Financial planning is not something that comes naturally to many people, yet it is an essential element of future success. For families working to save for their children's educational expenses, 529 plans are often a go-to savings tool. According to the College Savings Plan Network, there are nearly 16 million 529 college savings accounts with nearly $458 billion saved.

Many states have their own 529 plan, and families can save in any plan no matter where they live, so it may take some research to determine the tax advantages, fees, and other benefits for each plan. For those focused on fees, the state of Georgia's Path2College 529 Plan is the nation's lowest cost 529 plan¹.

Georgia's Path2College 529 Plan's average annual asset-based fees are just .09% compared to 0.51% for all 529 plans. Plus, there are no sign-up or account maintenance fees, or load fees that you'd pay for an advisor-sold 529 plan.

"Georgia's low-cost Path2College 529 Plan means that more of your hard-earned money is being used to pay for education-related expenses instead of fees," said Lynne Riley, president of the Georgia Student Finance Commission.

More expensive 529 plans are sold through financial advisers, which can add additional fees.

"The Path2College plan is direct-sold, which means parents or grandparents can open an account themselves without an advisor, therefore avoiding additional sales fees. The Path2College plan was designed to be accessible and affordable," said Riley.

Georgia's Path2College 529 Plan has seen tremendous growth since being established in 2002, and today, it has grown to more than $4.5 Billion in assets and over 222,000 accounts. Families have used more than $1.8 billion from their Path2College 529 Plan accounts to pay for education expenses ².

For more information about the Path2College 529 Plan or to open an account, please visit www.Path2College529.com or call (877) 424-4377.