BND Announces $529 Recipient During College Savings Month

BISMARCK–September 9, 2008–September is National College Savings Month, and once again North Dakota’s 529 college savings plan is helping a young North Dakotan and her family to start saving now. Ten-year old Marissa Meidinger of Zeeland has jumpstarted her College SAVE plan with a $529 award from Bank of North Dakota (BND).

College SAVE is North Dakota’s state-sponsored, tax-advantaged 529 college savings plan administered by Bank of North Dakota.

While at this year’s North Dakota State Fair in Minot, Marissa and her family stopped by the College SAVE booth to paint on the fair’s first ever giant mural and sign up for the $529 drawing.

“Winning a contest like this is a good reminder to save for college,” says Michele Meidinger. “We have two girls who plan on attending college. With the cost of college going up all the time, this is a good incentive to start saving. I plan on adding to the fund as much as I can now that I have a start.”

Marissa is in the fifth grade at Zeeland Public School and she would like to become a photographer one day.

“Bank of North Dakota is committed to our state and its citizens,” explained Eric Hardmeyer, Bank of North Dakota President. “We congratulate Marissa and her family, and we encourage families across the state to start thinking about saving for college. Contributing to a College SAVE account now is a smart investment in your child’s future.”

For more information about North Dakota’s College SAVE Plan, call 1-866-SAVE-529 (1-866-728-3529) or visit www.collegesave4u.com to obtain a Plan Disclosure Statement. Investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other important information are included in the Plan Disclosure Statement; read and consider it carefully before investing. Upromise Investments, Inc. serves as Distributor and Underwriter.

If you are not a North Dakota taxpayer, consider before investing whether your or the designated beneficiary’s home state offers any state tax or other benefits that are only available for investments in such state’s qualified tuition program.

The College SAVE Plan is a 529 plan established by the State of North Dakota. Bank of North Dakota acts as trustee of the College SAVE Trust and is responsible for administering the Plan. Upromise Investments, Inc., and Upromise Investment Advisors, LLC, serve as the Plan Manager and Recordkeeping and Servicing Agent, respectively, with overall responsibility for the day-to-day operations, including effecting transactions and marketing and distribution of the Plan. The Vanguard Group, Inc. provides underlying investments for the Plan. The Plan’s Portfolios, although they invest in mutual funds, are not mutual funds. Units of the Portfolios are municipal fund securities and the value of units will vary with market conditions.

Investment returns are not guaranteed, and you could lose money by investing in the College SAVE Plan.

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