Assets in 529 college savings plans at the end of the third quarter rose 40.6% from a year earlier, with total assets of $63.4 billion, according to the College Savings Foundation.
   Net new contributions to 529 plans for the third quarter was bout $3.2 billion, up from $2.2 billion a year ago and down from $3.4 billion in the second quarter.
   An analysis of portfolio types found that age-based portfolios-funds of funds where the asset mix becomes more conservative as the beneficiary nears entry to college-represented 69.9% of assets, according to the foundation's third-quarter report. Static portfolios accounted for 23.4% of assets and individual funds represented 6.7%.
   Age-based portfolios also accounted for the largest portion, 78%, of net new contributions, according to the report.