The 529 college savings plan industry is projected to nearly double by 2019, providing a tremendous asset-gathering opportunity for plan providers, investment managers and advisers. This study provides essential insights and actionable steps for organizations to grow their market share by revealing how financial advisers choose and use college savings plans.

1. Strategic Insight, An Asset International Company / www.sionline.com / www.assetinternational.com
529DistributionStudy,2015
For additional information, contact Austin Ulep at 617-399-5629 or email aulep@sionline.com.
Source Strategic Insight, Adviser Survey 2015
“Financial advisers are a significant driver of 529 plan sales, including direct-sold
plans and the employer channel. Our annual proprietary adviser survey is the
only research designed to show product providers how they can increase 529
plan usage and wallet share by financial professionals and their clients.”
—Paul Curley, CFA, Director of College Savings Research, Strategic Insight
The 529 college savings plan industry is projected to nearly double by 2019, providing
a tremendous asset-gathering opportunity for plan providers, investment managers and
advisers. This study provides essential insights and actionable steps for organizations to grow
their market share by revealing how financial advisers choose and use college savings plans.
Study Research Sources and Topics
Strategic Insight’s 12th study on 529 plans is an in-depth qualitative
and quantitative analysis of the trends that will drive industry growth
over the next five years. In addition to using proprietary data, SI
commissioned a new primary survey of financial advisers, spanning
all types of distribution channels, compensation models, tenure
ranks and asset levels.
The results, in five sections, cover all of the key factors that impact
college savings.
• Historical Channel Sizing and Trends is an overview of
historical 529 plan assets and net flows by distribution method,
investor behavior towards college planning and the importance of
reenergizing the intermediary channel.
• Product Selection Preferences highlights trends in advisers’
perceptions of college savings, investment vehicle usage and 529
plan differentiators, providing the key drivers and that product
providers can use to formulate more effective product, marketing
and distribution strategies.
• Distribution Preferences reveals the reasons financial
advisers use both adviser- and direct-sold plans, and how 529
sales can benefit an adviser’s business beyond college savings
investments.
New: 2015 includes a section on the employer channel.
• Support Preferences focuses on how product providers can
increase 529 use and wallet share among advisers through
enhanced product support, and how value-added practice
management services influence advisers’ 529 selection process.
New: 2015 features analysis of the advisor’s plan of choice, and why.
• Strategic Road Map ends the report with an analysis of the
propensity of advisers to recommend 529 plans going forward
and what roadblocks they perceive as needing resolution.
529 Wallet Share: Percent of Client College Savings Assets in 529 Plans
0 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%50%40%30%20%10%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0
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