The highlights:

• Contribution Limits – With an ESA, you are only allowed to contribute up to $2,000 per year.  Most 529 plans do not have contribution limits, but it depends on each state.
• Usage Of Funds – 529 plans can only be used for college expenses, while ESA funds may be used for elementary or secondary education such as private school.
• Investment Options – With an ESA, you can invest in just about anything, so you have more control over your money.  A state 529 plan will give you investment options but doesn’t let you choose specifics.  Your investment options with an ESA are the same as what they would be if you were investing in an IRA.
• Tax Advantages – The tax advantages of an ESA versus a 529 plan are basically the same.  Money withdrawn from either account is tax-free as long as it is used for qualified education expenses.
• Age Restrictions – Funds within an ESA must be used by the time the beneficiary (the student) turns 30.  There are no age restrictions for 529 plans.

Read the entire post here — What’s An ESA And How Is It Different Than A 529 Plan? | Broke Piggy

Technorati Tags: education, kids, college, education spending account, ESA, 529

Kids & Money

Welcome to the April 22, 2009 edition of Kids and Money.

mortgager presents Second Hand Endowment Policies posted at Endowment Policy, saying, “Read on how to act with second hand endowments easily during crisis.”

Talia presents Bitty Budget | backtobasics-talia.com posted at backtobasics-talia.com.

David presents Checking Accounts posted at Personal Finance Ology, saying, “Learn about the different types of checking accounts and how to keep more of your money!”

Nate Desmond presents Giveaway: Free TurboTax Online Premier Tax E-Filing posted at Debt-free Scholar.

Bank Champ presents Bank Promotions Are Taxed posted at Bank Champ.

John Russell presents 14 Auto Insurance Secrets posted at The Low Cost Auto Insurance Guru.

KCLau presents 5 Ways To Take Charge Of Our Finances posted at KCLau’s Money Tips, saying, “Are we doing the right things when it comes to managing our finances? Ask yourself five questions to know if you’re on the right track.”

Frank Vertin presents Just Buy Index Funds Directly posted at NO LOAD INDEX FUND, saying, “Buying an S&P 500 index fund through an investment counselor can substantially increase your initial purchasing costs and and drive up your annual management expense fees. Unfortunately, the vast majority of individual investors buy mutual funds and ETFs through brokers and investment advisers. Rarely do financial advisors recommend that you buy index funds with low fees. This is because low cost, no load mutual funds do not pay them as well as loaded, high fee mutual funds.”

Larry Russell presents Most Individual Investors Are Poor Personal Portfolio Managers | Personal Investment Management posted at THE SKILLED INVESTOR Blog, saying, “Young investors should learn early about investment efficiency, and they will then know more than most of their parents do about wise investing. Investors more easily understand investment costs that are directly measurable, such as fees deducted on investment statements. However, many investors ignore or are unaware of the opportunity costs of their sub-optimal investment behaviors. Opportunity costs are usually much more difficult to measure directly, but these investment costs can be even higher than more visible investment fees.”

Walter W. Fouse presents 7 Ways to Pick the Best Noload Mutual Funds and ETFs posted at Best No Load Funds, saying, “The vast body of investment research studies show that there really are better approaches to buying and owning mutual funds and ETFs. You do not need to frantically chase fund performance. Performance chasing simply does not work.”

Ben Jenkins presents Graduating From College posted at Self-Destruction in NYC.

Richard M. Rothschild presents The Top 14 Low Cost Taxable United States Bond Mutual Funds (Low Minimum Deposit) posted at Bond Market Index Funds, saying, “The top 14 low cost taxable US fixed income funds with a $10,000 or lower initial deposit. Low investment management fees are very important with fixed income funds. Simply put, if you pay higher bond mutual fund fees, then these bond management expenses tend just to be a deadweight loss to you. When you pay more in bond mutual fund fees, you are just wasting your money.”

