As a parent, your number one concern is always your children and how you can best provide for them. While they may be young still, the future of their education is likely only a few years away, and as time goes on, college tuition costs are increasing drastically. This may concern you, especially if you’re still paying off your own loans from your college days! Luckily, there’s hope, and a great way to get your little one’s future college finances in order. The solution: a 529 college savings plan. Wondering the best way to set one up? Here are some simple tips:
Pick a Plan that Works Best for You
When it comes to 529 plans, it’s not as simple as just one. There are two main types of 529 saving plans that you can choose from. You can decide if a prepaid plan works best for you, or if an investment plan is a better choice. If you decide on a prepaid plan, you can think of it as a locked-in plan. You generally pay for a year or a portion of the tuition ahead of time, locking in the price. Depending on your state, the requirement can vary. Investment plans give you the ability to choose how you want to invest your funds, and how you can use the money depending on the institution that’s chosen down the road.
Open the Account
To open your 529 account, you’ll need to submit an application; this can generally be completed online; however, in some cases, you may need to mail it in. Additionally, you’ll need to choose the right account to work with, whether it’s an Individual (Custodial), Trust, or Business account. From there, you’ll choose the custodian (likely yourself), and the beneficiary, (your child).
Choose the Right Investments
Your investment portfolio is the next step in your process, and it usually depends on your investment preferences. In most cases, you can choose an age-based portfolio that lines up with the age of your child (beneficiary). This way is usually the easiest way to manage your investments. You can also go with an individual portfolio that will give you the ability to build your investments on your own, any way you’d like. Either way, you’re able to switch your options and change them if you want to down the road.
Submit Application & Deposit Funds
When your application is completed, either a physical copy to mail in, or done electronically online, you can submit everything with either a check or electronic funds sent to the account. It’s always important to make sure the submitted information is accurate, or it could prolong the process.