The Hadley Blog

Colorado pays on both sides of the 529 equation: families get a generous state tax deduction (plus $121 and matching for newborns!), and employers earn a 20% credit for matching employee contributions. The numbers, with examples.

The 2026 rules let families use a 529 for up to $20,000 a year of K-12 costs—tuition, tutoring, books, and test prep. Here's how it works, plus why you still come out ahead even in the states that recapture the deduction.

How 529 employee benefits actually work — five options demystified (payroll deductions, employer matching, etc.), the tax mechanics behind them, and financial examples you can tailor to your firm.

Open a 529 plan and you're asked to name two people: an account owner and a beneficiary. Here's the plain-English version of who's who, why it matters, and how to contribute to a 529 on Hadley whether you own it, a relative owns it, or a friend has linked theirs.

Alaska's 529 plan offers one of the most structurally generous 529 setups in the country—and most of it works for non-Alaskans too. Learn about its top-tier direct-sold plan, unique tuition-inflation hedge, easy contribution mechanism through the state's PFD dividend program, and generous rule that converts ANY out-of-state account holder into an in-state student for UA tuition purposes.

Learn how to maximize 529 tax benefits using per-beneficiary state deductions, extra family accounts, and smart gifting strategies with Hadley.

529 plans can pay for foreign universities tax-free—but only at the 400+ schools on the U.S. Department of Education's Title IV list. Here's how to check the list, what's covered, and what happens if your kid's school isn't on it.

Florida has no state income tax, two state-administered 529 plans, and the country's only state-backed prepaid tuition guarantee. We break down both Florida 529 plans, how Bright Futures stacks, and run the math for three real Florida families.

An employer-sponsored 529 benefit attracts parent-heavy talent, reduces the financial stress that drains employee productivity, and signals long-term commitment that few other benefits can. Here's why HR leaders are quietly making it a top-tier benefit for 2027 and beyond.

Vermont offers one of the most generous 529 tax benefits in the country: a 10% tax credit worth up to $250 per beneficiary. Here's what Green Mountain State families need to know about VT529.

With 50+ plans to choose from, picking the right 529 can feel overwhelming. This guide breaks down the factors that actually matter—state tax breaks, fees, investment options, and ratings—so you can choose with confidence.

Texas sponsors three 529 plans but has no state income tax and offers zero state tax deductions. That's actually a superpower. Here's why — plus real-family examples with real dollar savings.

Leftover 529 money isn't stuck. Since 2024, it can be rolled into a Roth IRA, tax-free and penalty-free. Here's how the 529-to-Roth rollover works, when to use it, and whether to plan around it.

Five 529 plan managers have recently cut fees or swapped to lower-cost funds. Here's who trimmed what, how much families stand to save, and why even a fraction of a percent matters over 18 years of tax-free compounding.

Explore the ins and outs of California 529 policy with our deep dive into the Golden State's unique 529 landscape.

If you’re a parent of a young child in 2026, you’ve probably heard the buzz about Trump accounts—the new tax-advantaged savings accounts for kids created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. A $1,000 government deposit for your newborn! Tax-advantaged growth from day one! The headlines are exciting. But if you’re already familiar with 529 plans—or if you’re wondering whether a Trump account replaces a 529—the short answer is: these are fundamentally different accounts, designed

It looks like 529 savings are about to expand, again, and this time it's set to expand into covering childcare costs, allowing parents and other family members to use 529 savings for child care costs for children under five years old at state-licensed childcare facilities. These accounts would have no cap on contributions or balances used for childcare expenses. This is on top of what 529 savings can already be used for: today, children and adults alike can already use 529 sa

Welcome to a new series here on The ABCs on 529s: State Deep Dives. In each installment, we'll zero in on a single state and walk through—in our usual obsessive detail—exactly what 529 plan benefits are available to its residents. We'll cover state tax deductions (or the lack thereof), federal benefits, quirky state-specific considerations, and real-family examples with real numbers. Our goal is to be the single most useful 529 resource for residents of every state in America

A few weeks ago, we published a deep dive into state-level 529 tax deductions and credits — the patchwork quilt of incentives that ranges from generous (hello, New Mexico, with your unlimited deduction) to nonexistent (looking at you, California). Today we're zooming out to the federal level, where the real heavy lifting happens. If state deductions are the cherry on top, federal tax-free growth is the entire sundae—and with recent changes, from the SECURE 2.0 Act and the One

There are seemingly a bajillion ways to save for education—and nearly as many opinions about which one is best. Taxable accounts, Roth IRAs, custodial accounts, Coverdells, 529s—researching the options can feel overwhelming, especially when you're already juggling everything else that comes with planning for a child's future, or your own. We're here to help you cut through the noise. In this post, we'll break down each of the major education savings options, weigh their pros