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Hyunmin Kim, Margaret Giles of Morningstar

A 529 college savings plan can be a powerful tool when saving for future education expenses because investments in the plan can increase tax-free, but many savers don’t take full advantage of all the benefits that 529 plans have to offer.

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One common deterrent to investing through a 529 plan is the concern that assets in a 529 account will reduce financial aid eligibility. While it’s true that 529 assets have an impact on financial aid, the effect is likely smaller than you think.

Do 529 plans affect financial aid?

The short answer is yes. An increase in the means to fund higher education naturally means the beneficiary is eligible for less need-based aid. read more

By MATT O’BRIEN, AP Technology Writer

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — After retreating from their workplace diversity, equity and inclusion programs, tech companies could now face a second reckoning over their DEI work in AI products.

In the White House and the Republican-led Congress, “woke AI” has replaced harmful algorithmic discrimination as a problem that needs fixing. Past efforts to “advance equity” in AI development and curb the production of “harmful and biased outputs” are a target of investigation, according to subpoenas sent to Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI and 10 other tech companies last month by the House Judiciary Committee.

And the standard-setting branch of the U.S. Commerce Department has deleted mentions of AI fairness, safety and “responsible AI” in its appeal for collaboration with outside researchers. It is instead instructing scientists to focus on “reducing ideological bias” in a way that will “enable human flourishing and economic competitiveness,” according to a copy of the document obtained by The Associated Press. read more

By ELAINE KURTENBACH

China’s leaders are downplaying the potential impact from U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war, saying they have the capacity to protect jobs and limit damage from higher tariffs on Chinese exports.

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The briefing Monday by several senior officials of different government ministries appeared aimed at shoring up confidence with promises of support for companies and the unemployed, easier lending conditions and other policies to counter the impact of combined tariffs of up to 145% on U.S. imports from China. read more

United Parks & Resorts, parent company of SeaWorld Orlando theme park, is looking to fill more than 5,000 jobs across the country.  It is planning a “summer hiring event” for May 5-9, the company announced Monday.

“The summer season is right around the corner, and we have a great line-up of new rides and attractions, presentations and shows, exclusive experiences offers and craveable food and beverage options for our guests to enjoy,” Marc Swanson, CEO of Orlando-based United Parks, said in a news release.

There are full-time, part-time and season positions in the mix, including jobs at SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica water park, Discovery Cove day resort and United corporate offices in Orlando and Miami.

Among the openings currently posted at careers.seaworldparks.com are bartenders, lifeguards, ride operators, merchandise warehouse workers,  zoological specialists and corporate tax director. There are so-very SeaWorld sounding jobs including divers, coral rescue aquarists, filtration mechanics and cabana service ambassadors, although some postings have been up for more than 30 days. read more

By STAN CHOE, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are giving back some of their big recent gains Monday, ahead of potential flashpoints later this week that could bring more sharp swings for financial markets.

The S&P 500 was down 0.8% in afternoon trading and on track to break a four-day winning streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 145 points, or 0.4%, as of 1:45 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 1.1% lower.

It’s a lull following historic swings that have been rocking markets for weeks, as hopes rise and fall that President Donald Trump may back down on his trade war. Many investors believe Trump’s tariffs could cause a recession if left unchecked.

Coming into Monday, the S&P 500 had roughly halved its drop that had taken it nearly 20% below its record set earlier this year. But weakness for some influential tech stocks ahead of their earnings reports later this week weighed on the market.

Amazon fell 1.6%, Microsoft sank 0.8%, Meta Platforms lost 0.2% and Apple slipped 0.1%. All are on the schedule to report their latest result this week, and they’re some of Wall Street’s most influential companies because they’ve inflated to become some of the biggest in terms of size by far. read more