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(November 24, 2020) - We are in the home stretch of a wild and chaotic 2020. Soon we will gather for the holidays with family and friends, amid one of the most challenging times of our lives. Although many things look and feel harder this year, shopping for the holidays doesn’t have to be. Try a new gift giving approach this year. Your children or grandchildren will be pursuing higher education before you know it. Consider giving the gift of education. Open a 529 account or add to an existing account with Washington College Savings plans (WA529).

(November 13, 2020) - WA529 Director Luke Minor chatted by phone with Star 101.5 radio personality Kent Phillips.

They talked about the new enrollment year for GET, key differences between GET and DreamAhead, and common misconceptions about 529s.

Listen to the interview

(October 9, 2020) - Our daily lives are changing in ways we could not have imagined at the start of 2020, yet some things remain the same. Fall has arrived, leaves are changing colors, the air is cooler and we are pulling out our cozy clothes. We are buying our favorite hot drinks and wondering what family holidays will look like this year. Our family gatherings might be smaller or traditions modified, but the comfort food will be the same. (I can smell turkey dinner now!)

(September 1, 2020) - It’s September, and in a routine world, that means students are heading back to school. But as we’re all aware, in the age of COVID-19, this is no routine world.

Many school districts and college campuses have altered their plans for student attendance, going “virtual” because of the Coronavirus pandemic. Some are still standing by the traditional face-to-face classroom model.

(June 19, 2020) - Over the last few months, nearly every aspect of our everyday lives and societal norms seems to have been turned upside down and stomped on. I think it’s safe to say that 2020 is a year most of us may want to forget as soon as possible – but will likely remember for a long time.

Learn the differences between WA529’s GET program and DreamAhead Plan from Director Luke Minor.

Originally printed in U.S. News

Yet another item to add to the to-do list this time of year: Taxes. Just the word alone can make you want to grind your teeth. You’ll ask yourself when you’re going to do them 100 times before they actually get done. But you should also be asking yourself another question. If I get a refund, what should I use it for?

The tendency is to want to spend it on a vacation, toy or gadget or maybe a new wardrobe. Maybe you even decide to “do the smart thing” and save it.  But what for? A rainy day? Retirement? Christmas fund?

Being a parent, you know the two major priorities for your child are to protect and provide for them. It is hard enough to do so in the here and now. Worrying about the future can almost feel like too much to ponder. With your focus on ‘What to have for dinner tonight’ it leaves little room for ‘Where will we get the money to send our child to college?’ But before you know it, this future concern will be knocking on your front door.