Utah Educational Savings Plan Receives Gold Rating

The Utah Educational Savings Plan (UESP), a nonprofit 529 college savings program, announced it received a Gold Analyst Rating from Morningstar Inc. The rating is the highest given by Morningstar, a leading provider of independent investment research. Only four 529 plans out of the 64 analyzed achieved this honor.

According to Morningstar’s report, 529 plans receiving a Gold rating incorporate the industry’s best practices and contain investment choices that are highly regarded by Morningstar analysts. “These plans are our highest-conviction recommendations and stand out as best of breed for their ability to help college savers meet their goals,” the report stated.

Morningstar analysts evaluated five factors to determine a plan’s rating: strategy and investment process, risk-adjusted performance, investment option manager, stewardship practices of the administration and parent firm, and investment option value proposition compared to its peers. Analysts then assigned forward-looking ratings of Gold, Silver, Bronze, Neutral, and Negative to each plan.

“Simplicity, combined with ingenuity, makes the Utah Educational Savings Plan among the best choices for college savers,” said Morningstar analyst David Falkof in his report on UESP. “The Utah plan, to its credit, has been among the leaders at bringing down costs for college savers.”

“The accolades from Morningstar reinforce that UESP is an excellent choice for individuals saving for future higher education expenses,” said Lynne Ward, executive director of the Utah Educational Savings Plan. “We are committed to being a responsible partner to our account owners and their beneficiaries. We will continue our efforts to provide a Gold-rated 529 plan for college savers.”

This is the seventh year UESP has received top 529 plan honors by Morningstar.

For more information about the Utah Educational Savings Plan, visit: uesp.org.