meantime, click the link to learn more about the annual report.
• ISS Market Intelligence, 529 Day 2026 Webinar Replay on “529 in Focus: 3 Key Trends Shaping the Future of Education Savings in 2026.” Editor’s Take: Thank you Trisha Good and Ohio 529 CollegeAdvantage for the opportunity to collaborate on the 529 Day 2026 webinar. Click the link to watch the full webinar replay, read the summary and learn more.
• 529 Insiders and planadviser, “1Q 2026 529 & ABLE market sizing highlights.” Editor’s Take: Net inflows increased from 1Q 2024 to 1Q 2025 to 1Q 2026, reflecting strengthening demand by families for education savings. This trend suggests that more families are successfully using 529 plans for their intended purpose of covering qualified education expenses even amid market and economic volatility in 2026. As utilization grows, familiarity and confidence in 529 plans continue to expand among families and their networks. This increased awareness reinforces a positive feedback loop, driving further adoption, contributions, and long-term momentum for the category. Click the link to learn more about 529 and ABLE market sizing as of March 31, 2026.

• Dates: September 23–25, 2026
• Location: JW Marriott Nashville
• Register: Here; Early Bird registration rate available through June 26, 2026
• Hotel Room Block: Book Here
• Event Website: Link
• Agenda: Link
• Event Updates: 
  • Mike Starensier, Sr Product Analyst | Wealth Management, Investment Products, LPL Financial, has been confirmed as a panelist on the “Education Financial Planning Strategies in 2026” 529 Conference session.
  • Peter Miller, Head of Client Investment Solutions, Invesco, has been confirmed as a panelist on the “Investment Line-Up Creation, Evaluation and Oversight” 529 Conference session.
  • Dave O’Brien, VP, Platform Expansion, Backpack, has been confirmed as a panelist on the “Platforms, Fintech and Emerging Trends and Opportunities” 529 Conference session.

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