How has the CST Plan changed over the years?

CST Plans have been around over 59 years, which means that our products have undergone a few changes along the way. Our group plans have had several names and iterations over the years (Plan I, Plan II, Founders’ Plan, Group Savings Plan,  and Group Savings Plan 2001 now called CST Advantage Plan). Tens of thousands of children have benefited from each of these plans and we’re expecting tens of thousands more children to benefit from our current plans. It’s important to remember each of these products has their unique attributes; the plan we sold to a family 17 years ago may not be the same as the one we sell today. With each of our plans we’ve made improvements along the way based on feedback from our customers. For example, many people told us that they loved the benefits of a CST group plan but wanted more flexibility. With CST Advantage Plan, we are now able to offer more time to collect EAP payments, the flexibility to skip contributions (if needed), the ability to keep your principal in the plan after maturity to continue to grow, a variety of eligible institutions to choose from and a choice of studying full or part-time. In 1997 and 1999, we launched our Family Savings Plan and Individual Savings Plan respectively, allowing families to take advantage of changes made to the Income Tax Act (Canada). These plans allow parents to invest in a self-determined RESP. Although these plans don’t offer the same benefits as a group plan, they’re still a great way to save for your child’s education.