How to Get the Most From Your 529 Plan_young boy smiling on the school bus

How to get the most from your 529 plan

Putting money aside for your child’s educational needs can be less stressful if you take action early. When you have a solid financial plan, you can enjoy the precious moments of childhood while preparing for the years to come.

A 529 plan, also known as a qualified tuition plan, is a tax-advantaged investment account. Like a retirement account, a 529 plan allows you to make investments that potentially grow tax-free over time. In Oregon and Washington, you can open a 529 account with as little as $25.

What Oregon residents should know about 529 plans.

The Oregon College Savings Plan is a 529 plan sponsored by the state of Oregon and administered by a division of the Oregon State Treasury. Any U.S. citizen with a Social Security number or tax ID can open, or be the beneficiary of, an account.

Oregon residents may qualify for an income tax deduction. Contributions of up to $2,435 for individuals and $4,865 for joint filers are eligible for the 2019 tax year.

You should note that if funds are withdrawn for non-qualified expenses, the state of Oregon will recapture those tax benefits. Every plan has different rules about what counts as a qualified expense. The Oregon College Savings plan can be used for tuition, books, certain room and board fees, as well as computers and school software.

What Washington residents should know about 529 plans.

Washington residents have two 529 options available, the GET Prepaid Tuition Program and the DreamAhead College Investment Plan. The GET plan is only available to Washington residents, while the DreamAhead plan is open to any U.S. citizen.

While the DreamAhead plan is similar to the option available in Oregon, the GET program is a little different. Here’s how it works:

  • Every year, the GET program determines the price of a unit. 100 units will always equal one year of tuition. The 2019 price per unit is $121.
  • You buy units at the current price and hold on to them. No matter how much the cost of tuition rises in the future, your units will always maintain their value.

Therefore, if you buy 100 units this year, you will have one year of college tuition and fees covered, no matter how prices change.

How much will you need to save for college?

It’s no secret that a college education is one of life’s biggest expenses, but the reward of an advanced education is priceless. Nevertheless, many parents wonder if they will be able to afford college for their children in the future.

Every year, more than 1.2 million millennial women become first-time mothers and many of them still have student debt of their own. It’s easy for first-time parents with student loan debt to recognize how important it is to save for a college education, but only 29% of new parents utilize the benefits of a 529 plan.

No one possesses a crystal ball that can foresee how much college will cost in the next 20 to 30 years. But based on trends from the last several decades, it is possible to make predictions. A child born in 2019 could need as much as $500,000 to attend college in 18 years. How much might college cost you and your children?

Why should you make automatic contributions to save for college?

If you have to manually take money out of your budget every month to invest in a 529 plan, it might not happen. Over the long term, inconsistent contributions could negatively impact your ability to save enough money for your child’s education.

Automatic investing takes the worry out of saving for the future. A set-it-and-forget-it method helps you stay on track with your goals. Most plans allow you to set up automatic payments through your employer payroll or a bank account.

In both Oregon and Washington, there are several options for how to invest the money in a 529 plan. One common option is to utilize index funds. Many investors appreciate index funds for their low costs and potentially lower risk, compared to buying individual stocks. An index fund approximates the gains and losses of an index of publicly traded companies, like the Dow Jones or the S&P 500. If that index changes value, a respective index fund attempts to change in tandem. A financial advisor can help you determine if this option is a good fit for your risk tolerance.

One option for ensuring you consistently contribute to a 529 savings plan is to make automatic monthly investments. Starting early and saving regularly can make it easy to stay on track with your college savings goals.

As you think about saving for college, be sure to consider some of the alternative options for saving for your child’s education, especially if you are a little behind and are closer to the college start date. You can also explore practical college alternatives with your child if they’re interested in careers that don’t require a college degree.

How to Get the Most From Your 529 Plan_young girl smiling standing next to the school bus with other children in the background

How community colleges help you save money.

Another way to maximize your 529 savings is to have your child consider attending a community college for two years before transferring to a four-year institution. This route can save you a significant amount of money. On average, students in Oregon who earn the first 60 credits of a 120-credit degree at a community college save $10,823.

