Route 529: A Parent's Guide to Saving for College and Career Training with 529 Plans

OUTSTANDING BOOK!! If you have children and are, even remotely, considering the possibility that they might go to college, then this book is a must read. The focus is 529 plans but you can use this book to become to develop a budget to save for college, however those savings might look. The author is a Mom who has a child and she walks you through it all step by step sharing the vast arsenal of knowledge that she has developed over her lifetime. The author really makes it manageable and achievable. She breaks it down step by step and with each chapter she gives you insights into the stories that she has come across as well as stories from her own life. I highly recommend this book. I run a financial services business and i can assure that this book will now be sitting on my bookshelf of reference books, and I have a feeling it will get a lot of use!!

Author and 529 industry expert, Patricia Roberts’ “Route 529” provides a great road map to help families traverse the winding road of saving for a child’s education as well as tips and tricks for preparing for this momentous occasion. It’s a very approachable read that gives perspective/tips on how to break down a big goal, like saving for college, into smaller achievable steps. And it provides a road map for your journey. Route 529 will give you some great insights from the “Stories from the Road” & “A Peek into My Journey” through real life stories and experiences from parents about their journey. Each Chapter provides valuable “Key Take-Aways” to help keep you on track with your journey. I also love the fun and inspirational quotes that are peppered throughout the book. I highly recommend this book!

I had no idea how versatile 529 college savings plans could be and how little money it takes to get started saving with them — often just $25 or less! I learned they are not just for traditional college and can be also be used at vocational schools, community colleges and so on across the US (with some international schools as well). I also learned that my extended family can contribute to an account I set up for my child and that even my employer can contribute too to help me save more — like with other benefits at work. I also learned that if one child doesn’t need what I saved, I can use the account for another child or family member — even myself! The information in this book is presented in easy-to-understand terms and there are really terrific examples about how to set yourself up for success when saving for long-term goals like education after high school. I feel I now have all the details I need to get started by opening an account and I am going to tell others about Route 529. All my questions from the past have been answered. This is information I really needed.

As a parent of two children under the age of 6, I am relieved to find such a useful source of information about how to save for college. This book has everything you need to know about 529 plans including the wonderful tax advantages and the many different ways these accounts can be used. The fact that this book is written by a mom who has saved for her own son (who is now a college student) makes it very relatable. The author has a way of making the steps easy to follow and very understandable. She gives really practical suggestions about how to cut back on expenses in order to save more and she offers a lot of encouragement. This book will be a great resource for anyone who is wanting to save a little at a time for a child's future. Now that I've found Route 529, I'm going to give it as a baby shower gift to friends who are expecting. It will help them to know how easy it is to set up a 529 account and how easy it is for their friends and family members to contribute to the account once it is opened. In fact, I learned that parents-to-be can even set up an account before the baby arrives. Route 529 will definitely help families with children of all ages plan for the future.

As a mom of two kids trying to understand the world of saving for college, this book was just what I needed. It is an easy to read book with great recaps at the end of each chapter and great advice on how to save for college at every age. The help with how to get my extended family and even my employer to start contributing was very useful to know, a long with so many great tips on saving a little so it will add up to a lot. This is a great resource for any parent planning their children's future. I expect I will be reviewing this book often over the next 16 years.

If you have kids, grandchildren or other loved ones who may seek higher education, you need this book. Part 529 primer, part motivational guidance, Route 529 makes it easy to navigate the otherwise complex topic of saving for college. The author shares some of her own personal insights and provides numerous tips for saving, even when saving is difficult. Whether you’re just getting started, or you’re already halfway down this road, this book will help you make the right decisions.

I highly recommend this book for anyone with a child under 18! It starts by explaining what these savings accounts are, tells you how to open one, gives tips and tricks for saving as much as possible, provides examples of different methods of savings (benefits and drawbacks) and even warns of potential pitfalls. It is very thorough and extremely helpful. As someone who is just starting to save for college, this is exactly the book I needed!!

