Issue 218:
– News & Research
– ABLE Act Column

529 Dash, Required Reading for Your 529 Education: The goal of the 529 Dash is to address the specific needs and concerns of institutions, advisers and financial professionals who sell and service families and employers in the education financial planning process by creating and sharing industry relevant news, product training and best practices, while also building awareness and understanding of the importance of 529s, ABLE accounts and education financial planning.

Please Read, Engage and Share.

Paul Curley, CFA
Director of Savings Research
529 & ABLE Solutions, ISS Market Intelligence
paul.curley@issmarketintelligence.com
Twitter: @PaulCurleyBC

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

• ISS Market Intelligence, “529 Conference 2020.” Editor’s Take: 529 Conference 2020 will be held virtually this week from September 21st to 25th. The five-day event will include 16 sessions with 48 speakers. I would like to thank the speakers, attendees, sponsors and events team for their on-going support, and please click the link to learn more. 
• ISS Insights, “529 direct channel, demographics & back to school webinar” by Paul Curley. Editor’s Take: The August monthly webinar covered landscape updates and trends in the 529 direct channel, reviewed participant demographics based on proprietary research by ISS Market Intelligence, discussed FAFSA and financial aid updates, and examined back-to-school trends and recent developments. Additionally, the session highlighted 529 and ABLE industry announcements, 2Q 2020 quarterly data updates, and provided a preview of the 529 Virtual Conference.
• College Savings Foundation (CSF), “CSF 2020 Parent’s Survey Infographic.” Editor’s Take: Families are changing course for higher education, careers and financing due to COVID-19, and the infographic summarizes some of the key takeaways and you can see the press release here as well. Thank you CSF for creating and sharing.
• Education Drive, “College tuition benchmark posts big drop in August.” Editor’s Take: Interesting discussion on the outlook for tuition inflation and educational landscape in 2020 and beyond. Read to learn about some of conversations around the future of higher education.
• Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB), “Investment performance considerations for 529 plan account owners.” Editor’s Take: Thank you MSRB for creating and sharing this important release on 529 plans during this period of market volatility in 2020, and much appreciated.

ABLE accounts are tax-advantaged savings accounts for certain individuals with disabilities and their families. 
News, Research, Data & Resources:

• ISS Market Intelligence, “ABLE Summit 2020.” Editor’s Take: ABLE Summit 2020 will be held this week on Friday, September 25, 2020. The five-hour virtual event will include five sessions with sixteen speakers. I would like to thank the speakers, attendees, sponsors and events team for their on-going support of the fifth annual event. Click the link to learn more. 
• Commonwealth Independent Advisor, “Planning for special needs trusts: 3 key questions.” Editor’s Take: While not directly related to ABLE accounts, the article does relate to special needs planning and therefore relevant to ABLE industry market participants. Read, learn and grow.
• Boston College Center for Retirement Research, “2020 disability blogs tackle myriad issues.” Editor’s Take: In celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disability Act (“ADA”), the article provides an overview of coverage by the organization including work, economy, finances and policy.

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