– Events
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– ABLE Act Column
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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:
– Ernesto Lanza, Senior Counsel, Clark Hill PLC, has been confirmed as a panelist of the “Outlook for 529s in 2017 and Beyond” session.
– Luke Minor, Senior Associate Director, Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) Program, has been confirmed as a panelist of the “Building Momentum from the State’s Perspective” session.
– Jim DiUlio, Director of 529 College Savings Plans, State of Wisconsin, has been confirmed as a panelist of the “Outlook for 529s in 2017 and Beyond” session.
– Mark Chapleau, Member, Weston Patrick, PA, has been confirmed as the 529 Essentials presenter of the “Federal Regulatory Framework” 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 Ryan Payne, President of Payne Capital Management

What is this RIA’s approach to college financial planning?

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

– OC Register, “Matching college savings plan benefits workers, companies.” Editor’s Take: Thank you Winnie Sun for championing the corporate 529 channel, and learn more about the initiative here.
– BenefitsPro, “Boost College Savings Act calls for employer match on 529 plans.” Editor’s Take: Advisors should note legislative proposals that would allow 529s to roll over to Roth IRAs or ABLE accounts, and enhance incentives for employers to provide college financial planning employer benefits.
– Our World in Data, “Price changes in consumer goods and services in the USA,1997-2017.” Editor’s Take: Interesting interactive chart that shows how tuition inflation outpaces 11 other spending categories, and so thank you Steve for sharing. See for yourself why it’s important to help your clients to save and save efficiently for the cost of higher education while they can.
– Capstone, “Finding a silver bullet solution to the high cost of college.” Editor’s Take: Article covers alternative methods of financing and obtaining higher education, such as going to college abroad and employer tuition reimbursement programs. As the cost of higher education in the US goes higher, so does demand and likelihood of clients willing to evaluate these alternatives.
– IRS, “Tax benefits for education: information center.” Editor’s Take: Great 529 Essentials content. Read, and learn.
– Boston College Center for Retirement Research, “Help Navigating the College Debt Jungle.” Editor’s Take: Read the story to learn more about an interactive map that reports student loan debt levels and rates by state and colleges.
– Fastweb, “Confusion about reporting custodial 529 college savings plan accounts on the FAFSA.” Editor’s Take: Read the summary at the bottom of the article for a reminder on how custodial and non-custodial parent assets are reported on the FAFSA.

Last Week’s Most Read Article:
– Strategic Insight, “529s and Comprehensive Financial Wellness”

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

– 53% of parents are saving for their children’s college, compared to 49% saving for their own retirement. Editor’s Take: Even with college financial planning outpacing retirement financial planning, the article notes that the second most common reason for parents to take a 401(k) distribution is for their children’s higher education. As such, advisors need to create and implement college and retirement financial planning together.
– 46% of Millennials report that they carry a significant amount of debt.

Here is the latest 529 and ABLE market data by Strategic Insight that can be used by the media and other organizations, and 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:
– Smith Law Firm, “Campaign Launches to Boost Enrollment in ABLE Accounts.” Editor’s Take: Advisors have an opportunity to support their clients by becoming aware of and learning more about ABLE accounts, and thank you ABLE National Resource Center for helping to build awareness.
– Disability Scoop, “States get guidance On ABLE accounts, Medicaid eligibility”
– 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.
Agenda Updates:
– Mark Chapleau, Member, Weston Patrick, PA, has been confirmed as moderator of the ABLE Afternoon “ABLE Outlook: Challenges & Opportunities” session.

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

“Now this might be an extreme case but with the rising cost of education multiplied by the number of kids you have, you could easily pay $500,000 in education.”

– Ben Schrock, Investment Adviser Representative and President of B.A. Schrock Financial Group
– Editor’s Take: College financial planning is no longer a “small ticket” business.

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