WCI #486: What Doctors Need to Know About 529 Plans

How much should you save in a 529 plan, and what happens if you save too much?

In this episode of The White Coat Investor Podcast, Dr. Jim Dahle answers listener questions about 529 college savings plans, including how they work, why they can be such a powerful tool for physician families, and how to avoid some of the tax complications that can come from getting too clever with college funding.

Jim starts with the basics of 529 plans, including state tax benefits, tax-free growth, qualified withdrawals, and how long-term compounding can dramatically increase the value of early contributions. He also explains what happens when a 529 is overfunded, including changing beneficiaries, using the money for future generations, and the newer ability to roll some 529 money into a Roth IRA.

The discussion then gets more complicated. Jim addresses using appreciated investments to pay for college, the 0% long-term capital gains bracket, dependent status, support requirements, the kiddie tax, and gift-tax considerations. He also shares a personal example of over-optimizing a daughter's UTMA account and discovering an unexpected state tax bill.

Finally, Jim explains how families can continue contributing to a 529 while a child is in college, how he handles withdrawals and receipts, and what alternatives make sense when a family is already on track to fully fund college.

A 529 is a powerful account when you know the money is going toward education. The goal isn't to maximize every possible tax trick. It's to save enough, use the tax benefits available to you, and keep your financial life simple.

Texas Loan Repayment Program:
https://www.hhloans.com/physician-education-loan-repayment-program

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The White Coat Investor Podcast launched in January 2017, and since then, millions have downloaded it. Join your fellow physicians and other high income professionals and subscribe today! Host, Dr. Jim Dahle, is a practicing emergency physician and founder of The White Coat Investor blog. Like the blog, The White Coat Investor Podcast is dedicated to educating medical students, residents, physicians, dentists, and similar high-income professionals about personal finance and building wealth, so they can ultimately be their own financial advisor-or at least know enough to not get ripped off by a financial advisor. We tackle the hard topics like the best ways to pay off student loans, how to create your own personal financial plan, retirement planning, how to save money, investing in real estate, side hustles, and how everyone can be a millionaire by living WCI principles.

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