Putnam 529 for America

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Not FDIC Insured

May Lose Value

No Bank Guarantee

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The Challenge

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Sources: The College Board, 2012–2013

College costs are risingFour years of tuition and fees

2012

Public college $37,800

Private college$127,10

0

$157,801

2030

$362,800

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College debt is also rising

• Student debt nationally has reached $1 trillion, higher than car loans or credit cards

• Two thirds of the national college class of 2011 finished school with loan debt

• Average student debt: $26,600

Sources: Federal Reserve Bank of New York's Quarterly Report on Household Debt, Q3 2012, Institute for College Access & Success' Project on Student Debt.,CNNmoney, October 18, 2012

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College still offers life-long benefits

• Linked to long-term social and physical wellness

• Higher income over lifetime, depending upon major selected

• Decreased likelihood of unemployment

* Lumina Foundation and Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce, August 15, 2012.

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Help meet the challenge with a529 plan

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What is a 529 plan?

• A tax-advantaged way for families to save for college

• Available to investors nationwide

• Proceeds can be used for any accredited college

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Benefits of a 529 plan

• Anyone — regardless of income — can contribute to the account

• You can change beneficiaries at any time

• Control of the account will not shift to the child as with traditional savings accounts

• Favorable financial aid treatment

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Benefits of a 529 plan

• Rollovers allowed once every 12 months or upon change of a beneficiary

• Investment changes allowed once per calendar year

• You have other options if the child does not attend college

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The tax-smart way to save

• You pay no federal income taxes– On your earnings while the account is invested

– When you withdraw money to pay for college expenses

• Contributions are made with after-tax dollars

Withdrawals of earnings not used to pay for qualified higher education expenses are subject to tax and a 10% penalty. State taxes may apply. Withdrawals for qualified higher education expenses subject to tax if the American Opportunity Credit Scholarship or Lifetime Learning Credit is claimed for same expenses. If withdrawing funds for qualified higher education expenses from both a 529 account and a Coverdell Education Savings Account, a portion of the earnings distribution may be subject to tax and penalty on amounts that exceed qualified higher education expenses. Read the offering statement for details.

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The tax-smart way to save

• Gift tax benefits: Make five years’ worth of gifts without triggering the federal gift tax

• Maximum for individuals: $70,000 for 2013

• Maximum for married couples: $140,000

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The tax-smart way to saveA 529 account can help decrease your taxable estate while you maintain control over assets

Married couples filing jointly may contribute up to $140,000 per beneficiary. Individuals may contribute up to $70,000. Contributions are generally treated as gifts to the beneficiary for federal gift tax purposes and are subject to annual federal gift tax exclusion amount ($40,000 for 2013). Contributor may elect to treat contribution in excess of that amount (up to $70,000 for 2013) as pro-rated over 5 years. Election is made by filing a federal gift tax return. While contributions are generally excludable from contributor’s gross estate, if electing contributor dies during 5-year period, amounts allocable to years after death are includible in contributor’s gross estate. Consult your tax advisor for more information.

Ω

$140,000

Ω

$140,000

Ω

$140,000

Ω

$140,000

Ω

Grandparents$700,000

Ω

$140,000

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A wide range of investment choices

• Age-based portfolios

• Goal-based portfolios

• Individual fund options from Putnam and other firms

• Putnam Absolute Return Funds

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Age-based portfolios

Newborn 4 8 12 18

Conservative portfolio

StocksBondsCash

Moderate portfolio

Aggressive portfolio

Actively managed and adjust over time, becoming more conservative as the child approaches college age

21%

70%

37%

25%

37%

38%

26%

37%

9%31%

3%66%

85%

100%

15%

Asset allocations shown are target allocations. Actual allocations may vary.The six age-based and goal-based options invest across four broad asset categories: short-term investments, fixed-income investments, U.S. equity investments, and non-U.S. equity investments. Within these categories, investments are spread over a range of asset allocation portfolios that concentrate on different asset classes or reflect different styles.Each age-based option has a different target date, which is based on the year in which the beneficiary of an account was born. The principal value of the funds is not guaranteed at any time, including age-based options closest to the college age.

