– 529 Insiders Article of the Week
– News
– Research
– Data
– Events
– 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 David Rosell, President of Rosell Wealth Management and Author of “Keep Climbing: A Millennial’s Guide to Financial Planning”

How does this world traveler and financial planning expert inspire readers to create long-term financial success?

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

– New York Times, “Investing short-term when stocks are high? Imagine a painful drop.” Editor’s Take: The article discusses asset allocation in 529s during the current volatile times in the market.
– Kiplinger, “The best college savings plans, 2017.” Editor’s Take: This article by Kiplinger provides 101 content followed by plan selection suggestions based on a few different factors and investor personality types. Thank you Brenda for sharing this article with me, and much appreciated.
– SavingforCollege.com, “Breaking down the Minnesota 529 state tax benefit.” Editor’s Take: Thank you for covering this recent state tax enhancement. It was a complex state tax enhancement, and the article successfully explains the key points in a clear and succinct manner.
– JP Morgan, “Catching up on college savings.” Editor’s Take: An 8-page resource that provides tips, strategies and insights on how to maximize college savings even for those with a late start to the planning process.
– PR Newswire, “Wisconsin extends contract with Voya Investment Management to manage the state’s 529 program through 2020.” Editor’s Take: Congrats to Voya and Wisconsin, and thank you for sourcing Strategic Insight in the article.

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

– 26% of recent college graduates report that they regret taking out too much student loans. Editor’s Take: Advisors have an opportunity to help clients to improve the saving and paying steps of the college financial planning process as a means to improve repaying steps in the future.
– 13.4% of all U.S. consumers are making student loans payments. Editor’s Take: The repayment stage of the college financial planning process is prevalent, and advisors have an opportunity to help their clients improve and accelerate this step.
– 11.2% student loan debt delinquency rate as of 2Q 2017, compared to 11.0% in 1Q 2017. Editor’s Take: Since the third quarter of 2012, delinquency rates have been above 10%.
– 0% change in student loan debt level in 2Q 2017. Editor’s Take: The New York Federal Reserve reported student loan debt levels at $1.34 trillion in 2Q 2017, compared to $1.34 trillion in 2Q 2017. Despite the appearance of a flat rate of change from the prior quarter, the long-term trend continues to rise as student loan debt was $1.26 trillion in 2Q 2016 and $1.19 trillion in 2Q 2015. Therefore, advisors should note that college affordability continues to be a pressing issue for families.

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.

When: September 11-13, 2017
Where: JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes
Overview: A highly interactive and educational industry gathering with the entire college financial planning ecosystem.

— Pre-conference optional session: ‘Essentials Seminar’ provides training on 529 plans in a constantly evolving market.
— Post-conference optional session: ‘ABLE Afternoon Summit’ provides insight and networking opportunities to support the successful implementation and growth of ABLE accounts.

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:
– Plexus, “An advocate for acceptance and love: Amy Kosmalski one Plexus award recipient”
– Disable Poverty, “Infographic – Adults with disabilities are twice as likely to live in poverty as those without a disability.” Editor’s Take: The infographic provides timely data and information on how ABLE accounts can become a positive disruptive innovation.
– 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 on September 13, 2017 at the JW Marriott, 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.
Agenda Update:
– JJ Hanley, Director, Illinois ABLE, Illinois State Treasurer, has been confirmed as a panelist of the “ABLE Outlook: Challenges & Opportunities” panel

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

“You don’t need to do anything extraordinary to accumulate wealth. You just need to do some ordinary things extraordinarily well.”

– David Rosell, President of Rosell Wealth Management and Author of “Keep Climbing: A Millennial’s Guide to Financial Planning”

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