From CNN Money:

They amount of money in the savings plans grew to a record $248 billion in 2014, about 9% more than the previous year.

People are starting to save for their children earlier than ever. About 31% of the savings plans are opened by parents when their child is barely a year old, or before, according to the College Savings Plans Network.

Given the poor quality of most people’s saving habits, this is worth celebrating. Although, I do question how good of an investment a college degree is for many people.

There has been talk recently about doing away with tax-beneficial 529 Plans. The government wants all the money it can get. I’d say this is more likely to happen than doing away with IRAs or 401(k)s, but still pretty unlikely, especially in light of how many people are taking advantage of them.

If you have kids, a 529 savings plan (NOT pre-paid tuition) is a good option for saving up for college. Money is about possibilities, so even though college isn’t right for everyone, you want to have the possibility to buy it for your kids should they so choose. And without saddling them with student loan debt they’ll never be free from.