The other day, my daughter asked if we could go to the park “just for 5 minutes“? I had a ton of things to do and I almost immediately responded with a “not right now“. Then I stopped and thought about something…If she asks to go to the park, I should say “yes” because for all I know, it could be the last time she’ll ask. (*insert lump in throat).

they-grow-up-so-quicklyShe’s not getting any smaller and just turned 10! How did that happen? It seems like yesterday I was just rocking her to sleep every night in her nursery! Time goes by THAT fast!  Before I know it, she’ll be 17 and applying to colleges! Planning for your child’s future is something you can never start too soon, specifically their college career. To some, it may seem silly to think about planning so many years ahead for college, but the cost of college nowadays is no joke! The costs associated with attending college can be overwhelming on a family and student loans are definitely not something a recent college graduate wants to have follow them! Just look at the scary statistic about student loan debt on ScholarShare‘s image below! Yikes!

college-grad-debtScholarShare’s 529 College Savings Plan was created for the exact reason of helping alleviate some of these burdens of carrying debt for college students. If you haven’t heard of ScholarShare before, it’s California’s own 529 College Savings Plan. This state-sponsored program is a tax-advantaged investment, designed to help and encourage families to save for future qualified higher education expenses. The sooner you start saving, the more time it will have to grow. ScholarShare has no annual account management fee, no income limit and offers a high maximum account balance.

Here are a few additional facts about ScholarShare 529 Program:

  • Any U.S. citizen, or resident alien with a valid Social Security Number or Taxpayer Identification Number, can open a new account- For as little as a $25 monthly contribution,
  • Anyone can contribute to a 529 account- Through ScholarShare’s “Give a Gift” option, family members, such as parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and even friends, can make a gift contribution to an existing account. When they are looking to give a special gift to your child, why not suggest they contribute towards their 529 account?Did you know family members can even open a new account in your child’s name and contribute towards it over the years?
  • A ScholarShare 529 account has tax advantages- ScholarShare offers a diverse set of investment options and provides tax-deferred growth and withdrawals free from state and federal taxes when the funds are used for qualified higher education expenses. (such as tuition and fees, books or even certain room and board costs)

double-your-contributionOn May 29 (5/29), ScholarShare is having a 529 Day Matching Promotion, “You Start It, We Match It.”  In celebration of National 529 Day, if you open a ScholarShare 529 College Savings Account on Friday, May 29, 2015 from 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. PT, ScholarShare will match $50 of the initial deposit, which means your account will now start with $100 balance! If you don’t already have a ScholarShare 529 Account, this is the perfect day to start an account for your child(ren).

In order to be eligible for this matching promotion, you’ll need to:

  • Open a new ScholarShare College Savings Plan with an initial deposit of at least $50 (to be contributed and invested at the time the new account is opened.)
  • Enroll in the automatic contribution plan (ACP) for the new account with at least a $25 contribution per month.
  • The terms of this promotion also state that the initial deposit be made on Friday, May 29, 2015 between 12:01 a.m. to 11;59 p.m. PT.

Like I said before, time isn’t slowing down but rather, it’s doing the opposite. Starting a ScholarShare 529 College is so easy and you can even create your account online here. Then you can watch your initial $50 deposit transform into $100! That sounds like an opportunity that should not be passed up!

For more information about ScholarShare, click here. Connect with ScholarShare on Facebook and Twitter.

 

This is a sponsored post on behalf of ScholarShare for which I received compensation. All opinions are 100% my own.

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