Odds are, it’s not just retirement worries that are keeping your clients up at night. Saving for college and helping their children pay for higher education has quickly moved into the second spot of financial needs for many investors. And there’s a good reason for that.

Costs to attend both state and private universities have only skyrocketed higher – with college costs at a four-year public university jumping by about 14% annually since 2010. At this rate, a newborn will have to spend about $225,000 to attend college when they’re ready. No wonder student debt has exploded in recent years. The average student ends college with a debt balance of roughly $40,000.

It’s here though that financial advisors can plan a unique role in ending the debt cycle and helping their clients defray the exploding costs of higher education.

529 plans are one of the best ways to save for college. But they can be tricky to navigate. There are plenty of pitfalls, rules, tax and estate planning implications to the savings vehicle. Not to mention the sheer number of plans available and the actual concept of building out a correct allocation for each saver. It’s here that advisors have the ability to shine and use 529 plans to benefit their clients.

As an investor, you can pick mutual funds in your 529 plans. Click here to learn more about mutual funds.

Advisors Can Add Significant Value to 529 Plans

On the surface, 529 plans look like a simple savings vehicle. Savers place money in the account and use it for college tax-free. But they are a bit more complex than that. Every 529 plan is different and some states offer several options that have direct consequences for the saver. Choosing correctly is key.

Take tax advantages for example. One of the beauties of 529 plans is that they allow investors some tax deductions when it comes to state taxes. However, these tax deductions vary by state. And while on the surface, it makes sense to choose the state of residence for the plan, that may not be the best choice in all situations. Where a family business is domiciled could affect the choice or high fees/costs may simply counteract any tax benefit. An advisor can help make the choice easier.

Likewise, when it comes to withdrawals from a plan, 529s can be complex. There are very distinct rules on what does and doesn’t count for qualified withdrawals. And those rules seem to be forever changing. There can be catastrophic tax penalties if a client gets it wrong when junior steps off to university. An advisor can play a unique role in helping time withdrawals and offer other planning/savings options for non-qualified expenses.

Then there is the estate planning potential of 529 plans as well. Thanks to “pack and stack” and front-loading strategies combined with the ability to change custodians and beneficiaries, 529 plans can be used to tax-defer assets for the long haul. Meanwhile, assets in 529 plans can potentially be excluded from estate taxes. This can be a huge advantage for high-net-worth clients and grandparents looking to leave a legacy. Advisors can be a critical step in navigating these waters.

Finally, advisors have the ability to build custom portfolios for their clients. Many advisor-sold 529 plans offer options not available in direct plans. Advisors can add additional value by building/creating portfolios designed to work with specific clients and situations. Moreover, some advisor-sold plans offer lower cost structures than direct plans.

Helping You & Your Clients Navigate the 529 Plan Waters

With the importance of saving for college ranking as high as saving for retirement for many parents, the need for adding a 529 plan to your investment mix is critical. Advisors can serve as a powerful role in this conversation and add plenty of additional benefits to the conversation.

This is where 529s.com aims to help. We plan on building out a one-stop hub for advisors looking to add the plans to their practice. Here, we’ll have new tools to help screen, compare and analyze investment options as well as the latest data on all the advisor-sold plans and the investment options within those plans. Additionally, we’ll keep advisors abreast of the latest regulatory changes and any news affecting 529 plans, their taxes, and estate planning potential. Finally, we’ll offer both practice and portfolio management content designed for advisors to make the most out of 529 plans for their clients and underlying advisory business.

The Bottom Line

College costs keep rising, and paying for secondary education has become a chief concern for many families. Advisors can play a unique role in this niche by offering 529 plan services in their practice. However, navigating the wide world of these plans can be tricky. Getting the education on their ins and outs is vital, and 529s.com is ready to take up the task.

Don’t forget to check the Financial Advisor Center at MutualFunds.com where you can find different ways to manage your practice successfully.