Ralph Jean-Paul presents Building Self-Discipline posted at Potential 2 Success, saying, “The most disciplined business people are usually the most organized, efficient and successful. They are also the people that make the most money. Learn to build self-discipline in your personal and professional life and see the difference it will make.”

Big Cajun Man presents Canadian Personal Finance Blog » Blog Archive » Advice for New Grads? posted at Canadian Personal Finance Blog, saying, “When your kids do finally graduate from college, make sure they keep this in mind.”

Mike Pastore presents Thinking of saving money for your childs college education? IRA or 529a plan? | Mikes Millions.com posted at Mikes Millions.com.

Jeff Rose presents 10 Questions About College Savings Plans posted at Jeff Rose.

jim presents Best Student Credit Cards posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity.

Buck Weber presents Search for Scholarships posted at THE BUCK LIST, saying, “It’s that time of the year again for high school seniors. Testing for the ACT & SAT, filling out the FAFSA, gathering and sending transcripts, college applications and letters of recommendation are all part of the annual hectic last few months of the high school experience.”

Barry presents Buying Groceries From Auctions posted at Associate Money.

Madison presents Summer Jobs for Kids – Ideas for Summer Jobs for Kids posted at Kids and Money.

Verna Morris presents Five Experts Agree: You Need a TIPS ETF In Your Retirement Portfolio posted at ETFdb.

One Family presents Swagbucks – A Frugal Take posted at One Family’s Blog, saying, “A review of SwagBucks, a search engine that promises rewards for doing searches.”

KCLau presents Learning to be Happy with Less posted at KCLau’s Money Tips, saying, “How u can be happy with less material things”

Jim DeSantis presents 3 Reasons That Can Cause Your Family Budget To Fail posted at Free Family Budgeting eBook from On Line Tribune, saying, “Money is the only tool you have to secure your future and the future of your family and to live a good life today. Unless you get spending under control and start treating your household like the goldmine it really is, you are destined to struggle financially for the rest of your life.”

Jeremy Ulmer presents How To Cold Call Effectively: What To Say First posted at Sales Coaching | Business Coaching | Life Coaching, saying, “never too early for kids to start learning some of these skills…to make money…”

Clair Schwan presents Money Management – Making and Retaining Wealth posted at Frugal Living Freedom, saying, “This article provides an overview of basic money management concepts with an eye toward accumulating wealth by being more responsible with it.”

FIRE Getters presents What is the Rule of 72? posted at FIRE Finance.

Get800today presents Why Not Use Toll Free at Home? posted at Get800today.com.

Patrick @ Cash Money Life presents How Much Life Insurance Do You Need? posted at Cash Money Life, saying, “This is a question everyone should ask themselves – particularly if they have a family that relies upon their income.”

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Zecco vs TradeKing: Which Online Stock Brokerage Account To Choose? posted at The Digerati Life, saying, “Help your kids invest early by opening their first account with a solid online broker.”

Finance Tips 101 presents Scholarships Come In All Shapes And Sizes posted at Finance Tips 101.

The Smarter Wallet presents Can Your Kid Develop A Gambling Problem? posted at The Smarter Wallet, saying, “Thanks!”

Summer Munyon presents How To Find The Bottom Of The Real Estate Market posted at Tallahassee Real Estate Blog, saying, “If you want to know the beginning of the next phase of the market turn, just keep an eye on the green line in the graph below. You can visit this graph (updated twice per week) at The Market Bulletin.”

hall monitor presents Two Colts Neck High School students accused of counterfeiting money posted at DetentionSlip.org, saying, “To be filed in the “What NOT to do” column.”

Deposit Accounts presents Keep More of Your Money: Tips for Better Banking posted at Deposit Accounts.

MatthewPaulson presents Money Management Principles for Children posted at Fine-Tuned Finances.

Madison presents Frugal Ideas for Prom Season posted at Kids and Money.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of Kids and Money using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags: kids and money, blog carnival.