529 Plan vs Taxable Brokerage for College Savings
Compare a 529 plan vs a taxable brokerage for college savings with a concrete 12-year scenario, tax drag, flexibility tradeoffs, and 529 overfunding risks.
529 College Savings Calculator
Learn more about this calculator
College savings planning has gotten more interesting since Secure 2.0. Money you over-save in a 529 can roll into the beneficiary's Roth IRA — up to $35,000 per beneficiary, subject to annual contribution limits and a 15-year-old account requirement. Our calculator factors that exit door into the savings target so you don't end up with a stranded balance.
Plan for one kid or six. Each gets their own start age, target school tier (in-state public, out-of-state public, private), and inflation assumption. The calculator solves for the monthly contribution to hit your funding goal and shows the projected balance and Roth-rollover headroom in retirement.
What this calculator covers
Use these as a quick scope check before you rely on the output.
- •Multi-kid planning, separate per-child assumptions
- •In-state, out-of-state, and private school tier defaults
- •Tuition-inflation override (default 5%)
- •Secure 2.0 Roth-rollover modeling
- •Solve for monthly contribution given a target
- •Save and share scenarios
Frequently asked questions
What if I save too much in the 529?
Excess balances can be rolled to the beneficiary's Roth IRA under Secure 2.0 — up to $35,000 lifetime per beneficiary, subject to annual Roth contribution limits and a 15-year-old account. The calculator surfaces the rollover capacity so you can right-size the savings rate.
Are state tax deductions modeled?
Yes. Pick your state and filing status and the calculator estimates your annual and lifetime state income-tax savings from 529 contributions, using each state's deduction cap and top marginal rate. State rules change — confirm specifics with your plan or a CPA.
Can I plan for grandchildren?
Yes — add as many beneficiaries as you want. Each is independent.
What college costs should I include?
Start with tuition and fees, then add room and board, books, supplies, required equipment, travel, and a cushion for annual price increases. If the student may live at home or attend community college first, model that as a lower-cost scenario instead of averaging everything together.
How do scholarships or financial aid affect the 529 plan?
Scholarships, grants, and family aid can reduce what the 529 needs to cover. Model a lower funding target or create a scholarship scenario so you can see whether the monthly contribution still makes sense.
Related articles
Practical examples that connect the calculator to real planning decisions.
What If You Save Too Much in a 529?
Saving too much in a 529 is usually manageable, but it is still worth planning. See the options for unused 529 money and a concrete surplus scenario.
How Much Should You Save for College Each Month?
Use a concrete 529 example to estimate monthly college savings, then test the number against inflation, current savings, and target school type.
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