– Events
– 529 Insiders Article of the Week
– News
– Research
– Data
– ABLE Act Column
– Recruiter’s Corner
– 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

Revised Dates: October 16-18, 2017
Upgraded Location: Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes
Same Vision: A highly interactive and educational industry gathering with the entire college financial planning ecosystem.
Register: Here, and thank you for your support.

Agenda Updates:
– Vincent Sullivan, President & Founder, 529 NOW, has been confirmed as a panelist of the “Advisor Perspective: Top Producer’s Panel” session.

Additional Accelerator Sessions:
— Pre-conference: ‘Essentials Seminar’ trains professionals on 529 plans in a constantly evolving market.
— Post-conference: ‘ABLE Afternoon Summit’ delivers insight and networking opportunities to support the successful implementation and growth of ABLE accounts.

Reader’s Perspective: Question and Answer with Jonathan Pellegrin, Author of “The Art of Selling the Family Business”

How can advisors help small business owners with college financial planning?

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

– Sona Financial, “The Minnesota nice 529 plan tax credit OR deduction.” Editor’s Take: Thank you Mark for the walk through of the tax impact with examples from various scenarios. Also, best of luck Mark in your presentation at the Strategic Insight 529 Conference 2017 on October 17th, and look forward to catching up this week in Orlando.
– Wall Street Journal, “The pros and cons of different college-savings accounts.” Editor’s Take: Timely article as we approach year-end tax, financial aid and estate planning season. Also, thank you Danae Domain of Edward Jones for providing the Keynote address at the Strategic Insight 529 Conference 2016, and best of luck Rachel Ramos of American Funds in your presentation at the Strategic Insight 529 Conference 2017 on October 17th, and look forward to catching up this week in Orlando.
– FINRA, “Saving for college: UGMA and UTMA custodial accounts.” Editor’s Take: Six fundamental questions on Trusts answered in the article, and read the 529 Insiders article that compares 529s and Trusts here.
– Press Article, “Financial engines expands financial wellness offerings with two new digital financial planning tools.” Editor’s Take: The enhancement includes a College Expense Planner, which helps families to plan, save and invest for the future cost of higher education while also helping employees to pay off their student loan debt. As such, thank you Financial Engines for helping families to save, pay and repay the cost of higher education in an organized and efficient manner.

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

– 60% of parents report concern over not earning enough to pay for their children’s college.
– 52% of students report that they are “very confident” they won’t permanently withdrew from college.

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

Contact Strategic Insight for more information and commentary on its proprietary data, research, events and digital publications.

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

News, Research, Data & Resources:
– LEAD Center, “The ABLE Act and Employment: Strategies for Maximizing the Effectiveness of the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act as a Tool for Financial Stability and Employment Outcomes of People with Disabilities.” Editor’s Take: Visit the story to download the educational 23-page policy brief.
– College Investor, “Understanding and Using 529A ABLE Accounts.” Editor’s Take: Thank you Robert Farrington for covering ABLE, and helping to expand awareness and understanding of ABLE accounts.
– 529 Insiders, “529 & ABLE 2Q 2017 529 Data Highlights.” Editor’s Take: ABLE is successfully helping a growing number of families to save for qualified expenses.

Events: ABLE Deep-Dive Afternoon Summit 2017 has been postponed to October 18, 2017 at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes. This summit provides insight and networking opportunities to support the successful implementation and usage of ABLE accounts, and please register to learn, network and grow. Thank you for your support.

To inquire about having Paul speak at your event, please email: paul.curley@strategic-i.com

Please email job descriptions that would be of interest to the readership of the 529 Dash to Paul Curley at paul.curley@strategic-i.com.

– Virginia529 is seeking to hire an Investment Director in Chesterfield, Virginia., and click here to learn more.
– Invesco is seeking to hire a Senior 529 Plan Marketer in Downers Grove, Illinois, or Houston, Texas, and click here to learn more.
– Dimensional Fund Advisors is seeking to hire a Regional Director in its Financial Advisor Services Retirement Solutions Team in Charlotte, North Carolina, and click here to learn more.
– Ascensus is seeking to hire a Director of Client Services in Tucson, Arizona, and click here to learn more.
– Charles Schwab is seeking to hire a Senior Operations Specialist in Lone tree, Colorado, and click here to learn more.
– State of Tennessee is seeking to hire an Outreach Representativ in Nashville, Tennessee, and click here to learn more.

“So it’s clear that, as hard as families are working to save for college, they are worrying just as much. There’s a lot at stake.”

– Emily Moak, Director with Allianz Worldwide Partners

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