This book tells you how to have college completely paid for without the stress of the college student graduating with debt to pay. Many college students today graduate with the burden of $100,000 - $200,000 of debt. The solutions the Author provides in this book will eliminate that debt from occurring. She provides a step-by-step guideline; she gives a debrief of the important points stated at the end of each chapter called Key Take-Aways. I especially enjoyed the cost-cutting daily savings slide. You won’t believe how much you can save with $2.50 a day for 15 years. When I graduated, I remember my Dad telling me that if I would just put $10 a week in savings, I wouldn’t have to work at age 40. This cutting cost slide reminded me of his statement. I didn’t do it. This book gives you tips to hold yourself accountable. You’ll be glad you now have a financial solution that will work.

Absolutely fantastic! This book captured my attention from the very first page! It is full of amazing tips that are easy to implement in your own life. I'm a mother of a 1.5 year old and have another baby on the way. It's nice to have a resource I can trust to help set up children up for financial success in the future. I highly recommend this book for any parent who is looking to save money the smart way for their children! It will be well worth your time!

“Route 529” is the most accessible guide to saving for higher education I’ve yet found. Patricia Roberts writes with a warmth and empathy few others before her have matched when dealing with this important topic, or personal finance in general. Not only has she made saving for college her life’s calling, she’s lived the process on both ends — digging out of her own student debt, and successfully helping her own child avoid student debt of his own through the use of 529 Plans. In this way, it’s comforting knowing the advice she dispenses along “Route 529” has been qualified through direct, personal experience. I highly recommend this book to parents, grandparents, or anyone saving for loved ones in their life of any age. With the right mindset, it’s never too late to start and make a difference with 529 Plans.

OUTSTANDING BOOK!! If you have children and are, even remotely, considering the possibility that they might go to college, then this book is a must read. The focus is 529 plans but you can use this book to become to develop a budget to save for college, however those savings might look. The author is a Mom who has a child and she walks you through it all step by step sharing the vast arsenal of knowledge that she has developed over her lifetime. The author really makes it manageable and achievable. She breaks it down step by step and with each chapter she gives you insights into the stories that she has come across as well as stories from her own life. I highly recommend this book. I run a financial services business and i can assure that this book will now be sitting on my bookshelf of reference books, and I have a feeling it will get a lot of use!!

Author and 529 industry expert, Patricia Roberts’ “Route 529” provides a great road map to help families traverse the winding road of saving for a child’s education as well as tips and tricks for preparing for this momentous occasion. It’s a very approachable read that gives perspective/tips on how to break down a big goal, like saving for college, into smaller achievable steps. And it provides a road map for your journey. Route 529 will give you some great insights from the “Stories from the Road” & “A Peek into My Journey” through real life stories and experiences from parents about their journey. Each Chapter provides valuable “Key Take-Aways” to help keep you on track with your journey. I also love the fun and inspirational quotes that are peppered throughout the book. I highly recommend this book!

I had no idea how versatile 529 college savings plans could be and how little money it takes to get started saving with them — often just $25 or less! I learned they are not just for traditional college and can be also be used at vocational schools, community colleges and so on across the US (with some international schools as well). I also learned that my extended family can contribute to an account I set up for my child and that even my employer can contribute too to help me save more — like with other benefits at work. I also learned that if one child doesn’t need what I saved, I can use the account for another child or family member — even myself! The information in this book is presented in easy-to-understand terms and there are really terrific examples about how to set yourself up for success when saving for long-term goals like education after high school. I feel I now have all the details I need to get started by opening an account and I am going to tell others about Route 529. All my questions from the past have been answered. This is information I really needed.

