“The 411 on 529 and other college savings plans”

<http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2013/04/18/the-411-on-529-and-other-college-savings-plans/>

A nice summary of some of the issues, both good and bad, about 529 plans and some other alternatives for saving for college.  Particularly nice to see the two main variations of 529s discussed – “college savings” versus “prepaid tuition”.  We don’t see discussion of pre-paid tuition plans very often.

We do caution, however, that the article does not distinguish between “direct-sold” and “advisor-sold” 529 plans.  The latter, offered in nearly every state, have much higher expenses and we recommend folks stick with direct-sold plans if they are going to be using 529s.  And if folks need some help selecting one and/or periodically reviewing it, consider paying a fee-only financial planner for some help as needed.