How much should I contribute to 529 plan?
Annual 529 plan contribution limits
529 plans do not have annual contribution limits. However, contributions to a 529 plan are considered completed gifts for federal tax purposes, and in 2022 up to $16,000 per donor ($15,000 in 2021), per beneficiary qualifies for the annual gift tax exclusion.
What does this mean for you? Choosing a 529 plan could mean a much lower monthly contribution since the money grows over time. With a 529 plan, a solid monthly contribution amount for a child born in 2022 would be about $140 for a public in-state school, $215 for public out-of-state, or $350 for a private university.
One of the many benefits of saving for a child's future college education with a 529 plan is that contributions are considered gifts for tax purposes. In 2022, gifts totaling up to $16,000 per individual will qualify for the annual gift tax exclusion, up from $15,000 in 2018-2021.
One of the biggest benefits of a 529 plan is you don't have to pay capital gains tax on any distributions used for education. The capital gains tax rate is based on income, and if your household makes less than $83,350, your capital gains tax rate is 0%.
Dave warns against using a 529 Plan that would freeze your options or automatically change your investments based on the age of your child. Stay away from so-called “fixed” or “life phase” plans. You want to stay in control of the mutual funds at all times.
For a child born this year, parents should save at least $250 per month for an in-state public four-year college, $450 per month for an out-of-state public four-year college and $550 per month for a private non-profit four-year college, from birth to college enrollment.
So, How Much Do Parents Need to Save in a 529 Account? Tuition inflation rates vary depending on who's calculating them, but Savingforcollege says tuition tends to increase about 5% annually. (They increased one-percent last year during the pandemic, but experts say that's unusual.)
- Set a savings goal. ...
- Open a 529 if you don't already have one. ...
- Put your savings on autopilot. ...
- Get grandparents on board. ...
- Invest in stocks. ...
- Groom junior for academic glory.
Gift-tax exclusion
In 2021, that means you can contribute up to $15,000 per beneficiary ($30,000 per married couple) to a 529 plan without having to pay gift taxes. If you set up more than one 529 plan this year, you can contribute up to $15,000 to each without having to file a gift-tax return.
Levine recommends 50 cents to a dollar for every year of age, on a weekly basis. For example, a 10 year old would receive $5 to $10 per week.
How much can a parent contribute to a 529 per year?
In either case, parents receive the same treatment as any other person making a contribution: each parent can give up to $15,000 annually to their child's 529 plan without having to file a gift tax return, for a total of $30,000 per year.
If you're a single filer, you can contribute up to $15,000 per year without incurring gift taxes. And if you're a married couple filing jointly, the amount jumps to $30,000 per year. Beyond that amount, you'll have to pay gift tax.
If you invest in a 529 college savings plan, and that plan puts your money in a variety of investments as most do, you can lose money. That's because these investments, ranging from stocks to bonds, can go down in value. It's just like your retirement accounts.
- There are significant upfront costs. ...
- Your child's need-based aid could be reduced. ...
- There are penalties for noneducational withdrawals. ...
- There are also penalties for ill-timed withdrawals. ...
- You have less say over your investments.
The College Savings Bank plan doesn't charge an investment fee for its Honors Savings Account and offers a 0.70 percent interest rate. Since investment fees vary, parents should always ask, experts say. 3. When comparing interest rates, parents should consider state tax deductions and credits.
529 plan benefits: They grow tax-free
Let's say, for example, that you save $1,000 in a 529 investment account, which grows by 5% in a year to $1,050.
| AVERAGE AMOUNT SAVED FOR COLLEGE | |
|---|---|
| Age 0 – 6 | $7,929 |
| Age 7 – 12 | $15,359 |
| Age 13 – 17 | $27,559 |
| Age 18+ | $27,778 |
While a high-yield savings or investment account offer more flexibility for parents looking to save, neither come with tax advantages that 529 college savings plans do. With a 529 plan, your contributions grow tax free, so it's especially beneficial if you start contributing early.
Ideally, the best time to start a college fund is when your child is born. With compound interest and regular investments made monthly or yearly, the funds have an opportunity to grow over a longer period of time, and you don't need to put aside as much each month or year to reach your savings goal.
On average, parents contribute almost three-quarters of those funds (34% of the total cost of college), while 13% of the total cost of college is the student's responsibility. Parental income is the predominant source of money set aside for college, used to pay for more than half of a student's attendance cost.
How do I save for college in 4 years?
- The Benefit to a Late Start Saving for College. ...
- Strategy #1: Starting a 529 plan late? ...
- Strategy #2: Apply for Scholarships During College (all 4 Years)
- Strategy #3: Shift Assets to Lower Your EFC.
- Strategy #4: Use this Painless Strategy to Save for College.
Kantrowitz recommends the one-third rule as a rough guide for how much parents should be saving: one-third of the cost of a four-year college education will come from parent's income and financial aid, one-third from savings and investments and one-third from student loans.
Fidelity recommends you multiply your child's age by $2,000 to figure out how much you should save. A tax-advantaged 529 plan can boost your college savings. The average 529 plan investor has more than $32,600 in their account when their scholar reaches age 17.
- Open a 529 plan.
- Put money into eligible savings bonds.
