Episode 188 - Saving for College with 529 Plan Expert Brian Boswell

In this episode of The Lange Money Hour: Where Smart Money Talks, we welcome Brian Boswell, a subject matter expert on 529 savings plans. He is responsible for all things 529, including contributing content to the Savingforcollege.com web site, quarterly performance rankings, and media relations. Brian has worked with 529's in multiple capacities since 2001. Prior to joining Savingforcollege.com, Brian served as Director of Advisor Distribution to Ascensus College Savings (formerly Upromise Investments, Inc.), the leading administrator of 529 savings and prepaid plans. There he oversaw the advisor-related business of ACS. At FRC (Financial Research Corporation) Brian served as Subject Matter Expert for educational savings research, responsible for developing and overseeing all FRC products and services related to college savings plans. For most American parents, saving for a child’s higher education is a daunting task. Many of us don’t have the resources to begin saving early enough even if we know we should. One way to chip away at the problem is to enlist the support of family with contributions to a college saving plan. But what is the best way to do that? Are some plans more flexible than others? Do any offer tax advantages? With average tuition and fees at both private and public colleges and universities hitting unbelievable numbers, take time to learn the ABC’s of 529 plans. TOPICS COVERED: 1. What will it cost to pay for college? 2. How much will I need to save? 3. What is a 529 Plan? 4. How does a 529 Plan impact financial aid eligibility? 5. What will it pay for? 6. Which plan is best? 7. Why not just use a Roth IRA to save for college?