my529 Advisor Library
Estate planning with my529
Did you know that a my529 account can help with estate planning?
529 accounts have unique features that you can use as you advise your clients on saving for college, investing and estate planning.
my529’s library of FAN articles and blog posts
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New Dimensional underlying funds
Do you have clients invested in a my529 Customized option? If you do, you should know that my529 has added two new single-fund fixed-income portfolios with underlying Dimensional investments, effective March 25, 2026. As part of a continuous evaluation of the plan’s fund lineup, my529 decided to expand the intermediate duration fund offerings with two…
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Expenses drop for several underlying funds
It’s now less expensive for your clients who hold certain my529 portfolios, thanks to recent operating expense ratio reductions by Vanguard and Dimensional. Vanguard lowered the expenses for 11 underlying funds used in the my529 Customized investment options, effective February 2, 2026. The estimated collective annual savings of my529 account owners invested in these funds…
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my529 adds FinDash to back-office advisor solutions
The my529 Relationship Management Team is pleased to announce the integration of FinDash as a back-office provider. If your firm already uses FinDash, my529 now supports the platform among our robust list of back-office providers. You can link to FinDash through the advisor portal. For detailed steps, view our data provider selection guide here. About…
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Guiding your clients to reduce higher education costs
Higher education benefits can extend beyond monetary earnings — but they also require significant investments of time and money. Your Advisor Relationship Management Team at my529 has prepared some suggestions you may use to help your clients extend their savings as their student nears graduation from high school. Consider encouraging clients to include their student in…
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Does your client qualify for a state tax benefit for their my529 contributions?
With tax season here, you may want to educate your clients about potential state income tax deductions or credits available for 529 contributions. All 529 plans offer federal tax benefits but what about potential state income taxes? Twenty-eight out of 50 states offer tax incentives for contributions made to their own 529 plans in the…
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We are presentable!
Is your firm looking for a virtual or in-person seminar that is CFP-certified for Continuing Education credits? Our financial services team offers presentations that we can customize to your firm; topics include overviews of 529 plans and trends in the industry and helping clients optimize their investment strategy. Visit our site to book and learn…
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my529 earns top industry rating for 15th consecutive year
This fall, my529, Utah’s 529 educational savings plan, was once again named as one of the top 529 plans in the country, a distinction the plan has earned for 15 consecutive years. This accomplishment is unrivaled by any other 529 plan and reinforces my529’s longstanding status as one of the best in the industry —…
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Qualified education expenses expand with recent legislation
Recent legislation offers your clients more possibilities for their 529 funds. H.R. 1 was passed by the 119th Congress and signed into law on July 4, 2025, and includes provisions that impact 529 plans. K-12 expenses H.R. 1 (119th Congress) expanded the definition of qualified education expenses for K-12 education to include books, materials, testing…
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my529 expands Docusign acceptance policy
You gave us your feedback, and we heard you! my529 now accepts Docusign signatures that have been phone authenticated (via SMS text message or phone call) as an alternative to our existing knowledge-based authentication. This helps you, our advisors, streamline obtaining signatures from clients on my529 paperwork. my529 does not initiate the Docusign envelopes —…
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Using my529’s College Savings Estimator to encourage saving early and often
Go beyond the basics of how the College Savings Estimator can help anticipate school costs. Today, let’s explore how this powerful tool can assist you in tailoring answers to your clients’ unique higher education questions as well as helping them prioritize saving for higher education among their other long-term financial goals. The estimator calculates costs…
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Meet the team!
We’ve been busy this fall! The my529 team traveled around the nation to spread knowledge of the importance of 529 plans. Before leaving Utah, we visited with Garrett and their 2025 Planning Network. We met with their members and attended their skill workshops. Next, we headed east to North Carolina to meet with Dimensional…
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Follow us on LinkedIn!
