<p>Hi,
Just wondered if I could ask 2 quick questions? Looking to shift some money around, soon (& financial planner has proved eminently unhelpful so don’t want to turn to him again).</p>
<p>1) Looking for a no-fee/little-fee retirement account (or company that deals w/such)… I have a small retirement that’s been draining away due to fees at Morgan Stanley & I need to shift it elsewhere.</p>
<p>2) Any suggestions on a super-conservative 529? Recently realized (belatedly, our fault) that we have an ‘aggressive growth’ 529 which is way inappropriate for 17 yo, HS senior son.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for any thoughts; really appreciate it!</p>
<p>If your son is planning to start college immediately after HS graduation, it might not be worth the hassle to change your 529 plan completely. Most 529 plans have multiple investment options, and you can rebalance them at least once a year. If this describes your 529, then I would suggest looking at the investment options available for your plan, and moving your assets into their conservative portfolio.</p>
<p>If you do need to switch 529s, the AZ Family College Savings Program provides the CollegeSure CD investment vehicle, but as with any bank CD, there is a minimum commitment, in this case one year.</p>
<p>Otherwise, my favorite 529 options are the Vanguard Index Portfolios offered by the IL Bright Start Direct-Sold Plan. Their Fixed Income portfolio might be a good solution for you.</p>
<p>1) Get a new financial planner!
2) Vanguard is one of the lowest cost providers out there. And they have lots of fund choices. Give them a call.
3) I second what freshman fund says on the 529. Try to move it to a lower risk offering that’s available within the plan. A short term bond or cash fund would be more appropriate given your son’s age<br>
Good luck!</p>
<p>Echo the recommendation for Vanguard. Also, DH works for TIAA-CREF, they’re a not-for-profit and also have low fees. You used to have to work for certain companies to invest with them, but not any more. My IRA’s are there.</p>
<p>Good luck! This stuff is SO confusing… and so important.</p>
<p>Thank you very much for those recommendations! I really appreciate it! </p>
<p>I did talk to someone at Vanguard a while back, but the transfer paperwork for retirement switch was onerous and off-putting. Learned my lesson though on avoidance–just going to do it. Thanks for the additional offerings.</p>
<p>The 529 person said we could switch our $$ into a different plan (w/no fee) administered by the same company (College Bound). They seemed to say that I couldn’t alter the percentages (stocks to other) w/in the specific 529, but I’ll ask again about rebalancing, just to be sure.</p>