MOST
MOST is Missouri's state-sponsored 529 education savings plan, administered by the Missouri State Treasurer's Office since 1999. It offers tax-advantaged Vanguard- and DFA-managed portfolios to Missouri families and savers nationwide for college, K-12, apprenticeship, and Roth IRA rollover purposes.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersKansas City, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What MOST does
MOST — Missouri's 529 Education Plan — is a state-sponsored Section 529 education savings program established in 1999 by the State of Missouri and administered by the Missouri Education Program Board under the Missouri State Treasurer's Office. The plan enables families to save tax-advantaged dollars for qualified education expenses including higher education, K-12 tuition (up to $20,000/year from January 2026), apprenticeship programs, student loan repayment (up to $10,000 lifetime), and, effective January 1, 2024, rollovers into a Roth IRA (up to $35,000 lifetime). The product surface comprises Age-Based Portfolios that automatically rebalance from aggressive to conservative as the beneficiary approaches college age, plus 16-17 Individual Portfolios spanning stock, balanced, and bond categories managed by Vanguard and Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA). Supporting tooling includes the READYSAVE 529 mobile app (iOS/Android), the Ugift gifting service, and an Upromise cashback rewards integration.
The operating model is asset-based and outsourced. Ascensus College Savings Recordkeeping Services serves as Program Manager and Recordkeeping/Servicing Agent, with day-to-day administration, marketing, and recordkeeping delegated to it; Vanguard acts as Investment Manager; DFA provides factor-based portfolio options. Asset-based management fees ranging from 0.17% to 0.42% are deducted from underlying fund investments and accrue primarily to these operating partners rather than being retained by the trust itself. Customer acquisition runs through direct-to-consumer channels (website and mobile app), employer-sponsored voluntary benefit programs with payroll direct deposit starting at $1 per pay period, and a financial-advisor portal (529 QuickView). Headcount within the program sponsor is 1-10, reflecting the lean governance layer atop the outsourced operating stack. Primary customers are Missouri families (who receive the state tax deduction of up to $8,000/$16,000 single/married); Missouri employers and financial professionals are secondary channels. Over 20 years to 2019 the plan accumulated more than $3.13 billion in contributions and 256,000 enrolled children, and is currently open to savers in all 50 states.
MOST firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MOST
- Legal name
- Missouri Education Program
- Website
- https://missourimost.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- MOST is Missouri's state-sponsored 529 education savings plan, administered by the Missouri State Treasurer's Office since 1999. It offers tax-advantaged Vanguard- and DFA-managed portfolios to Missouri families and savers nationwide for college, K-12, apprenticeship, and Roth IRA rollover purposes.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MOST industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Education Savings / 529 Plan
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Education Funding Planning (College/529) (FSAEAAAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Tax-Advantaged Investing & Wrappers (ISA, 529, Insurance Bonds, etc.) (FSAAAAAL)
Keywords
Where MOST is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kansas City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
MOST business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Asset-Based Management Fees: The plan charges an annualized asset-based management fee ranging from 0.17% to 0.42%, depending on the portfolio(s) chosen. This fee is deducted from the underlying fund investments managed by Vanguard and DFA.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | No minimum initial contribution |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
MOST product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MOST—Missouri's 529 Education Plan is a state-sponsored tax-advantaged education savings program that enables families to invest for qualified higher education, K-12 tuition, apprenticeship, and student loan repayment expenses. The plan offers age-based and individual investment portfolios managed by Vanguard and Dimensional Fund Advisors, with no minimum contribution and annual asset-based fees of 0.17% to 0.42%. Account holders can manage their savings through the MOST website, the READYSAVE 529 mobile app, employer payroll direct deposit, or financial advisors via the 529 QuickView platform.
Product overview
MOST (Missouri's 529 Education Plan) is a state-sponsored education savings plan administered by the Missouri State Treasurer's Office in partnership with Vanguard, Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA), and Ascensus. The core offering is the 529 Education Plan providing tax-advantaged savings for higher education and K-12 expenses. The plan offers two main investment approaches: Age-Based Portfolios (automatically adjusting from aggressive to conservative as college approaches) and Individual Portfolios (16-17 self-directed options for DIY investors). Supporting services include the READYSAVE mobile app, Ugift for gift contributions, and Upromise rewards. Investment management is split between Vanguard (majority of portfolios including stock, bond, and balanced options) and DFA (value and small-cap oriented portfolios). The plan charges annual asset-based fees ranging from 0.17% to 0.42%, with no minimum contribution required to open an account.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- MOST 529 Education Plan
- Age-Based Portfolios
- Individual Portfolios
- Vanguard International Stock ex-China Portfolio
- 529 to Roth IRA Rollover
- Qualified Postsecondary Credentialing Expenses
- READYSAVE 529 App
- Ugift
- Upromise Rewards
Quantifiable outcome
- $864 annual tax savings for Missouri residents maxing contributions ($16,000 married filing jointly)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use MOST
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
MOST technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature3 records
MOST partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- VanguardcoreVanguard serves as the Investment Manager for the MOST 529 Plan. Vanguard is one of the world's largest global investment management companies with approximately $7.9 trillion in assets (as of May 2021). Vanguard offers over 210 U.S. funds and provides low-cost investment management for the plan's portfolios.
- Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA)coreDimensional Fund Advisors manages $637 billion (as of March 31, 2021) for investors worldwide with 13 offices globally. DFA provides investment solutions across asset classes including global equities, fixed income, and REITs for certain MOST 529 individual portfolios.
