By Amy Hamilton—SMART529

Looking for a gift that fits your budget, is the right size and will be appreciated for years to come? This holiday season gift the future! You can start by opening a SMART529 College Savings account for your child, grandchild, niece, nephew or anyone.

You can save for tuition, fees, room, board, books and supplies for thousands of eligible education institutions nationwide. Sound too easy? We hope so! Take a look at these options:

With the WV Direct plan, there is no minimum contribution and you can make subsequent contributions when you want. Choose from various portfolios based on your investment preferences.

The Hartford SMART529 plan is sold through financial professionals at local banks and brokerages. This is the plan for those who would like investment advice by someone who knows their entire financial picture.

Looking for a gift that just keeps giving?  West Virginia residents may deduct contributions to SMART529 accounts from the federal adjusted gross income on the West Virginia Personal Income Tax return (see Schedule M).  Your SMART529 contributions also grow federal and state tax free and remain that way if used for qualified education expenses.

Ready to start? Visit www.SMART529.com.