Description

Welcome to Backer! Get the best 529 plan for your family, invite family & friends to chip in, and watch your savings grow. Join the 200K+ parents and kids we’ve already helped avoid over $500,000,000 in future student debt.

TO COLLEGE AND BEYOND!
Studies have shown that having even a bit of college savings can propel a young person toward the college of their dreams. With Backer, you can supercharge this effect by building a team of supporters (“backers”) for your kid.

• SIMPLE - Get the right 529 plan for your child in just 5 minutes
• SMART - Enroll for free, with no monthly subscription
• SOCIAL - Boost your savings with gifts from family & friends

THE RIGHT 529 PLAN FOR YOU
529s are confusing, with over 100 different ones in the U.S. We’ve done the hard work of evaluating them so we can recommend the right one for your family in just a few minutes.

SUPER SIMPLE SAVINGS
Paperless setup. Automated contributions. Real-time projected savings. It's everything you need to manage your fund, all from your phone.

GIFTS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Every fund has a custom link that’s easy to share, so family & friends can contribute. Think birthdays, holidays... Wednesdays. And you can keep your backers engaged by sharing family updates all year round.

SAVE MONEY FOR COLLEGE TAX-FREE
A 529 is like a 401K for education, so you can grow your savings tax-free. Your Backer 529 savings can be used to cover all kinds of education expenses, not just college tuition. Think books and supplies, housing, K12 tuition, bootcamps, apprenticeships, and more. If you've been wondering how you'll be able to save enough for college, a 529 plan is the answer.

SECURITY YOU CAN TRUST
Your account is protected with the strongest available browser encryption and secure servers monitored 24/7/365. Your 529 investments are managed in a government-sponsored account that you can access any time.

NEED OUR HELP?
Head over to help.backer.com or reach out to our team at [email protected] with any questions.

Disclosures: This app is operated by Principly, Inc., an SEC-registered investment adviser using the trade name Backer. Investing involves risks, and any account you open or send money to may lose value. Investing in 529 plans in particular involves certain tax considerations and related risks. For disclosures, see backer.com/legal. "Backer" is a registered trademark of Principly, Inc. Copyright © 2023.

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User Rating

4.74 out of 5

459 ratings in United States

5 star

406

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Backer Reviews

Good but needs improvements

I love the idea and the app is generally easy to use, but I’ve identified a few bugs/areas for improvement that have made the app pretty frustrating to use. 1. I can’t figure out a way to make a one-time contribution. The only option seems to be to adjust my recurring contribution, but I was hoping to dump some extra money into the fund when I find myself with extra money in my checking account. 2. I made my husband a fund manager on my kids’ account, but the app somehow changed my name to his as well. So when our kids receive contributions from each of us, his name shows up as the contributor for both transactions. Not great for record-keeping. 3. My daughter’s birthday is coming up and I’m planning to send friends and family a link to her Backer account, so I was fussing with some settings on the backend. I was trying to preview what it would look like as a prospective backer, but the link to the preview page was broken. Argh.

529s on easy mode

As a parent looking for an efficient way to save for my child's college education, Backer hits the mark like never before! The app simply blew me away with its user-friendly interface and seamless integration of tax-free savings options. Planting the seed for my son’s educational future has never been so easy. The app not only helps me track our progress but also provides excellent tips and guidance on choosing the best 529 plan for our family. This makes it tailor-made for first-time savers as well as seasoned investors. Accessing and monitoring my account is a breeze, with top-notch security measures to ensure our hard-earned money stays safe. And as an added bonus, the app's customer support always goes above and beyond, providing timely answers to any questions that sprout up. They're always eager to help and keep my peace of mind intact. In conclusion, the Backer App is a fantastic tool for any ambitious parent who wants to nurture the growth of their little sapling's higher education fund. I highly recommend this app to harvest those valuable tax-free savings and give your child the brightest future possible. Don't leaf it to chance – start saving now, and watch your investments grow! 🌱🎓💰

Great way to save for your daughters education

I was really confused about how to set everything up for my child until I heard about this app. I found it very intuitive to use.

Did Not Invest My Contributions

I have put thousands into my daughter’s 529 via backer yet it’s not actually invested. They charge 5 dollars a month to be a checking account. I’ve also had a hard time with their customer service.

Great service but marginal app

I started a 529 for my daughter via Backer but have been frustrated by bugs or missing components in the iPhone app. For instance, I cannot save any edits I make to my profile and there is no gear symbol to update my daughter’s profile like in the desktop web-based version. In fact, at this time, the “Save” button doesn’t work on any version of the Backer platform. This is an elementary stuff, please fix your user interfaces!

Trustworthy

I was asked to verify my bank account. However, after giving my banking information there were no “next steps”.

Objection.

I object to the $4.50. The added “tip” to my donation of $50.00

Upgrades needed

The app and savings is great. I just wish it was possible that they a deposit account were I can direct deposit to every week or two weeks. It is like putting my account on auto pilot. Growing the account faster. Because waiting for the one withdrawal a month is lame. Something may happen and you need that money. Also, wish that they could withdraw the money much faster. Like other app withdrawal instant or that night. Faster ACH processing. And connected to plaid to make deposits to the account.

Surprise - there’s a fee

I wanted to use this to link to my existing NY 529 plans that have no app. Easy setup and link - all good. After linking, it forces you into choosing a monthly fee to continue. They get all your data and then surprise, they want $2 a month.

Page won’t fully load

I cannot contribute because as soon as I get to the financial portion, the page loads only a fraction of the viewable information. Half the screen is cut off vertically in the app. Wish I could upload the image here. Please fix the bug.

Store Rankings

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Name

UNest: Investing for Your Kids

Family Finance Made Easy

Unifimoney - Save Invest Earn

The Money Superapp

READYSAVE 529

Worthy Financial - Earn 5%

Live for now. Save for later.

EarlyBird: Time Capsule

Save Memories For Your Baby

Flyte Kids Invest, Save, Spend

No Fees Debit Card, Investing

Sootchy: 529 College Savings

Debt-Free Education for All

Upromise: Cash Back Rewards

Earn cash, save for college.

Fabric by Gerber Life

Life insurance, wills & more

Recoup: Refund Wasted Expenses

Reclaim Your Hard-Earned Money

App Info

Last updated

1 month ago

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