Front load 529 plans for tax advantages
By Nathan Vinson English, Lucas, Priest & Owsley, LLP If you want to save up for your child’s future college education, 529 plans have long been a great option. Lovingly named for the section of the IRS tax code where these reside, 529 plans allow families to save for college with some tax advantages. The plans are sponsored by states, state agencies, or educational institutions, and can be either a prepaid tuition plan or an education savings plan, depending on what the sponsor offers. Western Kentucky University campus A prepaid tuition plan allows you to pay today’s rates for future college education. This can be a tremendous savings if you’re 100 percent certain your kid is absolutely going to a specific college (or going to college at all). These are typically state-owned colleges and universities, and you can only pre-pay tuition, not room and board. Kentucky’s prepaid tuition plan is closed, and will be reassessed annually, the plan says on its web site; Kentucky Education Savings Plan Trust does still offer a 529 plan that allows for college savings, and you can find more on that here. An education savings plan is simply a vehicle for saving up for future college costs, and that includes room and board. These funds can also be used for private school tuition at elementary, middle and high schools, up to $10,000 per beneficiary. That $10,000 cap, though, doesn’t apply to college – just to K-12 education. Read More