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Goal-based portfolios

Balanced

Allocations shown are target allocations; actual allocations may vary. See the offering statement for details.

Actively managed and keep the same allocation mix, regardless of the child’s age Aggressive growthGrowth

Balanced Option Growth Option Aggressive Growth Option• Putnam 529 GAA Growth

Portfolio

• Putnam 529 Balanced Portfolio

• Putnam 529 Money Market Portfolio

• Invests in the Putnam 529 GAA Growth Portfolio and Putnam 529 All Equity Portfolio

• Invests in the Putnam 529 GAA All Equity Portfolio

StocksBondsCash

100%85%

15%34%

6%60%

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Individual investment options

Stocks Bonds Cash• Putnam Equity Income Fund

Option

• Putnam International Capital Opportunities Fund Option

• Putnam Voyager Fund Option

• Fidelity Advisor Small Cap Fund Option

• MFS Institutional International Equity Fund Option

• Principal MidCap Fund Option

• SSgA S&P 500® Index Fund Option

• Putnam High Yield Trust Option

• Putnam Income Fund Option

• Federated U.S. Government Securities Fund: 2–5 years Option

Capital preservation money market: Putnam Money Market Fund Option*

Build your own portfolio with a range of choices

* Although a money market fund seeks to preserve the value of your investment at $1.00 per share, it is possible to lose money by investing in a money market fund. Money market funds are not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other governmental agency.The plan involves investment risk, including the loss of principal.

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Absolute Return Funds• Putnam 529 for America is the only 529 account to offer a suite of

absolute return funds as an investment option

• The funds target positive 3-year returns of 1%, 3%, 5%,or 7% above inflation as measured by T-bills andwith lower relative volatility

Absolute return investing can be an ally in helping to navigate today’s market volatility

Chart does not represent the performance of Putnam Absolute Return Funds. Actual performance can be found on putnam.com.The funds’ strategies are designed to be largely independent of market direction, and the funds are not intended to outperform stocks and bonds during strong market rallies. There is no guarantee that the funds will meet their objectives.

Putnam AbsoluteReturn 100




+7%

+5%

+3%

+1%

® ® ® ®

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Putnam Absolute Return FundsPutnam Absolute Return 100 Fund® option

Putnam Absolute Return 300 Fund® option



For investors considering short-term securities. Invests in bonds and cash instruments.

For investors considering a bond fund. Invests in bonds and cash instruments.

For investors considering a balanced fund. Can invest in bonds, stocks, or alternative asset classes.

For investors considering a stock fund. Can invest in bonds, stocks, or alternative asset classes.

The funds’ strategies are designed to be largely independent of market direction, and the funds are not intended to outperform stocks and bonds during strong market rallies. Consider these risks before investing: Our allocation of assets among permitted asset categories may hurt performance. The prices of stocks and bonds in the fund’s portfolio may fall or fail to rise over extended periods of time for a variety of reasons, including both general financial market conditions and factors related to a specific issuer or industry. Our active trading strategy may lose money or not earn a return sufficient to cover associated trading and other costs. Our use of leverage obtained through derivatives increases these risks by increasing investment exposure. Bond investments are subject to interest-rate risk, which means the prices of the fund’s bond investments are likely to fall if interest rates rise. Bond investments also are subject to credit risk, which is the risk that the issuer of the bond may default on payment of interest or principal. Interest-rate risk is generally greater for longer-term bonds, and credit risk is generally greater for below-investment-grade bonds, which may be considered speculative. Unlike bonds, funds that invest in bonds have ongoing fees and expenses. Lower-rated bonds may offer higher yields in return for more risk. Funds that invest in government securities are not guaranteed. Mortgage-backed securities are subject to prepayment risk. International investing involves certain risks, such as currency fluctuations, economic instability, and political developments. Additional risks may be associated with emerging-market securities, including illiquidity and volatility. The use of derivatives involves additional risks, such as the potential inability to terminate or sell derivatives positions and the potential failure of the other party to the instrument to meet its obligations. The fund may not achieve its goal, and it is not intended to be a complete investment program. The fund’s effort to produce lower volatility returns may not be successful and may make it more difficult at times for the fund to achieve its targeted return. In addition, under certain market conditions, the fund may accept greater volatility than would typically be the case, in order to seek its targeted return. For the 500 Fund and 700 Fund these risks also apply: REITs involve the risks of real estate investing, including declining property values. Commodities involve the risks of changes in market, political, regulatory, and natural conditions. Investments in small and/or midsize companies increase the risk of greater price fluctuations. Growth stocks may be more susceptible to earnings disappointments, and value stocks may fail to rebound. Additional risks are listed in the funds’ prospectus.

