Pennsylvania Prepaid 529 Plan

Pennsylvania 529 Guaranteed Savings Plan ("GSP")
Pennsylvania offers two types of 529 plans: an investment plan using stock and bonds funds, and a prepaid tuition plan described here.

The name of the plan is the Pennsylvania 529 Guaranteed Savings Plan, or PA 529 GSP for short. (Despite its name, the GSP is not guaranteed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.) Although this is known generically as a "prepaid" plan as distinct from an "investment" plan, the GSP has much more flexibility than some prepaid plans.

The PA 529 GSP offers payments to virtually unlimited choices of colleges, with tuition inflation applied only at the time of withdrawal. This makes the PA 529 GSP more attractive than "prepaid" tuition plans locked into a particular school, set of schools, or schools within a single state.

Maximizing Benefits of the Plan
Based on the rules of the plan, account owners can choose to use certain techniques to maximize their benefits. The use of these techniques may not benefit owners in the future if the rules in the plan change, or may even become counter-productive. An account owner should be familiar with the disclosure statement that defines the plan rules and monitor changes to it. Note that the plan rules can change at the discretion of the the Treasurer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, or due to changes in applicable Pennsylvania law.

Contribution Timing
TBD: when to contribute

Exploiting Multiple Accounts
TBD: using multiple accounts and transfers to minimize fees and maximize returns

More maximization advice items here
TBD