Savingforcollege.com has recently expanded its suite of financial calculators in order to better serve families who are saving for college. The leading authority on 529 college savings plans now offers a UGMA/UTMA 529 Conversion Calculator in addition to several other college savings and financial aid calculators currently available to visitors.

Pittsford, NY -- (ReleaseWire) -- 01/31/2014 -- In its role of providing valuable tools and resources to families who are saving for college, leading college savings authority Savingforcollege.com has recently announced the addition of a new calculator to its current offering of college savings and financial aid calculators. The UGMA/UTMA 529 Conversion Calculator, available for free to any Savingforcollege.com visitor, helps parents decide whether or not a conversion of assets from an existing UGMA/UTMA account to a 529 college savings plan is advantageous for federal tax purposes. The Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA) and the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) are types of custodial accounts that are set up by an adult on behalf of a minor. The calculator takes into account some of the more complex rules and tax consequences associated with UGMA/UTMA rollovers, including the "kiddie tax". Upon entering information relating to their UGMA/UTMA assets, calculator users will be directed to results depicting how much money each conversion scenario would make available to pay for college. The calculator also generates a comprehensive PDF report that users can elect to receive by email.

"The new calculator will be of great help to parents that have already established UGMA or UTMA accounts for their children and wonder about the possible tax benefits of moving those assets to a 529 plan," said Joe Hurley, founder of Savingforcollege.com. "But we remind them that other factors, including the child's financial aid status, can also influence that decision."

Savingforcollege.com's tools and calculators, including the UGMA/UTMA 529 Conversion Calculator, are available for licensed use on individual websites. They can be customized to match the look and feel of the designated website and to include any required disclaimers. Please contact Savingforcollege.com for more licensing information.

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529 college savings plans from Alaska, West Virginia, and Nevada garnered top spots in Savingforcollege.com's Quarterly 529 Plan Performance Rankings for investment performance through September 30, 2013.

Pittsford, NY -- (ReleaseWire) -- 11/20/2013 -- College-savings plans managed by T. Rowe Price for the state of Alaska placed among the top ten direct-sold 529 plans for investment performance through September 30, 2013 over all measuring periods -- one, three, five, and ten years -- according to Savingforcollege.com's newly-released 529 Plan Composite Performance Rankings. This included the top spot in both the three-year and ten-year categories.

West Virginia's SMART529 Select 529 plan, which invests in DFA funds, placed first for one-year investment performance, while Nevada's USAA 529 College Savings Plan, which invests in USAA funds, was best for five-year performance.

Alaska offers two 529 savings plans, the University of Alaska College Savings Plan and the T. Rowe Price College Savings Plan. The only substantive difference between them is that the University of Alaska College Savings Plan includes the "ACT" option, a balanced portfolio guaranteed to keep pace with tuition increases at the University of Alaska (UA) for plan beneficiaries who end up at UA. The plans can be purchased by Alaska residents and non-residents alike.

In producing its quarterly rankings, Savingforcollege.com compares the reported investment performance of a subset of portfolios from 529 savings plans in every state. Portfolios are selected based on their mix of stocks, bonds, and money-market funds, aiming for an apples-to-apples comparison in seven different asset-allocation categories.

"The remarkable aspect of Alaska's 529 plans is that they do not rely entirely on index funds like many other direct-sold 529 plans," remarked Joe Hurley, founder of Savingforcollege.com. "It demonstrates that active investment management, even with its higher costs, can effectively compete with passive index funds."

Hurley cautions, however, that past performance does not guarantee future returns, and that a plan currently ranking high will not necessarily outperform its peers in the future. "A number of different investment managers and investment styles are represented in our top-ten lists," he said.

The full reports showing rankings for all direct-sold 529 plans can be viewed at http://www.savingforcollege.com/articles/2013-plan-performance-rankings-q3. Savingforcollege.com also produces, for its premium subscribers, separate rankings for advisor-sold 529 plans and for RIA-channel 529 plans, along with the investment data and scoring used in all ranking reports. Rankings are updated each quarter.

