In this episode you will hear:   (03:21) In The News Hilliary shares some observations from things that stood out while reading applications this year   (20:02) Question from a listener:  A mom asks a very important question, How can I know if a college is genuinely caring about all kids but especially about an unorganized student? Lisa Rouff and Lynda Doepker answer this question.   (37:11) Interview: Frequently Asked Questions about 529 Plans, Julie Shields-Rutyna and Jonathan Hughes from MEFA, Part 1 of 4     Preview of Part 1 ·         Friends, even if you have had a 529 plan for a decade, I am convinced you are going to learn some things that you didn’t know about 529 Plans in my interview with Jonathan Hughes and Julie Shields-Rutyna ·         Jonathan and Julie share their backstory ·         Jonathan tells us who MEFA is ·         Jonathan tells us what a 529 Plan is ·         Julie tells us who the beneficiary and successors are and whether it is easy to transfer beneficiaries ·         Jonathan tells us how to open a 529 account, including what you will need, and he tells us about how long it takes to open an account ·         Julie tells us how you can contribute to a 529 ·         Julie tells us what your investment options and the resources that are available to help you with your investment options ·         Julie talks about whether others beside the owner can contribute.   (56:22) Second Question from a listener Hilliary Dickman joins Mark to answer a question about how colleges use the Future Plans”         Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. 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