Parents: Set up a 529
For those planning to send children off to college, investing in a 529, or a “qualified tuition plan,” is among the best money-saving moves you can make. You can contribute up to $70,000—or double that, for married couples—for each beneficiary before the federal gift tax kicks in. This year, for a $70,000 contribution, the gift tax hovers around 25 percent, which means you can save yourself up to $17,500.