Need to tap your 529 college savings? How to handle a market downturn
Klaus Vedfelt | DigitalVision | Getty ImagesMonths of stock market volatility may deliver a costly surprise to parents sending children to school this fall: smaller-than-expected 529 college savings plan balances. The average 529 account size was $30,287 in 2021, according to the College Savings Plans Network, but families may now have lower balances, financial experts say.And it may be a "rude awakening" for parents scrambling to make their first payments in August, said certified financial planner Lisa Kirchenbauer,…