As a parent of two children under the age of 6, I am relieved to find such a useful source of information about how to save for college. This book has everything you need to know about 529 plans including the wonderful tax advantages and the many different ways these accounts can be used. The fact that this book is written by a mom who has saved for her own son (who is now a college student) makes it very relatable. The author has a way of making the steps easy to follow and very understandable. She gives really practical suggestions about how to cut back on expenses in order to save more and she offers a lot of encouragement. This book will be a great resource for anyone who is wanting to save a little at a time for a child's future. Now that I've found Route 529, I'm going to give it as a baby shower gift to friends who are expecting. It will help them to know how easy it is to set up a 529 account and how easy it is for their friends and family members to contribute to the account once it is opened. In fact, I learned that parents-to-be can even set up an account before the baby arrives. Route 529 will definitely help families with children of all ages plan for the future.

As a mom of two kids trying to understand the world of saving for college, this book was just what I needed. It is an easy to read book with great recaps at the end of each chapter and great advice on how to save for college at every age. The help with how to get my extended family and even my employer to start contributing was very useful to know, a long with so many great tips on saving a little so it will add up to a lot. This is a great resource for any parent planning their children's future. I expect I will be reviewing this book often over the next 16 years.

If you have kids, grandchildren or other loved ones who may seek higher education, you need this book. Part 529 primer, part motivational guidance, Route 529 makes it easy to navigate the otherwise complex topic of saving for college. The author shares some of her own personal insights and provides numerous tips for saving, even when saving is difficult. Whether you’re just getting started, or you’re already halfway down this road, this book will help you make the right decisions.

I highly recommend this book for anyone with a child under 18! It starts by explaining what these savings accounts are, tells you how to open one, gives tips and tricks for saving as much as possible, provides examples of different methods of savings (benefits and drawbacks) and even warns of potential pitfalls. It is very thorough and extremely helpful. As someone who is just starting to save for college, this is exactly the book I needed!!

This book tells you how to have college completely paid for without the stress of the college student graduating with debt to pay. Many college students today graduate with the burden of $100,000 - $200,000 of debt. The solutions the Author provides in this book will eliminate that debt from occurring. She provides a step-by-step guideline; she gives a debrief of the important points stated at the end of each chapter called Key Take-Aways. I especially enjoyed the cost-cutting daily savings slide. You won’t believe how much you can save with $2.50 a day for 15 years. When I graduated, I remember my Dad telling me that if I would just put $10 a week in savings, I wouldn’t have to work at age 40. This cutting cost slide reminded me of his statement. I didn’t do it. This book gives you tips to hold yourself accountable. You’ll be glad you now have a financial solution that will work.

Absolutely fantastic! This book captured my attention from the very first page! It is full of amazing tips that are easy to implement in your own life. I'm a mother of a 1.5 year old and have another baby on the way. It's nice to have a resource I can trust to help set up children up for financial success in the future. I highly recommend this book for any parent who is looking to save money the smart way for their children! It will be well worth your time!

“Route 529” is the most accessible guide to saving for higher education I’ve yet found. Patricia Roberts writes with a warmth and empathy few others before her have matched when dealing with this important topic, or personal finance in general. Not only has she made saving for college her life’s calling, she’s lived the process on both ends — digging out of her own student debt, and successfully helping her own child avoid student debt of his own through the use of 529 Plans. In this way, it’s comforting knowing the advice she dispenses along “Route 529” has been qualified through direct, personal experience. I highly recommend this book to parents, grandparents, or anyone saving for loved ones in their life of any age. With the right mindset, it’s never too late to start and make a difference with 529 Plans.

This book helps demystify 529 Saving Plans and provides a clear road map to saving money for college. It's comprehensive but not overly technical, so it's easy to read. The process of saving money can seem overwhelming, so this guide is invaluable because it provides step by step guidance to follow. It also provides inspiring examples of how parents can successfully save for college by making small, smart decisions over time. Highly recommended!

