College Planning

You can have an effectively uncapped state tax deduction if you have a high tolerance for paperwork.

For babies born in 2023, here are the amounts that should be saved starting at birth to cover four years of college expenses at age 18.

This new rule says that the account owner can distribute funds from a 529 plan directly to the designated beneficiary’s Roth IRA and have the rollover “be treated in the same manner as the earnings and contributions of a Roth IRA” (meaning no taxation).

Adding more Stability to an asset allocation isn’t an easy issue. It takes science to know how much bonds you need. It takes artistry to gradually adjust your asset allocation over time. 

While you may think that the account owner needs to stay the same, you can easily change the account owner.

Can I leave money directly to those 529 plans in my estate plan?

By flowing money through a 529 account, a Virginia tax payer could receive a $575 discount on their private school tuition.

Hopefully this simple guide helps you get started in the right direction for correcting these surprise excess distributions.

Unfortunately, neither “yes” nor “no” is a correct answer to this question.

You can transfer up or across the family tree. However, if you want to transfer down a family tree, you can run into taxation problems.

With the grandparents as the owner rather than the parent, the student may have a better chance of receiving financial aid.

Unfortunately, the answer is that you cannot. The 529 account owner receives any state tax deductions for contributions make to their account.

Form ADJ of the 760 lines 8a – 8c are where you report miscellaneous deductions.

Oddly enough, what qualifies something as a unique account is both a unique account registration and investment portfolio selection.

What will happen to all the money I have saved for her college expenses now that she doesn’t need it?

Who will be responsible to pay for the taxes related to the distribution? Where do you report the taxable portion on your tax return?

Every school sets a budget or allowance for room and board, referred to as the cost of attendance. Are you allowed to reimburse yourself for the entire amount of Room and Board even if you did not spend that much?

The first step to answering this question is to check that the school you want to attend is an eligible educational institution.

A closer look at the U.S. Code reveals a bit of uncertainty but a lot of promise.

In general, you can use 529 funds to pay for your student’s off-campus housing costs.

If you have to choose between your retirement or your children’s college savings, choose your retirement.

According to Internal Revenue Code, in order for an account to be a 529 account, the custodian must meet six requirements.

In 2015, Congress passed the PATCH Act that included a provision which allowed computer purchases to be a qualified education expense for 529 plans. But what of computer repairs?

While this may seem complex, don’t let it deter you from using a 529 account to the fullest extent possible.

With this proposed expansion, 529 accounts may become the most cost-efficient way to fund all education expenses.

No need to worry. You have many great options when managing an overfunded 529 college savings plan.

Some years, we fall behind and I try to make a year-end contribution to get us caught back up again.

An alternate look at the formula using the case study of Kate the Social worker who wants an MBA from Georgetown University.

Your future path is sure to take many unexpected twists and turns, but you should run the numbers. Your future self will thank you.

You might think that you can’t qualify, but many well-paid families are eligible.

With careful planning, grandparents can ensure their gifts are not impeding a grandchild’s ability to access financial aid.

With three young energetic boys, the growing costs of college education weigh heavily on my mind. Here are the age-based benchmarks we use to ensure that our 529 college savings is on track to meet our goals.

David John Marotta and Rob Schilling discussed the ways current policy makes college more unaffordable, and what students and parents can do about it.

My daughter and son-in-law are expecting their first child, and my husband and I want to give some money for the child as a gift. What are my options?

A typical college degree is worth up to a million bucks over a career, but that’s not true for every degree.

I’ve learned to develop a thick skin when sharing ideas with the masses but if these commenters represent some general barometer of financial sanity, we appear to be losing the battle.

A quick chart of Age-Based Benchmarks for 529 College Savings.

With this announcement, we are finally starting to see online education cause disruptions that can slow soaring college costs.

Investing a large lump sum amount into a college 529 savings plan using a special ‘5 year election’ can offer substantial tax savings.

These kittens have college savings plans. Be more like these kittens.

Learn about 529 college savings plan distribution rules before you need to start taking money out of your accounts. This post answers the timing question for those who are using the 529 to reimburse expenses already paid.

Q: We have saved money for our grandchildren’s college expenses with 529 plans, and now the first is set to begin. What advice do you have as we begin to make distributions from these accounts?

The unintended consequences of good intentions can do more economic harm than all the mean-spirited greed within capitalism.

Debt burdens are relative. For example, a $58k college debt will feel doable to a doctor making $100k+ per year and overwhelming to a lower wage employee. A degree should not cost more than your future earning power will sustain.

To assess our progress toward funding all three children, I have created age-based benchmarks that I share here.

Q: Our son is headed to Virginia Tech as a college freshman. When it comes to finances, he’s clueless. What financial advice should we offer before we drop him off?

Before you spot a single Ivy League or big-name private school, public campuses grab 17 of PayScale’s first 18 spots. Leading is Georgia Tech’s 13.9% return on investment. Next is the University of Virginia’s 13.3%.

Students are graduating with larger debt loads than they were 10 years ago. Public four-year college borrowers graduate with an average of $19,800 in debt; their nonprofit private college counterparts graduate owing $26,100.

My youngest is a first-year student at the University of Virginia. My coauthor Matthew’s youngest child was born only a month ago. There is no such thing as saving too early.

Four-years of college currently cost $60,000 at a public university. In eighteen years, it may cost more than $145,000. To stay ahead of rising tuition costs, you should plan ahead and save early. Tax-favored 529 accounts can help you provide an excellent college education for your children and grandchildren.