Kathryn Pomroy
The best 529 plans can be valuable tools for saving for college (not to mention valuable estate planning tools). So, if you're looking to save for your child or grandchild’s future college expenses, you’ve likely considered opening one of these tax-advantaged plans. But how do you choose the right one?
529 plans allow a contributor to prepay a beneficiary's qualified higher education expenses at an eligible educational institution or to contribute to an account for paying those expenses. While 529 contributions must be made with after-tax money, your contributions grow free from federal or state tax, making them solid options for education savings. It's no wonder they have been rapidly growing in popularity.
However, 529 plans can vary. To select the best one, you’ll need to choose which type of plan makes sense for you and compare tax breaks, benefits for state residents, fees, contribution options, withdrawal restrictions, and investment options between plans. Choosing the right plan can take a lot of research, but it’s worth it. An easy place to start is by checking out the top-ranked 529 plans.
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Best direct-sold 529 plans
Direct-sold 529 plans are issued directly from a state financial institution. If you choose one of these plans, you’ll be responsible for managing your own investments within the plan’s online account portal. For this reason, these plans are usually cheaper than investor-sold plans.
Based on the latest information available, these are the top 10 highest-ranked direct-sold 529 plans as of September 2024 (the most recently available data), according to Saving for College.
- Maryland College Investment Plan
- Alaska – T. Rowe Price College Savings Plan
- Alaska529
- SMART529 WV
- SMART529 Select
- T. Rowe Price College Savings Plan
- ScholarShare 529
- NJBEST 529 College Savings Plan
- Path2College 529 Plan
- Learning Quest 529 Education Savings Program
Best advisor-sold 529 plans
Advisor-sold 529 plans are available through an investment firm. These accounts typically charge a higher fee, but financial advisers manage the plan’s investments for you. Some savers feel these accounts are worth the extra cost because of the access to professional investment advice, actively managed investments and flexible portfolios.
Here are the top 10 highest-ranked advisor-sold 529 plans, according to Saving for College.
- BlackRock CollegeAdvantage Advisor
- John Hancock Freedom 529
- The Hartford SMART529
- Putnam 529 for America
- State Farm 529 Savings Plan
- Franklin Templeton 529 College Savings Plan
- New York's 529 Advisor-Guided College Savings Plan
- Tomorrow's Scholar 529 Plan
- CollegeAmerica
- CollegeCounts 529 Fund Advisor Plan
529 prepaid tuition plans
Another college savings option worth considering is a 529 prepaid tuition plan. This type of plan lets savers prepay tuition at today’s tuition rates at eligible public and private colleges or universities. According to FINRA, "Most states guarantee that the funds you put into a prepaid plan will keep pace with tuition."
Prepaid tuition plans only cover tuition expenses, unlike 529 plans, which cover other qualified expenses, like room and board, books and supplies. You can fund these accounts with one lump sum or through installment payments. Often, these plans must be used within 10 years, or the interest on initial contributions could be lost.
According to Financial Aid Finder, only 18 states offer prepaid tuition plans.
- Alabama***
- Colorado**
- Florida
- Illinois
- Kentucky*
- Maryland
- Massachusetts***
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Nevada
- Ohio*
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas*
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia*
* Four states have temporarily frozen their prepaid plan to new investors.
** Colorado has permanently halted enrollment in its prepaid plan, although existing investors will still receive their tuition guarantees.
***Both residents and non-residents are invited to invest it these two prepaid 529 Plans.
529 plans can be part of your estate planning
Investing in a 529 plan is a great way for parents or grandparents to pass down wealth to the next generation. By helping college students graduate with lower or no student debt, you'll give your kids a leg up when it comes to starting their careers. For students interested in lower-income careers like the arts or non-profit work, graduating without debt may mean the difference between pursuing their dream career or slogging through a high-paying job they dislike to pay off debt.
A 529 plan may also jump-start your child or grandchild's retirement savings. Based on provisions introduced by the SECURE 2.0 Act, signed into law in December 2022 and effective from January 1, 2024, you can roll over tax- and penalty-free up to a lifetime limit of $35,000 in a 529 to a Roth IRA opened by the 529 beneficiary for more than 15 years, provided certain conditions are met. The roll over is subject to annual Roth IRA contribution limits.
What's not to like about this versatile savings tool? (The annual contribution limit is that of the beneficiary, not the parents).
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