As a mom of four young kids, this book could not have been more timely. While we prioritized retirement and getting a savings into place, we have not yet started saving for college. This book answered all of my questions, and I feel like I am now ready to move forward with this investment. It is a super fast read, which I always appreciate as a busy mom, but if you read only one chapter it has to be Chapter 4. This chapter reviews all the myths about 529s. I definitely believed quite a few of them, so I am insanely appreciative of the facts in this chapter.

I wish that I had a book and guidance like this 16 years ago. Nevertheless, still learned some great tips. A really easy read and most importantly an easy to understand must for parents, grandparents , aunts, uncles and friends. This book makes a great gift for any soon to be parent. This will be my next baby shower gift.

Having worked with college students for over two decades, I know how distressing financial worries can be for students. Starting a 529 Savings Plan NOW will help mitigate these concerns and free your student up to be a student, without the distractions of having to work while attending school. As a parent, I had dismissed the idea of starting a 529 plan for my child due to the many myths debunked by the author. I now intend to start a 529 plan for my child so when the time comes for college, she will be financially prepared.

Patricia Roberts knows her stuff, and she shares surefire ways to make sure you and your kids can afford college. Easy to read with actionable steps to take to ensure your or your kids' future.

This book is chock full of tips, details and everything you need to know to get started saving for your child’s post high school education. It’s written by an expert in the 529 industry and the most complete resource I’ve found in one place. It easy to read and includes financial tips and ideas to encourage and inspire you to invest in your child’s future and reduce college debt. Highly recommend!

BRILLIANT guidance and advice from a pro on 529 College Savings plans. Patricia Roberts taught me how this plan could also be used for a wide range of degree programs after college! My dad, my brother, and I easily set up accounts for my kids’ graduate schools. Her key takeaways also motivated me to open accounts for my young niece and nephew. I feel GREAT knowing that I started this plan for the next generation in my family.

Patricia takes a financially daunting task and presents it in an easily digestible "road trip" framework. I found her direction and guidance invaluable. The financial piece of mind, alone, is worth the investment. Magnificent job, Patricia and thank you so much!!!

If you want to learn about what the best ways are to save for your kid's education, I highly recommend this book.

I've been thinking about doing this for a long time. This book breaks it down into digestible chunks – interspersed with the kind of advice I might expect from a pricey financial consultant. Turns out there's a lot to like about 529s – a lot of really cool things I didn't know you could do (and doing it is not as complicated as I thought!)

I wish a guide like this was available for my parents when I was a child. This guide really beaks down how easy it is to contribute to a 529 plan and how it really doesn't take a huge fortune to make a giant difference down the line. With college tuition getting more expensive every year, this should be included on every baby shower registry.

Route 529 answered so many questions that I had about 529 plans and provided insights into topics I hadn’t considered. This is a great reference for parents, grandparents and friends who want to support a person in their life to help fund their college education. Thank you Patricia for sharing your personal experience and insights!

Perfect baby shower gift. Highly recommend this book for any parent of young children. Start saving for your child’s future education on day 1. Roberts explains in easy to read language the benefits of 529 saving plans from how to open the account, how to save, and how to use. Includes personal stories and resources.

Found this one a good read: good organization, lots of helpful info, well-researched, and easy to find the stuff you are looking for. Read a few chapters or the whole book. Five starts

Full of valuable information about 529s in an easy to understand format. Even I thought I knew a lot already about 529s, I picked up a lot of useful tips. If you're looking for a quick read to gain a solid understanding about 529s, I highly recommend this book.

Today the thought of paying for college seems daunting and quite overwhelming, but Patricia helps break through those fears with this book. By laying out simple, easy to follows steps, she provides a roadmap to help your family chart a path to making college affordable.!

As a financial planner I consistently recommend 529's to clients who are parents or grandparents. This book explains everything they need to know about these plans with a great summary in each chapter. I highly recommend this to anyone thinking about contributing to a 529!

This book is a gold mine of valuable information to help you set up success for you and your student. A must-read for any parent preparing to send your kid to college the sooner the better. Thank you Patricia for sharing your generosity and wisdom.

