2014

Yearly Archives

  • A College Savings Pep Talk

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    By Luke Minor, Marketing & Communications Manager

    Washington’s Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) program
    June 30, 2014woman with megaphone

    As much as those of us in the 529 world wish otherwise, starting a college savings plan is not always an easy decision for families to make. The benefits of saving for college may seem obvious, and most of us know that we “should be doing it,” but connecting these thoughts to action is not always easy. To help provide a little encouragement, we’ve planned a little pep talk to help you take your college savings game to the next level. To guide our discussion, we’ll look at a few inspirational quotes from some of the most outstanding leaders in sports history. So, let’s get our game faces on and go win one for your kids!

  • Summer Break is no Time to Break from Saving

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    By John Perdue, West Virginia State Treasurer
    College Savings Plans Network Executive Board Member

    Summer Fun
    As a parent, I know how proud I am to see my children reach important milestones in life, like graduations.  As a state treasurer, I also know how important it is to keep planning and saving for my children’s next milestone.

    With the school year coming to a close, many of you may be experiencing this sense of pride and excitement as your little one graduates from pre-school, high school or college. With graduation comes parties and celebrations, and from there, summer fun takes center stage.

  • Class of 2014

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    By Kathleen McGrath
    Director, PA 529 College Savings Program
    June 9, 2014
    college grads
    My “baby” just graduated from college. The last of three. It is bittersweet. Bitter in that she is all grown-up – I can’t deny it anymore.  Sweet, in that there are no more college bills to pay!

  • College Savings Plans: It’s Never Too Late to Start

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    By Robin Lott
    Executive Director, Michigan Education Trust
    June 2, 2014

    college grads

    Summer is finally here and it’s graduation time once again!  Families are busy preparing to honor students and to celebrate many facets of milestone graduates.  Pre-school children are being recognized for graduating to kindergarten.  Elementary and middle school students are graduating to the next level and high school seniors are on their way to college.  Many families are also thinking, “Wow, where did the time go?”  Now is a good time to conduct a mid-year review of your college savings strategy.  Gifts into your 529 prepaid or investment plan can further reduce future college debt.

  • 529 Day: What a Difference a Day Makes

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    By Patricia Roberts
    Managing Director, AllianceBernstein Investments
    May 26, 2014

    529 Day Logo
    Thursday, May 29, marks 529 College Savings Day, a day to raise awareness about the value of planning ahead for college expenses with 529 plans. This year, 529 plans across the U.S. are celebrating 529 Day in a variety of informative and creative ways.

  • Pending Legislation Would Make 529 Plans Even More Appealing

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    By Joan Marshall
    Executive Director, College Savings Plans of MarylandMay 22, 2014

    graduates

    A couple of months ago in this space, we talked about the benefits of HR 4333, a relatively new bill in Congress that would add several new features to 529 plans to make them easier to use and more flexible, including expanding the number of investment changes from one to four times per year; adding computers as a qualified higher education expense, etc.

  • Work Hard. Stay Humble. Dream Big

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    By Ryan Betz
    Associate Director of Marketing & Communications
    Washington Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) program
    May 19, 2014

    Capitol in the springtime

    I return from an incredible week in Orlando attending the National Association of State Treasurers’ Treasury Management Training Symposium totally inspired by the talented professionals that lead our industry in helping American families save for their children’s college education. This event reminded me of the magnitude of our responsibility and opportunity to have a life-changing impact on millions of families for generations to come.

  • Moms and Education: A Mother’s Day Reflection

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    By Patricia Roberts
    Managing Director, AllianceBernstein
    May 11, 2014
    Blog 80 photo
    When I speak with adult children of all ages about the admiration they have for their mothers, the topic of education always seems to surface. I am regularly reminded of and inspired by the critical role women play in the educational pursuits of those they love.

    At last week’s amazing CFED Children’s Savings Conference in Washington, D.C. in the opening plenary, Paula Sammons, program officer, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, spoke in an incredibly moving way of her mother. An immigrant from Japan finding herself divorced with three small children, Paula’s mom was determined to provide the best life she could for her family. Paula shared her discovery as a teen that her mother had been making weekly bank deposits of $1-2 a week for each of her children and thereby creating a small but valuable nest egg for college. She remarked, “I am so grateful to my mother for the incredible sacrifices and commitment she had to our future and our dreams all those years, and to all the other parents who are doing the same for their children, even when they have so little.”  The nods of affirmation and the roaring applause Paula received from the hundreds of attendees was clearly not just for her, but for her mother as well, and the countless others like her around the globe and the children they inspire.

  • De-mystifying 529 Prepaid Programs

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    By Mary G. Morris,
    CEO, Virginia529
    May 5, 2014

    Prepaid blog

    After deciding on a 529 plan for their college savings, one of the first questions asked by many families is “savings plan or prepaid tuition plan?” (For a basic overview of the two, read “What is a 529 Plan?” on this website.) While savings programs are relatively straightforward, prepaid tuition programs suffer from many misconceptions, perpetuated by people who don’t fully understand their benefits.

    The 13 prepaid tuition programs available in the U.S. offer customers a hedge against future tuition inflation that can’t be realized through savings programs.