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Choosing a 529 plan: state benefits, guarantees, fees and portfolios

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Two 529 plans can rest on the same tax code section and still differ in guarantees, fees, state tax breaks and how the money is invested.

Same tax treatment, different plans

A savings plan is an investment account. States do not guarantee it, its mutual fund and ETF investments are not federally guaranteed, and savers can lose money; only some principal-protected bank options may be FDIC-insured. A prepaid tuition plan buys tuition and mandatory fees at today’s prices, usually for public in-state schools. Some states guarantee the money paid into their prepaid plans and some do not. Outside the participating schools, a prepaid plan typically still pays, but the plan sets the amount and it may be less.

Fees lower returns. Savings plans charge fees, and buying through a broker typically adds sales loads or charges and ongoing distribution fees; many states sell plans directly without broker charges. Many states also give a tax benefit for contributions, which may apply only to the state’s own plan. That benefit is one input: if an out-of-state plan is cheaper, the savings may outweigh the in-state tax break.

Savings plans offer pre-set options. Age-based portfolios move toward more conservative investments as the beneficiary nears college age; static portfolios keep their mix. Owners cannot switch freely: tax law allows a change of option a limited number of times a year, or on a change of beneficiary. A 529 balance generally affects need-based financial aid, though schools treat it differently, and savings plan money can be used at eligible schools in any state.

Exam terms

Education savings plan
A 529 investment account; its value rises and falls with the options chosen.
Prepaid tuition plan
A 529 plan that buys future tuition and mandatory fees at today’s prices.
Direct-sold plan
A 529 plan bought straight from the state program, without broker charges.
Age-based portfolio
An option that shifts to more conservative investments as college nears.
Static portfolio
An option that keeps the same mix of investments.
In-state tax benefit
A state deduction, credit or grant for contributions, which may require the state’s own plan.

Savings plan and prepaid plan

Savings planPrepaid plan
What you buyInvestment unitsTuition credits at today’s prices
GuaranteeNone from the stateSome states; not federal
Where it paysEligible schools anywhereParticipating schools; less elsewhere
Main riskMarket lossesSponsor shortfall if unguaranteed
The savings plan carries market risk; the prepaid plan carries sponsor and network risk.

Try it: Pick a 529 savings plan from your own state and one from another state. Write down, for each, the state tax benefit you would get, the yearly fees, and whether you would buy direct or through a broker. Then decide which plan wins for a child who starts college in fifteen years.

The ruleSavings plans carry market risk and no state guarantee; prepaid guarantees vary by state. Weigh fees against any home-state tax benefit. Broker-sold plans add sales and distribution fees. Age-based options turn conservative near college; option changes are limited; a 529 balance generally affects need-based aid.

The closest contrast

In-state tax break.

Out-of-state lower fees.

This decides plan-choice questions. A home-state deduction is a real benefit, but it can be smaller than years of lower fees in another state’s plan, so the answer is to compare, not to default to the home plan.

Worked example

Adelheid Bonifacio is saving for a ten-year-old. Her state’s plan gives a small state tax deduction but charges higher fees than a direct-sold plan from another state.

  1. She checks whether her state’s deduction applies only to its own plan. It does.
  2. She compares the deduction with the fee difference over the eight years until college. The fee saving is larger, so the out-of-state plan wins.
  3. She buys direct, avoiding broker sales charges, and chooses an age-based option that will turn conservative as college nears.
  4. She knows the account can lose value, that she may change options only a limited number of times a year, and that the balance will generally count toward need-based aid.

Check yourself

Try a question, then read the explanation to review the rule.

Opening your study record…

Same rule, new context

Opening your study record…

Summary

  • Prepaid plans are not federally guaranteed and only some states guarantee them; states do not guarantee savings plans, and only some bank options in them are FDIC-insured.
  • A state tax benefit may require the home plan; weigh it against fees, since a cheaper out-of-state plan can win.
  • Broker-sold plans typically add sales loads and distribution fees; direct-sold plans avoid broker charges.
  • Age-based options turn conservative as college nears; static options do not; option changes are limited each year.
  • Prepaid credits pay best at participating schools; a 529 balance generally affects need-based aid.

Related practice

  • Choosing a 529 plan: state benefits, portfolios, option changes and aidPractice this
  • 529 plan types and sales channelsPractice this

Sources

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