529 Dash, Required Reading for Your 529 Education: 
The goal of the 529 Dash is to help institutions and financial professionals who help families and employers in the education financial planning process by creating and sharing industry relevant news, product training, market data and best practices, while also building awareness and understanding of the importance of 529 plans and ABLE accounts.

Please Read, Engage and Share.

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

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

• My College Corner, “What’s the fuss about 529s?” Editor’s Take: Thank you John Hupalo for providing your candid and insightful response to headlines about the diminishing value of education and other common false statements, and how families should specifically and proactively take steps to achieve their educational financial freedom. Read, learn, and grow, and thank you Invite Education!
• Flywire, “Flywire surpasses $320 million in past-due tuition collected and 161,000+ student enrollments saved at U.S. higher education institutions.” Editor’s Take: Congrats to Flywire on improving ease of use of 529s for families, and read the press release to learn more to keep up to speed on the 529 industry. The pace of innovation in 529s does “Fly”!
• Ohio’s 529, CollegeAdvanatege, “Ohio 529 supports sports partners educational programs statewide.” Editor’s Take: Click the link to learn about the latest partnerships by Ohio 529 CollegeAdvantage with sports teams in their state. Congrats, and thank you for raising awareness and understanding of 529s and education financial planning!  
• Ascensus, “The proposed “one, big, beautiful bill” act: Expanded 529 plans and extended ABLE accounts.” Editor’s Take: The article provides a legislative update on 529s and ABLE accounts, with potential pathways going forward. Broadly, these bills seek to expand the functionality and product performance of 529s and ABLE to enhance usability of those products, and therefore broadly a net benefit for families, advisors and product providers alike. Read the article to learn more.
• 529 Insiders, “1Q 2025 529 & ABLE market sizing highlights.” Editor’s Take: Click the link to learn more about 529 and ABLE market sizing as of March 31, 2025.
• 529 Day 2025 Webinar by ISS Market Intelligence and Ohio’s 529 Plan, CollegeAdvantage, “529 Day 2025: Top Trends in 529 Plans” Webinar on May 29th at 1pm EST. Editor’s Take: Hosted by Paul Curley, CFA, Executive Director at ISS Market Intelligence, and Trisha Good, Executive Director of Ohio’s 529 Plan, CollegeAdvantage, ISS MI’s Q2 2025 529 Day webinar will provide you with: New themes and updates on education financial planning; Key developments impacting the 529 landscape in 2025; 529 market sizing, trends and insights in 2025; 529 reminders, tips and best practices; New industry intelligence from ISS MI’s annual surveys of parents fielded in April 2025; 529 & ABLE industry announcements and product enhancements. Please register here for the webinar and see you there.

• Dates: September 29 – October 1, 2025
• Location: Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, Florida, USA
• Registration: Register here; Early Bird rate available through June 27, 2025
• Hotel Room: Book in event room block here
• Sunday, September 28: Welcome Reception
• Monday, September 29: Day 1 – 529 Essentials Seminar
• Tuesday, September 30: Day 2 – 529 Conference Panels, Presentations & Roundtables
• Wednesday, October 1: Day 3 – 529 Conference Final Half Day of Panels, Presentations & Roundtables
• Event Updates:
  • Michele M. Bowman, Sr. Director, Relationship Management, SS&C Technologies Inc., has been confirmed as moderator of the “Product Strategy Trends & Outlook” 529 Conference 2025 session. 
  • Julie Shields-Rutyna, Director of College Planning, Education, and Training, MEFA, has been confirmed as a co-presenter of the “The College Finance Landscape” 529 Essentials Seminar session.
  • Stacey MacPhetres, Senior Director, Education Finance, College Coach/EdAssist, Bright Horizons, has been confirmed as a co-presenter of the “The College Finance Landscape” 529 Essentials Seminar session.
  • Session description for the “The College Finance Landscape” 529 Essentials Seminar session has been created: “Understanding College Costs, the Changing Financial Aid Terrain, the Impact of Student Loan Debt & Obstacles to Saving for College. In this session, we will cover: FAFSA changes; Demystifying the financial aid formula; The student loan landscape and the impact of student loans on saving for college; Obstacles to saving for college and hat we can do to help families overcome; 2025 updates and potential impacts on the horizon; Common questions from parents in 2025, and best practices on how to respond; Audience questions and answers”

Please forward the e-newsletter to a friend to subscribe using the link here, or click “reply” anytime to connect or share feedback, thoughts, and ideas on the newsletter or industry trends. Cheers to creating a great day, and hope you have some great plans lined up for 529 Day 2025!