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$500 monthly contributions at a hypothetical 6% annual growth rate

5 years 10 years 18 years

$163,477Hypothetical taxable account value

$193,677Hypothetical529 account value

$81,940

$75,007$34,885

$33,446

Your savings accumulate faster because account is not taxed

This example assumes contributions of $500 per month, a hypothetical 6% nominal rate of return compounded monthly with an effective return of 6.17%, and a 28% tax bracket for the taxable account. Performance shown is for illustrative purposes and is not related to an actual investment. Regular investing does not ensure a profit or protect against loss in a declining market. Capital gains, exemptions, deductions, and local taxes are not reflected. Certain returns in a taxable account are subject to capital gains tax, which is generally a lower rate than ordinary income tax rates and would make the investment return for the taxable investment more favorable than reflected on the chart. Investors should consider their personal investment horizon and income tax brackets, both current and anticipated, when making an investment decision. These may further impact the results of the comparison.

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The Smith family waits 10 yearsto start saving, contributing$1,219 every month

Total contribution$117,024

The Jones family starts saving today, contributing$340 every month

Total contribution$73,440

Start early, contribute often

This chart is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be representative of past or future performance.The Jones family saves $340 monthly for 18 years. The Smith family saves $1,219 monthly for 8 years. Assumes a hypothetical 8% annual return compounded monthly.

Earnings$89,714

Account value$163,154after 18 years

Earnings$46,130


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The Jones grandfather makes an initial contribution of $14,000

Totalcontribution$62,816

The Jones parents contribute $226 every month

Let the whole family contribute

This chart is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be representative of past or future performance.The Jones grandfather makes a lump-sum contribution of $14,000 today. The Jones parents contribute $226 each month.Assumes a hypothetical 8% annual return compounded monthly.

Earnings$104,492


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A gift of $70,000 in 2013 would constitute five years’ worth of gifts. Additional gifts made for the same beneficiary in the same five-year period would be subject to federal gift taxes. Election is made by filing a federal gift tax return. If the electing contributor dies during the 5-year period, amounts allocable to year after death are inducible in the contributor’s gross estate.

* Contribution limit as of 1/1/13. Subject to periodic review.

How much can you contribute?

• No minimum investment

• Contributions can occur until the account value reaches $370,000*

• Contribute five years’ worth of gifts in a single year

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Many ways to contribute

• Invest a lump sum

• Establish a dollar cost averaging program

• Establish a systematic investment program from your bank

• Encourage contributions with gift certificates

Systematic investing and dollar cost averaging do not assure a profit or protect against loss in a declining market. You should consider your ability to continue investing during periods of low prices.

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Withdrawals are easy

• You tell us how tomake out the check

• Mail the completed formto Putnam Investments

Withdrawals of earnings not used to pay for qualified higher education expenses are subject to tax and a 10% penalty. State taxes may apply.

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• Contact [insert broker name]

• Call 1-877-PUTNAM529

• Visit putnam.com/529

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Not FDIC Insured

May Lose Value

No Bank Guarantee

Delete “They are the faces of the future”

Economy & Finance

Putnam 529 for America