This book is easy to read and I felt like I finally understand what 529 plan is. I love the discussions of 529 myths and the free take aways in each chapter. I definitely recommend this book to all moms and dads.

What a resource for families at all stages! I especially enjoyed the “stories from the road” - both genuine and insightful. This guide is written with passion and dedication. Thank you.

This is a great book! Clear, concise information to pick the right savings plan for your family, plus a heaping dose of motivation to start saving. If you have children, this is a must read!

Well written and informative, this book will jump start you to start saving for your children’s education. What greater gift to give than to protect your children from future student debt.

Good and informative read !!!! Well written

This is a must read for any parent trying to save for children's college education. It is easy to read and very thorough.

We plan for the arrival of our little ones in so many ways. A baby shower for essentials, finding the perfect pediatrician, etc. It's long overdue that we take pause to look at the long-term impacts of education from K through college. Route 529 is a must-read for all parents and grandparents! Finally, someone has put in a clear, easy, and concise way the ins and outs of planning for your child's education. It always seems so far away and failure to plan is beyond costly. It can leave your child struggling for years paying off a mortgage's worth of student loans, I know, I'm living it with my children now. Patricia Roberts guides you seamlessly along this journey from helpful hints to key takeaways and stories from the road. She educates you on the pitfalls and challenges that everyday life brings and helps you look at ways to ensure you stay the course. I highly recommend this book as a parent of three who's living with the consequences of poor planning and mounting student loans. If only I knew then what this book has shown me now, my son wouldn't be trying to figure out how to manage payments on student loans and rent. Spend the time to sit with this book, the time invested is well worth it, truly!

This is a must-read for parents who want to save a little at a time for their child’s education. My dad did that for me and my sister for our college and I really appreciate everything that he did for us. This book very well-written and easy to read. She provides lots of great advice and tips that can be implemented right away. Each chapter has key takeaways that summarize the main ideas and concepts. I also liked the various checklists, and diagrams, such as the “vision/promise” board. Simply put, this is a must-read for those saving up for their children’s future!

Having worked for a state 529 plan and used one to put my daughter through college (and her first year of law school), the savings mindset Patricia describes and the strategies she offers perfectly encapsulate the value and life-changing impact of saving for college or career training. It is not always an easy decision to make, especially in a world that often presents more pressing, seemingly immediate demands. Too often, we assume the future will take care of itself. By embarking on the savings journey Patricia expertly guides you through with this book, you will empower your child to enjoy the benefits of education without the staggering burden of debt that so many post-secondary graduates carry into the job market—a burden that can limit their career choices and options in a way that threatens to undermine all they have worked for. Thank you, Patricia, for giving people a clear roadmap for making sound financial decisions and giving their loved ones all the benefits of having a sound savings approach for college or career training.

Is college part of your plan for your child's future? If so, Route 529 is a MUST read. Even with my knowledge about 529 plans, I still learned an incredible amount from this great resource that helps break down everything you need to know as it relates to college savings. Patricia's knowledge is invaluable and the book is relatable, approachable and by far the best guide I've come across to help navigate the college landscape. Incredibly grateful to have this book as a resource.

My dream has always been to send my daughter to college and pay for her for years so that she’s not underwater when she graduates. I was lucky for my parents to do that just that for me. This book outlines the 529 fund and how it works to put aside that money. It’s an easy read filled with invaluable information. With costs of colleges so astronomical a book like this will allow many families to plan ahead and give this priceless gift.

This book is unbelievable. I feel ignorant not finding this book before setting up our kid’s 529s. Also, I didn’t know other people could contribute to our kid’s 529. It never crossed my mind to use birthday gifts and christmas gift to request people add money to their college 529 fund. I am slapping my head. This book is a game changer for us!

