Morningstar has upgraded its rankings on six 529 college-savings plans and downgraded three others, the research firm announced Tuesday.
Bright Start College Savings of Illinois received the biggest boost from Morningstar, going from a bronze in 2016 to the top gold ranking. The other gold programs—Invest529 of Virginia, the Vanguard 529 College Savings Plan of Nevada and the Utah Educational Savings Plan—remained unchanged from last year.
In upgrading the Illinois plan, Morningstar cited its improved investment options and reductions in expenses.
The changes were part of an annual update of Morningstar's rankings of 62 of the largest 529 college-savings plans in the nation—a group that comprises over 95 percent of the $250 billion in assets held in such plans.
Among the downgrades, Franklin Templeton 529 College Savings Plan of New Jersey sank the lowest, dropping from neutral to negative because of its uncompetitive fees and sudden declines in equity exposure that leave it open to market-timing risk, Morningstar said.
CollegeCounts 529 Fund of Alabama was moved up from bronze to silver. “Alabama takes an active role in overseeing the plan, and Union Bank and Trust’s involvement increases our confidence that the plan will remain an exceptional choice for the long haul,” said Leo Acheson, Morningstar’s lead research analyst for 529 college-savings plans.
Scholars Choice College Savings Program of Colorado and BlackRock CollegeAdvantage 529 Plan of Ohio rose from neutral to bronze, becoming Morningstar’s two new medalists. Ohio's plan improved by cutting fees and planning to restructure its age-based portfolios, which allows for a smoother glide path or transition from stocks to bonds as the account holder ages, Morningstar said. Scholars Choice College Savings Program impressed Morningstar with its stability following an acquisition and program-manager shakeup in 2014.