– Events
– 529 Insiders Article of the Week
– News
– Research
– Data
– ABLE Act Column
– 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 Emily Moak, Director with Allianz Worldwide Partners

How does this industry insider help families with college financial planning?

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:
– George DuCasse, Head of Relationship Management – SVP, Ascensus College Savings, has been confirmed as presenter of the “Keynote: Measuring Your 529 Plan’s Success” session.
– Russ Sullivan, Partner, McGuireWoods LLP, has been confirmed as moderator of the “Regulatory and Legislative Update” session.
– Lael M. Oldmixon, Executive Director, UA College Savings Plan, has been confirmed as a panelist of the “Building Momentum from the State’s Perspective” 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.

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

– BBC, “10 charts that show the effect of tuition fees.” Editor’s Take: The college financial planning trends in the UK parallel those in the US, and are educational for our readers. Thank you Tony for sharing this article with me, and see you in Orlando at the 529 Conference 2017!
– New York Times, “A game to help students pay the right price for college.” Editor’s Take: Thank you Ron Lieber for helping to elevate the importance of college financial planning. Also, thank you discussing how college financial planning is a multifaceted issue and how the recent trend in gamification can help families make the holistic decision. Last but not least, the game called Payback is fun and a link to the game can be found in the article. Check it out.
– Morningstar, “6 Fast Facts About 529s.” Editor’s Take: Thank you Morningstar for helping to build awareness and understanding of college financial planning through your coverage. Read the article to review the fast facts.

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

– 70% of Millennial parents prioritize saving for their children’s higher education over their own retirement. Editor’s Take: Advisors need to meet the needs of their clients by providing college financial planning, or risk losing clients. Have the college financial planning discussion with your clients today.
– 60% of Americans are prioritizing savings at all. Editor’s Take: Advisors have an opportunity to immediately help the 40% of Americans that do not prioritize saving, while supporting the 60% that are savers to save more, and to save more efficiently.
– 34% of Americans are unable to meet a $2,000 emergency within a month. Editor’s Take: Advisors need to help families to save and save efficiently to meet short- and long-term needs.

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:
– The Globe and the Mail, “Exploring a $55-billion untapped market.” Editor’s Take: Thank you Rich Donovan for your article that is filled with market sizing data, and much appreciated.
– Sound Cloud, “Missouri state treasurer Eric Schmitt on the ABLE act.” Editor’s Take: This is a 30 minute interview with the Treasurer on a WGEM NewsTalk 105.1FM radio show.
– Social Security Administration, “Wise Webinar – Achieving financial independence with ticket to work and an ABLE account” on October 25th at 3pm. Editor’s Take: Thank you SSA for providing awareness and understanding of ABLE accounts.
– Great Falls Tribune, “Montana says program allows the disabled to live the dream.” Editor’s Take: Plan launch has been included in “List of Open ABLE Programs” article here.
– In-Person Seminar, “Illinois ABLE Seminar at Access Living” on October 16, 2017 in Chicago. Editor’s Take: If you live in the region, check out the live event to learn more about the program.
– 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.
– Jim Balsan, Managing Director, BNY Mellon / Sumday, has been confirmed as panelist of the ABLE Afternoon “ABLE Outlook: Challenges & Opportunities” session.

“I think the sheer volume of financial information out there currently has made the process more overwhelming. This is where having an advisor that can cut though all the noise is very appealing.”

– Ryan Payne, President of Payne Capital Management

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