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529 plans — tax-advantaged accounts for education expenses — are the go-to tool for college savers. Offered in nearly every state,2 they grow tax-deferred and allow tax-free withdrawals.3 They’re also preferable to custodial brokerage accounts, which count as a student’s assets and can hurt financial-aid eligibility.4 The biggest edge of a 529 is flexibility. A 529’s beneficiary can be changed easily, so parents or grandparents5 can open one before a child is born, then update the beneficiary later on. If one kid skips college, the account can be reassigned to another child — or even to yourself.

For more, Carol Massar Tim Stenovec speak with Ann Garcia, CFP and Wealth Advisor at The Mather Group