Do you follow us @my529 on LinkedIn? Our weekly content is designed to be shared with YOUR clients — help us in helping them with their my529 accounts and questions via a simple click of the “share post” button. Reminder: Review our 2025 year-end deadlines for important dates for your clients. Transaction deadlines are crucial…
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Admin fee drops for my529’s Customized options
my529 recently reduced the Administrative Asset Fee for Customized Age-Based and Customized Static investment options by one basis point (0.010%). The fee decrease, from 0.120% to 0.110% (or $1.10 per $1,000 invested annually), went into effect on July 1, 2025. The reduction will benefit about 20% of my529 accounts. Based on assets invested in the…
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my529 changes name of single-fund portfolio available in Customized options
As part of my529’s fiduciary responsibility to our account owners, we closely monitor plan offerings. After a long evaluation of a trend in one of the funds available in the Customized investment options, my529 changed the portfolio’s name to highlight the fund’s strategy. Effective July 1, 2025, the name of the my529 Five-Year Global Fixed…
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Here’s how to help your clients prepare for fall withdrawals
As families send their kids back to school, there are many ways to help your clients transition their students back to the classroom. While some may be sending children off to kindergarten, many are launching their kids into their first year of college. If your clients have a college-age student with a my529 account, now…
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Use our College Savings Estimator to prepare your clients for higher education expenses
It would be nice to predict the future for your clients. While we can’t offer you that, we can give you a tool to approximate how their my529 funds can help them meet their family’s educational goals. It’s not a crystal ball, but the free College Savings Estimator can help reduce the guesswork as they…
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Meet the newest member of our team
my529 is delighted to introduce Emilee Hansen, relationship manager, to our Advisor Relationship Management Team. Emilee is a University of Utah graduate and has over two decades of experience in financial customer service. Her proven track record of building strong client relationships will be a valuable asset to our team and assisting financial advisors with…
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You can access your clients’ my529 tax documents
Tax deadlines are approaching and my529 is here to lend a hand. my529 makes it easy for you and your clients to access the documents they need to fill out their 1040s. If your client made a withdrawal in 2024, their IRS Form 1099-Q is available in their online my529 account under the Documents tab.…
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Bulk statement feature expanded for additional users at the firm
We heard you asking for this option and are delighted to announce that we made it happen! We are excited to introduce a new feature to streamline your firm’s workflow and improve efficiency. Now, master administrators or advisors who have the permission to create or edit users can enable a new permission that allows any advisor…
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Divorce: How advisors can help their clients navigate this transition
Navigating clients through a divorce can be complicated and challenging for financial advisors. You may have clients with my529 accounts — are you prepared to assist with the division of this often-overlooked asset? “Even an amicable divorce can cause problems with a child’s college savings plans. [Divorce attorneys] may not be aware of all of…
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Updates coming to Target Enrollment Date option in July
On July 1, 2025, my529’s Target Enrollment Date investment option will see portfolio changes as part of its regularly scheduled asset allocation update. Your clients may have questions. my529 will notify account owners of the change in the April newsletter and will follow up with a reminder email in June. Read on for more information…
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On the road spreading the message of college savings
Our Relationship Management Team hit the road this spring to talk 529s. So far, we have been to Wallach Beth in Park City, Utah, the College Savings Foundation Conference in Berkeley, California, and visited several Utah financial advisors on a multi-day Southern Utah road trip. Your my529 team appreciates the opportunity to build relationships with…
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Have you checked out the my529 video library?
Our my529 video library provides you with a comprehensive and easily shareable resource to educate your clients about the benefits and strategies of 529 college savings plans. The my529 video library answers questions across several useful topics, including: what a my529 plan is; common misconceptions about 529 plans; how to make a contribution and later…
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The value of higher education
When speaking with your clients about 529 plans, you might have heard mixed reviews from them and their children about the importance of higher education. While economic outcomes for young adults without postsecondary degrees have improved in some cases (we’re looking at you, influencers!), there are still a lot of positives to obtaining education past…
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my529 earns top Morningstar honor for 14th year in a row
This fall, Morningstar’s annual review of 529 plans named my529 as one of five plans in 2024 to receive the Analyst Rating™ of Gold. my529 has now earned Morningstar’s top rating for 14 years in a row. The award reinforces my529’s longstanding, well-regarded status within the 529 industry. In their 2024 industry report, Morningstar evaluated…
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2024 year-end deadlines
Your clients could qualify for certain tax benefits with their my529 account. Please note that contributions must be received at my529 by the following transaction deadlines to qualify for the 2024 tax year. Any transactions received by my529 after these year-end deadlines will count toward the 2025 tax year. You can send your forms (some…
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What drives the next generation of financial planners?