This is a comprehensive guide to all aspects of 529 college savings and even introduces 529 ABLE plans (in Chapter 12) which can be used for education as well as a broad range of disability expenses. The chapter on engaging others (Chapter 10) provides useful information on how friends and family can pitch in by contributing to 529 accounts for holidays, birthdays, and special occasions and how quickly those contributions can add up. Chapter 15 includes information on how employers can offer payroll deduction to 529 plans, how they can even match employee contributions, and what a valuable benefit that can be. I highly recommend this book to parents with children of all ages and to friends, family members and employers who want to lend a hand.

This book makes it simple to understand 529 plans. It also provides helpful guidance for setting and achieving educational goals. After reading this book, I walked away knowing how affordable and easy saving with a 529 plan can be. I’ve learned the different ways I and others can conveniently contribute. I would recommend this book to anyone with children in their lives or even those planning to start a family. The author says it is never too early or late to get started. I hadn’t realized I could take a tax deduction in my state for contributions I make each year. This book is packed with so much useful information. It’s a must-read!

Figure out how much you’ll need later, to figure out how much and how to put away some $$$ now… brilliant. And that $25 is enough to get started. I like that some of the information was broken down by which state you live in. Very useful as I plan for my daughters’ future.

I am working in higher education amd been interested in reading a book like this one for a while. If u plan to send your kid to college in the future do yourself a favor and read this book. I really enjoyed the forward written by her son, a debt free college graduate. Planning for college finances pays off.

Takeaways sections in each chapter summarize the points along with visuals that are very helpful in navigating this topic. There is so much out there on 529 plans it is very helpful to have it all in one place. I also like that the author blends the myth busting and detailed information with other quotes and concepts about changing our mindset when it comes to this piece of life! Quoting yoda, the author reminds us committing to try to save versus committing to do it is very different. I appreciate this take on the topic!

This was a great guide to help me understand how the 529 Plan works! I had no idea about it before and after reading this I feel like I can educate others on the topic. Patricia includes great anecdotes from herself and others which really makes the whole experience very human. I also appreciate that she mentions other options that are out there for college savings.

This book covers all aspects of 529 plan that any beginner wants. I have a clear vision and planning on what exactly to do now for opening 529 plans for my kids

As a busy parent of two children under 6, I really appreciated how easy to read this book was and I also appreciated the simple steps it outlined to get started and stay on track with an investing plan for college. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to help save for the future education of a loved one. I think it would be a really useful gift for parents-to-be and for parents of child of all ages. The author mentions that it’s never too early or late to start saving!

When I make a monetary contribution to my granddaughter's 529 plan, I consider it a legacy gift. I know many grandparents ply their precious ones with stuff [most of it expensive]. However, I prefer to ensure her future education. So, I'm using some of the easy-to-save recommendations in Patricia Roberts' book. Goodbye to expensive lattes; hello to future college textbooks!

I wish I had had access to a book like this when my children were growing up! As the parent of adult children, this book helped me see the value of using 529 plans to save to help with their graduate school, to help me as an adult learner save for continuing education, and as a potential grandparent, to save for the next generation.

“To what extent will student loans impact the vision I have for my child’s future?” What a great reason to read this book. 529 plans seem to be the formula to avoiding student loan debt and this book showcases them from such a great perspective, mom. I love that the forward was written by the 529 plan beneficiary too. His parents have set him up to reach the stars.

Patricia gives you exactly what you need to know to take advantage of a 529 plan and get your kids through college DEBT FREE! All 3 of my kids will be done with their bachelors degrees with NO debt to begin their working lives! Thank you Patricia for a readable, easily digestible book!

Route 529 is an excellent, easy to read and understand, resource for how 529 plans work. This book is a must have resource for parents who want to avoid the use of high cost student loans and/or other debt for funding their child’s College education.

Patricia Roberts has an ability to make the complicated sound easy, and makes navigating the 529 college savings world much simpler. I wold recommend that all parents read this book and use it as a 'go-to' resource over and over.