- Ascensus College Savings Recordkeeping Services, LLCcoreAscensus serves as the Program Manager and Recordkeeping and Servicing Agent for MOST 529. Together with its affiliates, Ascensus provides program management and administration services for direct, advisor, and prepaid education savings plans sponsored by 25 states and the District of Columbia. Ascensus has overall responsibility for day-to-day operations including administrative services and marketing.
- Upromise, LLCminorUpromise is a free rewards service that helps families save for college by earning cash back on everyday purchases. Rewards are automatically deposited into linked MOST 529 accounts when they reach $50. Members can earn bonus rewards by signing up and linking their account.
- Missouri State Treasurer's OfficecoreThe Missouri State Treasurer's Office sponsors MOST 529, Missouri's official 529 education savings plan. The State Treasurer's Office provides oversight through the Missouri Education Program Board and offers state tax benefits to Missouri taxpayers.
- UgiftminorUgift is a service that allows family and friends to give meaningful gifts by contributing to a MOST 529 account. Gift givers can obtain a unique Ugift code and make contributions for birthdays, holidays, graduations, and other occasions.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
MOST competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bright Start 529 (Illinois): Illinois's direct-sold 529 plan managed primarily with Vanguard portfolios and offering competitive fee tiers. Directly comparable to MOST on low-cost Vanguard-managed structure, age-based portfolios, and nationwide availability.
- Bright Directions 529 (Illinois): Illinois's advisor-sold 529 plan, distributed through financial advisors and brokers. Comparable to MOST's advisor channel (529 QuickView) and competes for the same intermediary-driven contribution flow.
- New Mexico's 529 Plan (The Education Plan): New Mexico's 529 program offering direct-sold and advisor-sold tracks with multi-manager portfolios. Comparable to MOST on dual distribution, age-based and individual portfolio menu, and state-tax-deduction positioning.
- Utah Educational Savings Plan (UESP): One of the largest and lowest-fee 529 plans in the U.S., distributed nationwide with Vanguard-managed portfolios. Directly comparable to MOST on cost leadership, age-based/individual portfolio structure, and aggressive out-of-state acquisition strategy; widely cited as the fee benchmark MOST competes against.
- CollegeAmerica (American Funds): Large national advisor-sold 529 plan featuring American Funds (Capital Group) actively managed portfolios. Directly comparable to MOST as an advisor-channel 529 competitor competing for the same financial-professional-driven flow.
- Virginia529: Virginia's state 529 program offering both direct-sold (Invest529) and advisor-sold (CollegeAmerica/American Funds) tracks. Directly comparable to MOST on dual direct/advisor distribution, age-based and individual portfolios, and broad nationwide acceptance.
- Michigan Education Savings Program (MESP): Michigan's advisor-sold 529 program with low fees and a broad advisor distribution channel. Directly comparable to MOST on age-based/individual portfolio offerings and the dual direct/advisor go-to-market model.
- ScholarShare 529 (California): California's official 529 plan, offered through TIAA-CREF and Vanguard portfolios with strong brand recognition and state tax deduction. Directly comparable to MOST as a large state-sponsored plan with multi-manager portfolio offerings and nationwide availability.
- New York 529 College Savings Program (NYSaves): New York's direct-sold 529 plan, also featuring Vanguard-managed portfolios and Upromise rewards integration. Directly competes with MOST for nationwide savers prioritizing low-cost Vanguard index options and competes against MOST's Missouri tax-deduction advantage for in-state NY savers.
Others
- Ascensus College Savings: Program manager and recordkeeper for MOST and 25 other state 529 plans. While MOST's program management partner rather than a direct competitor, Ascensus operates and white-labels competing 529 programs and is the most operationally intertwined counterparty in MOST's stack.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights1 record
Customer concentration
MOST social profiles
Digital presenceMOST financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MOST leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
MOST funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MOST M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about MOST
What does MOST do?
MOST—Missouri's 529 Education Plan is a state-sponsored tax-advantaged education savings program that enables families to invest for qualified higher education, K-12 tuition, apprenticeship, and student loan repayment expenses. The plan offers age-based and individual investment portfolios managed by Vanguard and Dimensional Fund Advisors, with no minimum contribution and annual asset-based fees of 0.17% to 0.42%. Account holders can manage their savings through the MOST website, the READYSAVE 529 mobile app, employer payroll direct deposit, or financial advisors via the 529 QuickView platform.
Is MOST a public or private company?
MOST is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was MOST founded?
MOST was founded in 1999. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is MOST based?
MOST is headquartered in Kansas City, United States, in the North America region.
How does MOST make money?
One revenue line is on record: asset-Based Management Fees.
Who are MOST's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bright Start 529 (Illinois), Bright Directions 529 (Illinois), New Mexico's 529 Plan (The Education Plan), Utah Educational Savings Plan (UESP), CollegeAmerica (American Funds), Virginia529, Michigan Education Savings Program (MESP), ScholarShare 529 (California) and New York 529 College Savings Program (NYSaves). Ascensus College Savings is listed as an others.
Does MOST have an API?
No public API is recorded for MOST.
What industry is MOST in?
MOST's product category is Education Savings / 529 Plan. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEAAAF, Education Funding Planning (College/529), with a secondary code of FSAAAAAL, Tax-Advantaged Investing & Wrappers (ISA, 529, Insurance Bonds, etc.). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.