529 College Savings

March 28, 2022

updated, December 27, 2023 – Patricia Roberts is Chief Operating Officer at Gift of College, Inc., and author of Route 529: A Parents Guide to Saving for College. Patricia is on a mission to educate new parents about the value of planning ahead! Opening a 529 college savings account before your newborn arrives, or soon thereafter is something you’ll appreciate for years.

There are several important reasons to start saving for college when your baby is born including: the power of compounding, great tax benefits and making it easy for friends and family to contribute whenever they can.

529 College Savings – Financial Benefits

• The power of compounding –  The earlier parents can open a college savings account for their child’s future, the more time there will be for even small contributions to compound and grow in value. This means you earn interest on the money initially invested, plus you earn interest on the interest!
• Tax benefits – Earnings on 529 accounts are not taxed! They are never taxed when withdrawn to pay for a wide range of higher education expenses, well beyond traditional college. Also, 35 states and the District of Columbia offer an annual tax deduction or credit for contributions to 529 college savings plan accounts. 
• It’s easy for friends and family to contribute. Once an account is opened, parents can invite others to contribute. Rather than giving gifts that are quickly outgrown for birthdays for example, 529 contributions are truly used. Most 529 plans have online tools which enable invitations to be sent by account owners. Creating a circle of support for a child’s education can be a beautiful tradition.  

How to Get a 529 College Savings Plan Started

Every state offers a 529 plan, but each state is a little different so your first step is to Google your state and “529 plan” together. The plans will include information for you to consider such as:

• Possible fees related to initial enrollment, annual maintenance or minimum contribution amounts.
• Tax deductions or credit for contributions available in your state
• professionally managed 529’s versus plans sold directly from your state to you

You’ll need your baby’s date of birth and Social Security number to start a 529. It’s okay if you need to wait for their social security number, you can start the account yourself and then transfer it. Parents of newborns and infants, especially parents of twins, have a lot on their minds and on their plates. Establishing a 529 account early in your child’s life creates peace of mind. College is often the most significant investments as a family. Any amount saved will be that much less that a child will need to borrow and repay with interest.