If you live in Texas, there is no benefit to using the Texas plan because we don't have state income taxes. Thus, use whichever state you think is best. Utah's is based on vanguard funds, which have low fees and are easy to work with. If you like Vanguard type investments, it typicall is rated as the best one.

$14,000

You can donate 5x the annual gift limit tax free. Good tool for a 529.

BTW, i'm saving with the idea that 4-5 years at TAMU is kinda my financial baseline. So if my kids get into really expensive schools, that's fine. But they can take on the difference.

Times haven't changed that much. When it was my turn, I was an auto admit to a bunch of top notch schools. But it made zero financial sense to go there and take on a bunch of debt when a quality public school education would be paid for with scholarships/parents help.

My kids can make the same decision. Hopefully, they aren't foolish enough to run up a bunch of private school debt learning 15th century french poetry when I'm willing to put them through a quality school for free.

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BTW, i'm saving with the idea that 4-5 years at TAMU is kinda my financial baseline. So if my kids get into really expensive schools, that's fine. But they can take on the difference.

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When I mention the first 2 years CC, that is assuming I cannot afford 4-5 years at TAMU for all 3 kids when the time comes. Where we are at financially right now, I cannot afford that. If things change, then obviously I would offer to pay for the first 2 years at TAMU as well.

Wife is a stay-at-home mom (which we both wanted), and while I make a good living, there is only so much money that can be saved supporting a family of 5 on a single income. The wife plans to go back to work, atleast part time, when the youngest starts school so things will hopefully improve financially in the future.

For my kids i set up an auto draft deal with my pay check, where when they turn 18, ill have 40g each for them to use if they choose to go to college. If they dont go to college or trade school, then Ill buy the wife and i something with it. I dont care about if the fund makes money or not. The money is just in a savings account. I just want it to be there. And if they gotta work to pay the rest, so be it. Who knows how much college will cost by then, but thats what they are getting when they get to that point.

Not sure what interest rate you're getting in the savings account but if you want to go super conservative you'd probably do better with CDs than just a savings account.

Yeah, do what is the best for your family. My comments weren't directed at anyone. It just took me a while to figure out what exactly my "number" would be for saving. I know my kids may not go to A&M, but it's actually a pretty decent benchmark to use $$ wise.

I have a cousin that had his parents pay his way through college. He's doing pretty well now. And his parents are still paying down his debt.

And yet, he doesn't plan on paying for his kids college. That's the kind of thing I find amazing.

I know this wasn't the point of your comment, but many out of state schools that are close to Texas will offer their instate tuition rates (similar to Texas state school rates, if not cheaper) to kids from Texas because they are competing for students and enrollment. OU, Arkansas, Ole Miss, and Bama have all done this recently for people we know.

Just food for thought before someone automatically says no to one of those because they're out of state.

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I know this wasn't the point of your comment, but many out of state schools that are close to Texas will offer their instate tuition rates (similar to Texas state school rates, if not cheaper) to kids from Texas because they are competing for students and enrollment. OU, Arkansas, Ole Miss, and Bama have all done this recently for people we know.

Just food for thought before someone automatically says no to one of those because they're out of state.

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To add to this unrelated comment parents, there is something called the Academic Common Market for the South (or was ~7 years ago while I was in grad school). If South Carolina offers a degree/program Texas A&M doesn't, you can get in state tuition there (saved me like $17K on my degree). Texas reciprocates to SC students of course.

The more fungible your funds are the more opportunity they may have in their desired area of study in other states in the ACM outside of Texas.

UESP for me as well. My son is almost 4 and my daughter just turned 1. I think it's a good plan with low-cost Vanguard funds.