- Try a Coverdell Education Savings Account.
- Start a Roth IRA.
- Put money into a custodial account.
- Invest in mutual funds.
- Take out a permanent life insurance policy.
- Take out a home equity loan.
| Year | National Public 2-Year | National Public 4-Year In-State |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $12,850.00 | $22,180.00 |
| 2023 | $13,235.50 | $22,845.40 |
| 2024 | $13,632.57 | $23,530.76 |
| 2025 | $14,041.54 | $24,236.68 |
| Plan Name | Entry Age |
|---|---|
| HDFC SL Youngstar Super Premium Child Plan | Life option- 18/65 years Life & Health Option-18/55 years |
| ICICI Pru Smart Kid's Regular Premium | 20/54 years |
| Kotak Head start Child Assure Plan | 18/60 years |
| LIC – New Children's Money Back Plan | 0/12 years |
- Shift reportable assets into non-reportable assets.
- Reduce reportable assets by using them to pay down debt.
- Shift reportable assets from the student's name to the parent's name.
Although contributions are not deductible, earnings in a 529 plan grow federal tax-free and will not be taxed when the money is taken out to pay for college.
Unlike an IRA, contributions to a 529 plan are not deductible and therefore do not have to be reported on federal income tax returns. What's more, the investment earnings in your account are not reportable until the year they are withdrawn. 529 plans save taxpayers billions of dollars on their income taxes.
Earnings from 529 plans are not subject to federal tax and generally not subject to state tax when used for qualified education expenses such as tuition, fees, books, as well as room and board. The contributions made to the 529 plan, however, are not deductible.
Is saving 300 a month good?
Yes, saving $300 per month is good. Given an average 7% return per year, saving three hundred dollars per month for 35 years will end up being $500,000. However, with other strategies, you might reach 1 Million USD in 24 years by saving only $300 per month.
Beginning at age 18, you can become a millionaire at age 89 if you save $2,500 per year ($48 per week), achieve a 5 percent average rate of return, and pay a 28 percent federal tax rate and 3 percent state tax rate.
If you took an initial $100 investment and added $100 per month for 20 years, you would have about $77,000. Now, say you invested $100 per month for 25 years -- you would have approximately $134,000.
If parents have their first child at age 26, the best time to open a 529 plan would be between the ages of 25 and 34. Most 529 plans have very small or no initial contribution requirements, and there is no requirement to make monthly contributions. Parents can deposit as much as they want, whenever they want.
"Grandparents and noncustodial parents can save in a 529 that they own. They don't need to worry about giving up control over their savings or timing their payments to avoid negative financial aid implications."
No. Accounts in the Wealthfront 529 College Savings Plan can only have one owner. However, two people may fund a 529 account for the same beneficiary. For example, you can fund an account for your child as the beneficiary and your spouse can fund a separate 529 account for the same child.
With that in mind, an individual could make a lump-sum contribution of $75,000 today ($15,000 x 5) and, provided it's reported correctly on their tax return, avoid having it count towards their lifetime estate and gift tax exemption.
To be safe, limit your 529-plan withdrawals to your beneficiary's total qualified higher education expenses less $4,000. If you are not eligible for the American Opportunity Tax Credit but plan on claiming the Lifetime Learning Credit, the adjustment can be for as much as $10,000.
IRS rules for liquidating a 529 plan
To claim the loss, the 529 plan account had to be completely liquidated, and any non-qualified distributions would be subject to income tax and a 10% penalty on the earnings portion of the distribution.
If you truly have no other use for your leftover 529 plan savings, you can always take a non-qualified distribution. Your contributions will never be taxed or penalized, since they were made with after-tax dollars. Any earnings on your investments, however, will be subject to income tax and a 10% penalty.
What are the pros and cons of a 529 plan?
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Low maintenance | Limitations on state tax benefits |
| High contribution limits | No self-directed investments |
| Flexibility | Fees |
| Favorable financial aid treatment | Ownership rules |
Earnings in a 529 plan grow tax-free and are not taxed when they're withdrawn. This means that however much your money grows in a 529, you'll never have to pay taxes on it. You have complete control over the funds. Another benefit of using a 529 plan is that you, as the owner, have control of the funds.
That means effective for the 2024-2025 school year, grandparent-owned 529 accounts will no longer impact a student's eligibility to receive needs-based financial aid. 529 plans are generally considered the most effective way to save for education-related expenses.
However, you'll face a 529 tax penalty and a withdrawal penalty if you use a 529 plan distribution on non-qualified expenses. You'll have to pay income tax and a 529 withdrawal penalty of 10% on the earnings portion.
What does this mean for you? Choosing a 529 plan could mean a much lower monthly contribution since the money grows over time. With a 529 plan, a solid monthly contribution amount for a child born in 2022 would be about $140 for a public in-state school, $215 for public out-of-state, or $350 for a private university.
Most financial planners advise saving between 10% and 15% of your annual income. A savings goal of $500 amount a month amounts to 12% of your income, which is considered an appropriate amount for your income level.
Dave warns against using a 529 Plan that would freeze your options or automatically change your investments based on the age of your child. Stay away from so-called “fixed” or “life phase” plans. You want to stay in control of the mutual funds at all times.