One-year Composite Performance Rankings (53 plans ranked)
1. West Virginia: SMART529 Select (DFA funds)
2. New Jersey: NJBEST 529 College Savings Program (mostly Franklin Templeton funds)
3. California: The ScholarShare College Savings Plan (multiple fund families)
4. District of Columbia: DC 529 College Savings Program (Direct-sold) (Calvert funds)
5. Utah: Utah Educational Savings Plan (UESP) Trust (mostly Vanguard funds)
6. West Virginia: SMART529 WV Direct (mostly Hartford Funds)
7. Maryland: College Savings Plans of Maryland – College Investment Plan (T. Rowe Price funds)
8. Maine: NextGenCollege Investing Plan - Client Direct Series (multiple fund families)
9. Alaska: University of Alaska College Savings Plan (T. Rowe Price funds)
10. Kansas: Schwab 529 College Savings Plan (multiple fund families)

Three-year Composite Performance Rankings (45 plans ranked)
1. Alaska: University of Alaska College Savings Plan (T. Rowe Price funds)
2. Alaska: T. Rowe Price College Savings Plan (T. Rowe Price funds)
3. New York: New York's 529 College Savings Program – Direct Plan (Vanguard funds)
4. District of Columbia: DC 529 College Savings Program (Direct-sold) (Calvert funds)
5. Utah: Utah Educational Savings Plan (UESP) Trust (mostly Vanguard funds)
6. Maine: NextGenCollege Investing Plan - Client Direct Series (multiple fund families)
7. South Dakota: CollegeAccess529 (Direct-sold) (multiple fund families)
8. Florida: Florida 529 Savings Plan (multiple money managers)
9. South Carolina: Future Scholar 529 College Savings Plan (Direct-sold) (multiple fund families)
10. Maryland: College Savings Plans of Maryland – College Investment Plan (T. Rowe Price funds)

Five-year Composite Performance Rankings (43 plans ranked)
1. Nevada: USAA 529 College Savings Plan (USAA funds)
2. Alaska: University of Alaska College Savings Plan (T. Rowe Price funds)
3. Utah: Utah Educational Savings Plan (UESP) Trust (mostly Vanguard funds)
4. Alaska: T. Rowe Price College Savings Plan (T. Rowe Price funds)
5. Maryland: College Savings Plans of Maryland – College Investment Plan (T. Rowe Price funds)
6. New York: New York's 529 College Savings Program – Direct Plan (Vanguard funds)
7. Kansas: Schwab 529 College Savings Plan (multiple fund families)
8. Florida: Florida 529 Savings Plan (multiple money managers)
9. South Dakota: CollegeAccess529 (Direct-sold) (multiple fund families)
10. Michigan: Michigan Education Savings Program (TIAA-CREF funds)

Ten-year Composite Performance Rankings (20 plans ranked)
1. Alaska: T. Rowe Price College Savings Plan (T. Rowe Price funds)
2. Utah: Utah Educational Savings Plan (UESP) Trust (mostly Vanguard funds)
3. Alaska: University of Alaska College Savings Plan (T. Rowe Price funds)
4. Maryland: College Savings Plans of Maryland – College Investment Plan (T. Rowe Price funds)
5. Kansas: Schwab 529 College Savings Plan (multiple fund families)
6. Virginia: Virginia529 inVEST (multiple managers and fund families)
7. Louisiana: START Saving Program (mostly Vanguard funds)
8. Nevada: USAA 529 College Savings Plan (USAA funds)
9. West Virginia: SMART529 WV Direct (mostly Hartford Funds)
10. South Carolina: Future Scholar 529 College Savings Plan (Direct-sold) (multiple fund families)

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An online poll released by college savings website Savingforcollege.com showed that 69% of respondents see value in achieving a 4-year college degree, despite rising college costs and increasing student debt.

Pittsford, NY -- (ReleaseWire) -- 07/01/2013 -- Many families faced with the burden of increasing college costs and sizable student loans still feel a 4-year college degree is worth the time and money necessary to achieve it, according to an online poll at Savingforcollege.com, the leading independent resource and authority on 529 plans.

When visitors to college-savings plan website Savingforcollege.com were asked to consider a 4-year degree that costs $100,000 (including loans), 69% expressed confidence there would be net value in the degree.

- 39% of those surveyed indicated that a degree is probably worth the time and money required, as it increases one's chances of securing a good job.
- 30% responded that a degree is "most definitely" worth it, whether or not it leads directly to a job.
- 23% responded that a degree is not worth it, as the time and money could be better spent elsewhere.

"As college costs continue to rise and student debt becomes more of a problem, the debate surrounding the value of a degree is intensifying," said Joseph Hurley, founder of Savingforcollege.com. "Any shift in families' opinions will significantly impact the future of higher education in America."

Savingforcollege.com encourages familes to utilize tax-efficient strategies, including 529 plans, to prepare financially for college and reduce debt burdens. The website provides unbiased information to families and financial professionals, including details on every 529 plan along with comparison tools and reports.

Online poll results are based on responses received from 330 website visitors through June 17, 2013.

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