States that Come Close to the 5-Cap Rating with 529 Plans

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States that Come Close to the 5-Cap Rating with 529 Plans

As your looking at plans, it’s a good idea to know about the states that come close to 5-cap rating with 529 plans. Let’s face it, the smartest thing you can do is pick the very best plans for your money. Ratings are assigned to each states program ranging from 1-cap (not very attractive) to 5-caps. The cap system is based upon opinion and is not a formula. Different people might weigh these items differently. Case in point, some plans have different age requirements that affect their ratings. If your child meets these age requirements, this would be a non-issue.

The cap rating system prefers 529 plans that are flexible. You want a plan that easy rolls over to other state plans with no penalties and gives you freedom to change beneficiaries. It’s best to be able to have high maximums and low minimums with wide eligibility for owners and beneficiaries.

When it comes to liquidity and availability, you want to be able to use the account immediately for college expenses. It needs to be easy to deposit and withdraw from the account. Also, the ability to take out monies for items other than education without the account being closed is important.

To score high caps, the owner should be in control of the account. This means their ownership rights include being able to transfer ownership at any time and be able to name a new beneficiary in case of death.

The states that score the most caps back up their programs with additional state level benefits. In these states, there are things like state tax deductions for contributions and exemption for college used earnings. You may find exclusion of 529 accounts when you are applying for state financial aid. And of course, some states offer some great extra perks like loan programs and matching grants.

Another important scoring point is the state’s approach to investments and safety. The name of the game is lots of choices. It’s great to find well-designed investment plans and high rated portfolios. Low fees and expenses as well as age-based discounts on pre-paid tuition are key. The 5-cap states guarantee of pre-paid tuition contracts and downside investment protection.

Program resources need to have thorough and complete program materials including web site access. Having a call center is not enough; you need people there that are excited and knowledgeable about 529 plans. Finally, the cap ratings prefer successful efforts to gain favor from the IRS regarding status as a 529 plan.

The 5-cap rating is not based solely on historical returns. It does not predict the risk levels or predict future investment performance or how solvent the program funds are. This is just a measure of how useful the state’s 529 plan is based on the discussed factors. The 5-cap programs offer great flexibility, attractive investments and benefits such as state tax breaks. These factors can add volume to your savings. In the 5-cap program, you will find very few weaknesses. Even a program rated 3-cap offers some very good benefits but may have some concerns that you need to research.

Now that you are refreshed on the positive aspects of the 5-cap rating, which states come close? The eight having plans for residents that are rated 5-cap are Alaska, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah and Virginia. Honorable mention should go to the 4-½ cap states of Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont West Virginia and Wisconsin. Now that you know which states come close to the 5-cap rating with 529 plans, perhaps you can invest with just a bit more wisdom.

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