Understanding How the 529 Savings Plan Works

Although most governments have made higher education immensely more affordable than it once was, it still remains beyond the reach of many people. The 529 savings plan is a much-needed financial solution that is designed to make higher education within reach of all those who seek it.

There are several different types of 529 savings plans available and parents should look into and understand the workings and the benefits of the various plans so as to choose one that best suits the requirements of their children.

"529" is essentially a United States' Internal Revenue Code section, more commonly known as qualified tuition plans. By investing in their children's college fees as early as possible parents get can avail of a tax advantage and can also avoid paying higher fees when it's actually time for their children to go to college. These plans are typically funded by educational institutions and various state agencies.

One of the most significant benefits of a 529 savings plan is that parents do have to pay any inflation difference. There are two main plans available, which cater to two different types of situations.

Investing in pre-paid tuition plans would involve purchasing credits or units at participating universities or colleges, which could then be used for books and admission fees or even a room on the campus.

The college savings plan includes a variety of investments that could be made that would be of great assistance to the beneficiary student at some time in the future.

However munificent the savings may be, you should keep in mind that the 529 savings plans are still investments and would entail a certain amount of risk. There's not much cause for worry though as these investments are relatively conservative.

A 529 savings plan is quite different from any typical mutual investment in many ways. For one thing, multiple members can contribute to the plan and for another you are not required to pay taxes on any of the account's earnings. Also, the account can be rolled over to any other member if, for any reason, the original beneficiary does not go to university or college.

In case the beneficiary earns a scholarship, the unused money can be withdrawn from the account anytime prior to maturity without incurring any penalties except for the applicable taxes. The savings plan allows you, as a parent, to ensure that your child's college education is secure financially.

Keep in mind that the parent is the sole controller of the account and the student has no access to the money that has been invested in the 529 savings plan until such time that he or she goes to college or university.

If you have the money, then investing early in a 529 savings plan is an excellent method of ensuring you are able to fund your child's college education. This will help insure your child's education against any possible financial difficulties that you might face in the future. Louis Zhang, 529plansforcollege dot com