As the College Bills Approach, Ratchet Down Risk in a 529 Savings Plan

When your son or daughter enters high school, or even before, start shifting some of the money from aggressive funds into more-conservative ones.

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Question: We started saving in a 529 plan for my daughter soon after she was born, putting the money in aggressive stock funds. Now she's a freshman in high school. How should we adjust our investments with college a few years away? We're still adding to the account every month.

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Kimberly Lankford
Contributing Editor, Kiplinger's Personal Finance

As the "Ask Kim" columnist for Kiplinger's Personal Finance, Lankford receives hundreds of personal finance questions from readers every month. She is the author of Rescue Your Financial Life (McGraw-Hill, 2003), The Insurance Maze: How You Can Save Money on Insurance -- and Still Get the Coverage You Need (Kaplan, 2006), Kiplinger's Ask Kim for Money Smart Solutions (Kaplan, 2007) and The Kiplinger/BBB Personal Finance Guide for Military Families. She is frequently featured as a financial expert on television and radio, including NBC's Today Show, CNN, CNBC and National Public Radio.