<prompt> Human: The title is pretty self explanatory. Im due in January and we want to start saving a little at a time early on. Is there somewhere wed get a great interest rate if we dont touch it until hes 18? What if he doesnt go to college? Could he touch it for something like trade school? Any ideas welcome. We arent going to be putting in a large sum at first. Looking more to contribute a set small amount each month type thing. Assistant: Does anyone also know if 529 plans would cover a trade school? What would happen if we started a 529 plan and say, god forbid, something happened and he couldnt attend for a medical reason or something like that. Do we just loose that money?  <response>: 529 plans can be used for any post secondary education including trade school. They can also be used for elementary and high school as of 2018.You never loose the money. If you dont use it for education expenses, there is a penalty to withdraw. You can also change beneficiary and use it for the education of someone else, including yourself. 