– 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

Reader’s Perspective: Question and Answer with Jeff Dixson, Founder and President of Northwest Financial & Tax Solutions

How does this founder approach college financial planning with his clients?

Here is what you need to know from stories released this week.

– CollegeAdvantage, “Veterans: GI Bill & 529 plans cover college costs.” Editor’s Take: Thank you Colonel Gorrell for the timely insight, and for your service. This was an educational article for me, and please read the article to learn more about how a 529 plan can add value to the GI Bill and other federal education aid for your clients and those who are veterans.
– FINRA, “Watch out for these 5 unexpected costs of raising a child.” Editor’s Take: As the cost of raising a family goes up, so does the importance of creating and executing a college financial plan to save, pay and repay the cost of education in the most efficient way possible.
– Center for Social Development, “529 plan investment growth and a quasi-default investment for child development accounts”. Editor’s Take: Timely analysis on the importance of investments in 529s, and keeping it simple for your clients throughout the planning process. Also, thank you Margaret Clancey for quoting me in the publication and much appreciated.
– EFC Plus, “Saving for college” webinar on January 10th by Fred Amrein, Founder and Principal of Amrein Financial. Editor’s Take: Thank you Fred for presenting at the 529 Conference 2015, and we appreciate for your support. I look forward to your webinar, and please join me to learn more about financial aid planning, college savings options and gifting.

Here is what you need to know from data and research released this week.

– 84% of recent college graduates would consider a firm with a student loan repayment benefit over a firm that does not. Editor’s Take: Further statistics that show that plan advisers should work with their current and target employer clients to implement a college financial planning employer benefit to align with the needs of their current and target employees.
– 66% of direct-sold 529 plan assets are held in age-based investment options.
– 40% of Millennials respond that they want help with good general savings habits offered through their workplace. Editor’s Take: Advisors that work with employers have an opportunity to provide seminars to employees that align with their needs such as college financial planning.

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

This week’s top news, resources, legislative updates and product announcements relating to ABLE accounts, which are tax-advantaged savings accounts for certain individuals with disabilities and their families.

News, Research, Data & Resources:
– 529 Insiders, “529 & ABLE 3Q 2017 529 Data Highlights.” Editor’s Take: ABLE is successfully helping a growing number of families to save for qualified expenses.

Events:
– Strategic Insight ABLE Summit 2018 will be held on September 26, 2018, at the JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes.
– Strategic Insight ABLE Summit 2019 will be held on September 25, 2019, at the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island

Save the Date:
– 529 Conference 2018: September 24-26, 2018 – JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes
– 529 Conference 2019: September 23-25, 2019 – Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island

Sessions:
– 529 Conference: A highly interactive and educational industry gathering with the entire college financial planning ecosystem.
– 529 Essentials: A pre-conference session to train professionals on 529 plans in a constantly evolving market.
– ABLE Summit: A post-conference session to deliver insight and networking opportunities to support the successful implementation and growth of ABLE accounts.

Please email Paul at paul.curley@strategic-i.com to inquire about having him provide a continuing education or industry landscape update presentation.

“I have seen many of my clients worry about their young children having enough funds to attend college…”

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