We recently had the pleasure of interviewing Lexi Shipley, president of the Personal Financial Planning Student Association (PFPSA) at Utah Valley University. In this discussion, Lexi goes in-depth on trends she’s seen in her classmates’ industry expectations as well as the experiences they’ve been seeking out in their coursework, internships and first jobs. What motivations…
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Study up on changes to federal student aid application
Did you know that the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) for the 2025-2026 academic year officially went live on December 1, 2024? This is a crucial time for college students and families as they prepare for the upcoming academic year. As financial advisors, you can play a pivotal role in guiding your clients…
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my529 Road Trip: Financial fun across the nation
Our financial advisor team has been hitting the road and spreading the joy of smart saving across the country and here at home with our loyal local advisors. With more than 1,500 firms in our advisor community, we’ve only scratched the surface on meeting all of you. From the West to the East, our team…
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my529’s Investment Manager Series: PIMCO Interest Income Fund and FDIC-Insured
my529 offers multiple principal preservation products, including the PIMCO (Pacific Investment Management Company) Interest Income Fund and our FDIC-Insured accounts. The PIMCO Interest Income Fund is a separately managed stable value fund. It is available in our Target Enrollment Date, Static and Customized investment options. This fund focuses on preserving principal and providing liquidity while…
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my529’s Investment Manager Series: Vanguard
In 1999, my529 (known as Utah’s Educational Saving Plan at the time) looked to expand their investment options, allowing account owners a greater range of investment choices from conservative to aggressive. Two Vanguard funds were introduced, chosen for their low-cost funds that aligned with my529’s investment philosophy. Today, my529 offers 20 underlying Vanguard funds through…
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Help your clients with Gen Z dependents explore various higher education paths
High school graduates have more education options than ever, and with that increased variety, your savvy clients want to be certain that their investments of time and money will pay off. Market factors like artificial intelligence are reconfiguring the workforce, leading many recent high school graduates to consider apprenticeships, trade schools, technical colleges and additional…
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Changes for three Vanguard funds affect underlying fund expenses
Changes to three Vanguard funds used in my529 investment options in April and May could impact underlying fund expenses for your clients. my529 passes on underlying fund expense changes to account owners, regardless of whether it’s a cost savings or increase. In May, the volume of investments in a Vanguard fund used in several my529…
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Administrative Asset Fee reduced by 1 bps for all investment options
On August 1, 2024, my529 dropped the Administrative Asset Fee by one basis point for every my529 investment option, including Customized options. This change is expected to save clients who work with advisors a collective $322,000 annually. Investment Option Prior Fee New Fee Cost per $1,000 invested annually Target Enrollment Date 0.100% 0.09% $0.90 Static…
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Keeping your information up to date with my529
Is your firm’s information up to date with my529? Updating your contact information is easy and important to do. As financial advisors, it is crucial to regularly update your information to ensure accuracy and compliance with regulations. This proactive approach not only helps you better serve your clients, but also demonstrates your commitment to their…
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Make sure your clients have a signature card on file so they can access their funds
Want to streamline your client’s my529 experience? Have them add a signature card to their my529 account. Providing a signature card is an important step in safeguarding your clients’ financial accounts. Without a signature card on file, there will be a delay in processing transactional forms. Keep in mind, if your firm traditionally opens accounts…
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We want to hear from you!
The my529 Financial Advisor portal now has an orange feedback button listed on the right side of the screen where you can provide us with valuable feedback about your my529 experience. Let us know what you think about our site, our services, or any features and functionality you would like to see. We read every…
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my529 loves to present
Did you know that my529 has a Professional Services Team exclusively available to our financial advisors? This group of my529 employees focuses solely on helping firms nationwide provide the highest quality of service regarding our products. With our personalized trainings, educational content and financial advisor-only phone line, these concierge offerings are part of what make…
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Call for advisor interviews
Do you work with a niche clientele or have a special interest in the field? We would like to interview you about how you use my529 in your practice. Information may be featured in an upcoming newsletter that reaches approximately 6,500 advisors. Interested in sharing your expertise? Email us at advisorinfo@my529.org. From the FAN —…
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my529’s investment manager series: Dimensional Fund Advisors
my529 has been offering select funds from Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA) since 2013. my529 offers eight underlying DFA funds in our Customized Age-based and Customized Static investment options. The availability of these funds provides financial advisors and account owners additional diversification opportunities outside of the offered Vanguard and PIMCO funds. About 4% of my529’s assets…
