The best gift is a good education. So before you start shopping for holiday gifts for your children or grandchildren, consider opening a 529 college savings plan account. These tax-sheltered college savings incentives are easy to open, require no major investment decisions and will be appreciated in the future — even if the recipients don't seem very excited about it now.

Here are five things you should know about 529 plans:

All plans share some nice advantages: All 529 plans follow the same basic federal rules. Money invested in any state's plan can be used for any child in the family, at any college or university in any state, for approved educational costs, such as tuition, room and board, and books.

The money invested within the plan grows tax-free. And when it is withdrawn in the future to pay for college education expenses, there is no tax. Investment choices are few and easy; most choose age-based plans that move into more conservative investments as college draws closer.

There are many options: There are two great websites that will give you performance comparisons: SavingforCollege.com and Morningstar.com. Each has recently posted performance ratings for the past year and previous three- and five-year periods. The results consider costs as well as gains. You can easily choose a plan and click the link to the plan website to open an account online or use the toll-free number.

Minimum contributions are low: Most plans allow you to open an account with a very low minimum — some as low as $25. Then you can set up a regular plan of automatic monthly contributions from your checking account. Other family members can also contribute to the same plan.

Note: Some 529 plans are linked to spending rebate offers, such as UPromise. Ask relatives to link up their credit cards so their spending will generate automatic contributions.

The plans offer a generous estate planning deal: Most parents and grandparents will contribute far less than the allowable $14,000 a year gift. Above this amount, a federal gift tax return must be filed. But there is a special exception for 529 plans. Givers can “front-load” their contribution, giving up to five times the allowable annual gift tax amount in one year.

They have a low impact on financial aid: Assets held in the 529 plan are considered parental assets in the financial aid formula and have far less impact on the aid process than assets held directly by a student or in a custodial account. And when money is withdrawn to pay for college, it is not considered parental income, so it does not impact the next year's financial aid.

Assets held in a plan “owned” by a grandparent are not considered in the aid formula. But when money is withdrawn to pay for college, it is considered “student income” — and has a far greater impact on the next year's aid. One strategy is to use these assets only in the last two years of college.

Opening a 529 college savings plan is one of the easiest investment decisions you can make. That's the Savage Truth.

Terry Savage is a registered investment adviser and author of four best-selling books. She responds to questions on her blog at TerrySavage.com.