Additionally, this route can be a great option for students who are unsure of which major they will choose. Two years at a community college allows students to explore their options while still earning credits they can put toward their degree.

Start saving for your child’s future today.

Saving for college is just one of many financial considerations you have as a parent. Check out our financial education resource Enrich to discover more ways you can enable your child to achieve their educational goals.

Disclosures

Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. OnPoint Community Credit Union and OnPoint Investment Services are not registered broker/dealers or registered investment advisers, and are independent of Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. and Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc.

Securities and investment advisors services are:

1

2

3

4

1

Not a bank or credit union deposit, obligation or guarantee.

2

May lose value.

3

Not FDIC or NCUA/NCUSIF Insured.

4

Not insured by any federal government agency.

Raymond James financial advisors may only conduct business with residents of the states and/or jurisdictions for which they are properly registered. Therefore, a response to a request for information may be delayed. Please note that not all of the investments and services mentioned are available in every state. Investors outside of the United States are subject to securities and tax regulations within their applicable jurisdictions that are not addressed on this site. Contact your local Raymond James office for information and availability.

Links are being provided for information purposes only. Raymond James is not affiliated with and does not endorse, authorize or sponsor any of the listed websites or their respective sponsors. Raymond James is not responsible for the content of any website or the collection or use of information regarding any website’s users and/or members.

Any opinions are those of OnPoint and not necessarily those of Raymond James.  Expressions of opinion are as of this date and are subject to change without notice.  There is no guarantee that these statements, opinions or forecasts provided herein will prove to be correct.  Investing involves risk and you may incur a profit or loss regardless of strategy selected.

https://www.raymondjames.com/privacy-security-and-account-protection/privacy-notice

https://brokercheck.finra.org/

* Banking/Lending services not provided through Raymond James.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), commonly known as “The Dow” is an index representing 30 stock of companies maintained and reviewed by the editors of the Wall Street Journal.

The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index of 500 widely held stocks that is generally considered representative of the U.S. stock market.

Indices are not available for direct investment.  Any investor who attempts to mimic the performance of an index would incur fees and expenses which would reduce returns.

Every type of investment, including mutual funds, involves risk. Risk refers to the possibility that you will lose money (both principal and any earnings) or fail to make money on an investment. Changing market conditions can create fluctuations in the value of a mutual fund investment. In addition, there are fees and expenses associated with investing in mutual funds that do not usually occur when purchasing individual securities directly.

Market Risk: An index fund takes on the risk of the underlying index it tries to replicate and, as a result, if the index goes down value, the fund can lose value.

Investors should consider, before investing, whether the investor’s or the designated beneficiary’s home state offers any tax or other benefits that are only available for investment in such state’s 529 college savings plan.  Such benefits include financial aid, scholarship funds, and protection from creditors.

As with other investments, there are generally fees and expenses associated with participation in a 529 plan. There is also a risk that these plans may lose money or not perform well enough to cover college costs as anticipated. Most states offer their own 529 programs, which may provide advantages and benefits exclusively for their residents. The tax implications can vary significantly from state to state.

Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses associated with 529 plans before investing. This and other information about 529 plans is available in the issuer’s official statement and should be read carefully before investing. Investors should consult a tax advisor about any state tax consequences of an investment in a 529 plan.

Favorable state tax treatment for investing in Section 529 college savings plans may be limited to investments made in plans offered by your home state. Investors should consult a tax advisor about any state tax consequences of an investment in a 529 plan.

Note: Email should not be used to share important or sensitive information.

The security and privacy of your information is important to us. When communicating with us via email please do not send any information that is considered confidential or sensitive in nature. If you need to communicate any personal information (account numbers, social security number, etc.) please feel free to call the number listed in my profile or contact OnPoint Member Services at 503.228.7077 or 800.527.3932.

 

 

You are leaving OnPoint Community Credit Union.

The website you are about to visit is the responsibility of the party providing the site. Any transactions you enter into through this third-party site are solely between you and that vendor, merchant or other party. OnPoint’s Privacy Policy does not apply to this third-party site, and for further information you should consult the privacy disclosures of this site.

 

 

Cancel Accept