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  • Asia - other

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中國香港特別行政區

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RETIREMENT PLAN INVESTOR

Use your plan ID (available on your account statement) to determine which employer-sponsored retirement plan website to use:

IF YOUR PLAN ID BEGINS WITH IRK, BRK, 754, 1 OR 2

Visit americanfunds.com/retire

IF YOUR PLAN ID BEGINS WITH 34 OR 135

Visit myretirement.americanfunds.com

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Managing your CollegeAmerica account

From setting up your account to taking withdrawals, here’s how to get the most from your CollegeAmerica savings plan. 

Getting started

While it's a good idea to start early, you can open an account at any age or life stage. We recommend choosing a financial professional to work with to ensure you are getting the benefits of a complete investment strategy. You can find a financial professional to work with via our financial professional locator, but if you are ready to get started you can review our CollegeAmerica program description and download our 529 CollegeAmerica application.

Growing your account

Once your account is set up, you can buy shares online or by phone, through your financial professional or by mailing a check.

Buying shares online

Log in to your account and click Buy to purchase shares online. Be sure to have your bank information on hand if it’s not already on file.

Buying shares by phone

If your bank information is already on file, call us at (800) 421-4225.

Buying shares by mail

Send your request to an American Funds Service Center. Be sure to include:

  • An investment check payable to CollegeAmerica
  • Your account number
  • Investment instructions 
    • Account registration 
    • Account number 
    • Amount to invest (per fund)

Making changes to your account

Whether you want to update your CollegeAmerica investment allocations or change the beneficiary, you can do so yourself or through your financial professional.

Exchange shares

You may reallocate your CollegeAmerica investment twice per calendar year and whenever there’s a change to the beneficiary of the account.

Log in to your account and click Exchange to complete the transaction online, or call us at (800) 421-4225.


Change beneficiaries

You may change the beneficiary of the CollegeAmerica account at any time. To avoid tax treatment of the change as a withdrawal, the new beneficiary must be a member of the previous beneficiary's family.

Generally, UGMA/UTMA custodians may not change the beneficiary of a custodial CollegeAmerica account. Custodians wishing to change beneficiaries should seek legal advice as funds held in UGMA/UTMA accounts represent an irrevocable gift to a specific individual.
Visit our FAQ page to learn more about changing beneficiaries. Use the form below to change the beneficiary on your CollegeAmerica account.

Taking withdrawals from your account

When it's time to withdraw the money you've worked hard to save, refer to Preparing for CollegeAmerica Withdrawals for information on what expenses are considered qualified and your options for taking money out of your account.

If withdrawals are used for purposes other than qualified education expenses, the earnings will be subject to a 10% federal tax penalty in addition to federal and, if applicable, state income tax. States take different approaches to the income tax treatment of withdrawals. For example, withdrawals for K–12 expenses may not be exempt from state tax in certain states.

Investments are not FDIC-insured, nor are they deposits of or guaranteed by a bank or any other entity, so they may lose value.

Investors should carefully consider investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. This and other important information is contained in the fund prospectuses and summary prospectuses, which can be obtained from a financial professional and should be read carefully before investing. Similar information is contained in the CollegeAmerica Program Description, which can be obtained from a financial professional and should be read carefully before investing. CollegeAmerica is distributed by American Funds Distributors, Inc. and sold through unaffiliated intermediaries.

Depending on your state of residence, there may be an in-state plan that provides state tax and other state benefits, such as financial aid, scholarship funds and protection from creditors, not available through CollegeAmerica. Before investing in any state's 529 plan, investors should consult a tax advisor. CollegeAmerica is a nationwide plan sponsored by Virginia529. 

All Capital Group trademarks mentioned are owned by The Capital Group Companies, Inc., an affiliated company or fund. All other company and product names mentioned are the property of their respective companies.

Use of this website is intended for U.S. residents only.

American Funds Distributors, Inc.

This content, developed by Capital Group, home of American Funds, should not be used as a primary basis for investment decisions and is not intended to serve as impartial investment or fiduciary advice.