Not only is September back-to-school for kids in K-12, it’s also another big month for college savings too. Whether your kids are 6 months, 6 years, 16 years old — or somewhere in between — college saving is an important topic to review in September.

September is College Savings Month!

That’s right, back to school means one year closer to college.  So it’s not only the kids that should be hitting the books.  With tuition rising at a higher pace than housing, energy and healthcare you might be wondering how you and your kids will afford it.  Planning ahead and saving as early and often as possible are the best ways to prepare.

Today is the best time for families to sit down and learn the best options out there to save for college and increase the chances for a continued education after K-12.  The options can be overwhelming, but a popular choice for families is saving in a 529 plan which offer additional tax benefits.  Virginia is lucky to have four highly-ranked 529 programs and  is a great resource for families to learn more.

Submit your story of how you are Turning Dreams into Reality by using or saving with Virginia529 for a chance to win $2,529! Click here to learn more.

Virginia529.com allows families to focus on the value of saving for higher education and how to get started with four flexible, affordable and tax-advantaged programs!  Watch a variety of short introduction videos on each program, get registered for an upcoming webinar or talk face to face with a representative at a variety of events during the month of September to learn how and why to #startyoursavings with Virginia529.

There’s no better way to kick off another great school year and College Savings Month than to #startyoursavings with Virginia529!  All you need is $25 to open a new Virginia529 inVEST account at Virginia529.com when you use promo code EDUCATION.

Celebrate with the Flying Squirrels and VA529 on September 1, 2013!

Richmond Flying Squirrels Baseball

Virginia529 Night

The Diamond, Richmond, VA

12:30pm–2:05pm

VA529 is an advertiser on Richmondmom.com

American investors are increasingly seeking investment choices that complement their environmental and social consciences. According to the latest Report on Sustainable and Responsible Investing Trends in the United States, U.S. investments in funds that favor environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria grew to $3.3 trillion in 2011, an increase of nearly 30 percent from 2009.

Families saving for college can incorporate this focus into their college savings investing approach through the Socially Targeted Investment Portfolio offered by Virginia529 College Savings Plan (Virginia529). An option in the Virginia529 inVEST program, the portfolio currently invests exclusively in the Parnassus Equity Income Fund (symbol PRILX). Parnassus Investments, the investment management company responsible for the Fund, seeks to invest in businesses with sustainable competitive advantages that also respect the environment, have quality management teams and have ethical business practices.

Head on over to Virginia529.com to learn more about this socially responsible option which returned 20.83 percent for the one-year period ending March 31, 2013 and a three-year return of 11.92 percent.  Also, keep up with cool options like this and stay in the know about the most recent college savings news and trends by following Virginia529 on Facebook and Twitter too!

VA529 is an advertiser on Richmondmom.com