C
COMPOUND
Calculate Your Gap
529
Compound v2.4.1 — Live

The numbers are
already running.

Automate your 529. Close the gap before the bill arrives. Every month of inaction is a month of compound growth surrendered.

$50/mo →$0
LIVE PROJECTION
0yr 0mo elapsed
TUITION 2043$187,000FIXED
YOUR SAVINGS$0↑ CLIMBING
Projection Gap$187,000 REMAINING

The average 4-year tuition in 2043: $187,000. Your 529 projection: climbing.

Calculate Your GapSee the Data →

$ compound init --child-age 0 --monthly 200

Initializing 529 projection engine...

Loading state tax advantage database [50/50]

✓ Ready. $200/month → $91,042 at age 18.

INTEL_BRIEF_01CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIEDDISTRIBUTION: ALL
Data Feed: Tuition Inflation

State University Cost Escalation

≥4.3% inflation
4.1–4.2%
3.9–4.0%
<3.9%
Institution↕State↕Tuition 2024↕Projected 2043↕Annual Rate↓Growth Bar
UCLA
CA$44,066$98,4004.4%
+123%
UT Austin
TX$40,996$87,2004.2%
+113%
UNC Chapel Hill
NC$37,558$79,6004.2%
+112%
University of Michigan
MI$57,273$121,8004.1%
+113%
Penn State
PA$40,946$86,8004.1%
+112%
Georgia Tech
GA$33,964$71,2004.1%
+110%
Ohio State
OH$35,019$73,4004%
+110%
Arizona State
AZ$32,673$67,8004%
+108%
Colorado State
CO$30,400$63,2004%
+108%
University of Florida
FL$28,658$59,4003.9%
+107%
Purdue University
IN$28,794$59,6003.9%
+107%
Iowa State
IA$24,508$49,8003.8%
+103%
↗ Click column headers to sort. Projections assume historical 4.0% avg annual tuition inflation.
INTEL_BRIEF_02LAYER: TAX INTELLIGENCE
Intelligence Layer: Tax Advantages

529 State Deduction Heat Map

Annual tax savings on $5,000/year contribution at median household income

Low benefit
High benefit
NY$7
CA
TX
IL$5
PA$5
OH$2
GA$5
NC
MI$4
NJ$6
VA$2
WA
AZ$1
MA$1
IN$2
MN$2
CO$9
WI$2
MO$4
MD$1

Hover a state to see its 529 tax advantage breakdown

▶

Colorado residents saving $20,000/year get up to $880 back at tax time. Over 18 years, that's $15,840 in pure tax recovery — before any growth. Most states offer something. The question is whether you're collecting it.

INTEL_BRIEF_03LAYER: COMPOUND GROWTH ANALYSIS
Projection Engine: Growth Curves

529 vs. Everything Else

529 at Year 18$91K
Savings Acct at 18$58K
529 Advantage+$33K
Fee & Tax Comparison — $200/month over 18 years
VehicleTax AdvantageAvg Annual FeeEffective ReturnYear-18 Value
529 PlanRECOMMENDEDTax-free growth + deduction0.05–0.20%~7.0%$91K
HYSATaxable interest0%~4.0% after tax$58K
Whole Life Ins.Partial tax benefit2–4%~2.5%$48K
Taxable BrokerageCapital gains tax0.05–0.50%~5.5% after tax$84K

The gap doesn't close itself.

See the exact dollar difference between your current trajectory and a funded plan.

Calculate Your Gap →
INTEL_BRIEF_04LAYER: PERSONAL GAP ANALYSIS
Gap Analysis Engine

Calculate Your Gap

Five questions. One number. The difference between doing nothing and starting today.

Question 1 of 50% complete

How old is the child you're saving for?

This determines how many years your money has to compound.

Newborn
Newborn6 years12 years
▶ 18 years of compound growth available
INTEL_BRIEF_05LAYER: FIELD REPORTS
42,847Accounts Opened
$127MTotal Contributed
18States w/ Full Deduction
7.2%Avg Annual Return
Field Reports
"

I set up my daughter's 529 the week she was born. Compound showed me the exact monthly number to hit before her first birthday. That clarity was worth everything.

Marcus Webb, young Black man smiling in casual attire
Marcus WebbSoftware Engineer, 29Austin, TX
Contributing$312/mo
StartedDay 3 of parenthood
"

First in my family to go to college. My son will not carry what I carried. The gap calculator showed me I was $47K short on my current plan. Fixed it in 10 minutes.

Priya Krishnamurthy, South Asian woman in professional attire
Priya KrishnamurthyNurse Practitioner, 31Chicago, IL
Contributing$200/mo
StartedSon's 2nd birthday
"

We found this site at 2 AM after a positive pregnancy test. By 3 AM we had a 529 open and automated. The numbers running in real time made it feel urgent in a good way.

Young couple Jordan and Keisha Torres smiling together
Jordan & Keisha TorresExpecting parents, 27 & 26Atlanta, GA
Contributing$150/mo
StartedBefore the due date

Disclosures: Investment returns shown are illustrative projections based on historical 529 plan averages (7% annualized). Past performance does not guarantee future results. 529 plan tax advantages vary by state. Compound Financial is a registered investment adviser. Not FDIC insured. May lose value.

START
Final Briefing

Either the numbers run for you.
Or they run against you.

A newborn whose parents open a 529 today will have $47,000 more at 18 than one whose parents waited a year. That's not a projection. That's math.

Calculate Your GapReview the Data

No account required to calculate. Takes 90 seconds.