Web Search powered by YAHOO! SEARCH
06.17.2009 2:39 pm

Illinois may recoup $77 million of college savings fund’s losses

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

According to Chicago Sun-Times columnist Terry Savage, Illinois is close to a deal that would recoup $77 million from the manager of the state’s Bright Start college savings plan. State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias has been trying to negotiate a settlement with Oppenheimer Funds,…

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ... Loading ...
  • Comments (2)
  • Email this
03.03.2009 8:45 am

Missouri’s college savings plan ranks fourth in performance

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The Missouri Saving for Tuition Plan ranked fourth in investment performance last year among similar college-savings plans, according to a report by SavingForCollege.com. The state-sponsored investments, generically known as 529 plans, are a tax-advantaged way to save for college.

Among 53 plans…

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (2 votes, average: 4.5 out of 5)
Loading ... Loading ...
  • Comments (4)
  • Email this
09.23.2008 4:44 pm

Missouri extends college-savings tax break

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

If you’re a Missouri parent trying to save money for college, you should be aware of an important tax-law change that took effect last month. Accounting firm RubinBrown reminds us that, beginning this year, Missouri taxpayers can take a deduction…

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
Loading ... Loading ...
  • Comments Off
  • Email this
08.19.2008 2:57 pm

SEC rebuffs banks on Missouri tuition plan

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The Missouri Legislature passed a law in 2004 allowing banks to participate in the state’s college savings plan. The Missouri Bankers Association lobbied hard for the law, which it saw as a way to keep some of the money that was…

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (1 votes, average: 3 out of 5)
Loading ... Loading ...
  • Comments Off
  • Email this
04.16.2008 9:12 am

Missouri gets plan off “worst” list

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The broker-sold version of the Missouri Saving for Tuition plan is no longer on Morningstar’s list of worst college-savings plans. In releasing this year’s list, the analysis firm says:

… one of 2007’s worst, Missouri’s MOST 529 Advisor Plan, made its way off the…

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (1 votes, average: 4 out of 5)
Loading ... Loading ...
  • Comments (1)
  • Email this
02.15.2008 10:59 am

Illinois has one of the least costly college-savings plans

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

A new fee study by Joseph Hurley’s SavingforCollege.com finds that Illinois’ Bright Start is among the least costly college-savings plans. In fact, among plans that are available nationwide, only Ohio’s CollegeAdvantage  has lower costs than Bright Start. (Louisiana, Utah, Oregon and Kansas have cheaper options…

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (1 votes, average: 3 out of 5)
Loading ... Loading ...
  • Comments Off
  • Email this
10.08.2007 4:57 pm

High praise for Illinois college plan

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

It’s been a few months since we last wrote about the changes to Illinois’ BrightStart college-savings plan, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that Illinois parents are getting a good deal. A Morningstar.com  report says that BrightStart’s index-fund option “jumps immediately to the…

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ... Loading ...
  • Comments Off
  • Email this
08.29.2007 4:37 pm

Steelman claims a first for the second time

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

When Missouri Treasurer Sarah Steelman announced the addition of a “terror-free” fund to a state college-savings plan, she said it was the first such investment option of its kind.  A news release from UMB Financial Corp., which will manage the fund,…

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ... Loading ...
  • Comments Off
  • Email this
03.06.2007 6:20 pm

Edwards says Gallatin isn’t truly a timer

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Mark Keller, chief investment officer at A.G. Edwards & Sons, called to provide more information on the Gallatin portfolios that I discussed in a previous post.  In particular, he says the words “market timing” in my headline misrepresent what Gallatin does.

Market timing…

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ... Loading ...
  • Comments (1)
  • Email this
03.05.2007 4:44 pm

The high cost of market timing

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

In Morningstar’s broadside against Missouri’s MOST 529 Advisor plan, one of the  analyst Kerry O’Boyle’s  specific criticisms is that the plan charges “a rich 1.45% for the plan’s three ETF offerings.” These offerings turn out to be the much-ballyhooed asset-allocation portfolios run by…

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ... Loading ...
  • Comments Off
  • Email this