Et cetera : Celebrate College Savings Month Register to win $5,290

Celebrate College Savings Month with College Savings Iowa and Register to Win a $5,290 College Savings Iowa Account!

For families already busy juggling the demands of work and home, college planning may be the last thing on your mind. However, with the cost of a higher education rising faster than inflation, nearly every family will face the question of how to pay for it when the time comes. Thankfully, the answer is quite simple – start saving today. By starting early, saving regularly and making smart investment choices, families can make their savings work for them and College Savings Iowa is here to help.

To get a jump start on helping your loved ones start saving for college, celebrate College Savings Month with us. College Savings Month is a national campaign to help bring attention to the fact that saving for college is one of the most significant things families can do for their children. As a way to help families start saving, we are celebrating by giving away a $5,290 College Savings Iowa account. For more information and to enter the giveaway, please visit collegesavingsiowa.com any time before November 30.

While any form of saving for college is better than not saving at all, there are additional benefits to using a 529 plan like College Savings Iowa. Administered by the state treasurer's office, College Savings Iowa offers multiple investment choices, including four age-based options that take into account the child's age and the account owner's tolerance for risk. As the beneficiary nears college age, the assets are automatically shifted to more conservative portfolios. This allows you to reduce the market risk before you begin making withdrawals for college expenses.

In addition, 529 plans offer significant federal and state tax benefits to help grow your savings even more. Contributions and earnings grow free of federal and Iowa state income taxes while invested and remain tax-free when used to pay for qualified higher education expenses at any eligible college, university, community college or accredited technical training school in the United States or abroad.* College Savings Iowa sweetens the deal by allowing Iowa tax payers to deduct up to $3,045 in contributions per beneficiary account from their 2013 adjusted gross income.**

By starting early, saving a little at a time and making smart investment choices, families can make their savings work for them. Start saving today and help make college a reality for a child in your life – you'll be glad you did! To learn more about College Savings Iowa, visit collegesavingsiowa.com or call 888-672-9116.