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Most parents want to provide a quality education for their children and many of them choose a 529 plan as the financial vehicle to achieve that goal. But how to select the right plan and how to manage that account through the years can be quite a challenge.

For greater insight, we went directly to six financial experts who have opened and maintained 529 plans for their own children, to see what they looked for in a plan and for their best advice, based on personal experience.

Name and title: Artie Green, a financial planner and adviser for PWJohnson Wealth Management in Sunnyvale, Calif.

Children: Son, Brad, 19, who started college this year. 529 Plan: Ohio CollegeAdvantage 529 Savings Plan

Contributions: In 2007 Green shifted assets from an UTMA, a trust established under the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act, to a 529 plan; though he did not contribute any additional funds, he let the investments grow over the course of two years.

Rationale: Because California does not offer a state income tax break for 529 contributions, Green felt no particular need to stick with his state’s plan. Instead, after consulting with Morningstar’s ratings and searching for plans that offered low costs and plenty of investment options, he chose Ohio’s plan.

Speaking from experience: Don’t discount costs. One of the things we always try to do is minimize costs for our clients, says Green. I think it’s important to look at Morningstar’s reviews because they tend to focus on costs. And if you’re looking to manage the plan yourself, you’ll also want to find a plan with lots of flexibility.

Name and title: Rick Kahler, president of Kahler Financial Group in Rapid City, S.D.

Children: London, 12, and Davin, 8

Contributions: Kahler started funding the plans a month before each child was born. He continues to contribute on a monthly basis; he contributes $300 for his older child and $200 for his younger child.

Rationale: In South Dakota 529 plan participants are required to set up a fund through a broker if they want to do anything other than an age-based plan; because Kahler wasn’t interested in paying the extra fees to a broker, he chose the age-based plan. He also did a needs analysis to determine how much funding he should provide for each child based on the average cost of education.

Speaking from experience: Watch what your adviser does, not just what he says. I don’t do anything different with my kids’ 529 plans than I would with a client’s. If you’re not following your own advice, what does that say to the people who are?