Legg Mason's Scholars Choice® College Savings Program Ranked #1 again for the 5-year period

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BALTIMORE, April 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Legg Mason, Inc. LM announced today that its Scholars Choice College Savings Program has once again been named the #1 performing advisor-sold 529 Plan — by Savingforcollege.com — for its 5-year track record (for the period ended December 31, 2014). The Legg Mason Plan was named the #2 Plan for both the 1- and 3-year periods. Even more impressive is the fact that the Legg Mason Plan has been ranked among the top 4 for the 1-year period — for over five years running.

On a related note, Western Asset, manager of five of the underlying funds in the Scholars Choice portfolios — including Western Asset Core Plus Bond Fund – was honored by Morningstar as the 2014 U.S. Fixed-Income Fund Manager of the Year.[1]

"Total assets in 529 Plans have reached nearly a quarter of a trillion dollars," noted Wayne Lin, Portfolio Manager at QS Investors, the Legg Mason affiliate charged with fund selection and asset allocation for the Plan. "Yet, few 529 Plans deliver consistent long-term performance and high-quality investment options. We are proud to belong to such a select group."

"Thanks to crucial tax benefits, 529s have become increasingly popular," commented Joe Hurley, founder of Savingforcollege.com. "Our rankings help investors narrow the field of 529 plans with an eye toward established track records and strong historical investment returns." Savingforcollege.com — an independent website — is generally regarded by industry professionals as the leading authority on college savings plans.

All Savingforcollege.com rankings are as of December 31, 2014 and are based on the universe of 30 advisor-sold plans for Class A share performance (including maximum sales charges). The portfolios within the plans are compared and ranked based on published investment returns. The plan's composite ranking is determined by the average of its percentile ranking. The program ranked 2, 2, 1 and 8 for the quarterly rolling 1-, 3-, 5- and 10-year periods, respectively. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. The performance and rankings discussed are inherently limited and are not indicative of longer-term performance. Current performance may be lower or higher than performance results used for these rankings, resulting in different rankings that may be lower than those shown. Market volatility, interest rate changes and economic events, among other factors, can affect an investment's short-term returns.

Ranking Methodology
Savingforcollege.com derives the rankings using each plan's relevant portfolio performance in seven unique asset allocation categories: 100% Equity, 80% Equity, 60% Equity, 40% Equity, 20% Equity, 100% Fixed and 100% Short Term. The plan's composite ranking is determined by the average of its percentile ranking in these categories. Within each category, portfolios are compared and ranked based on published investment returns. Separate rankings are produced for 1-, 3-, 5- and 10-year periods. In addition, two versions of rankings for each performance period are produced: one based on performance without sales charges and the other based on performance with maximum sales charges. Please visit Savingforcollege.com for more information about the ranking.

Additional unit classes may exist for each plan ranked. Please refer to each plan's program disclosure statement for more information regarding its performance, fees and expenses. For Scholars Choice's program disclosure statement, please visit scholars-choice.com.

About Legg Mason
Legg Mason is a global asset management firm with $709* billion in assets under management. The Company provides active asset management in many major investment centers throughout the world. Legg Mason is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, and its common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange LM.

About Scholars Choice
The Scholars Choice College Savings Program is the advisor-sold College Savings Program for the State of Colorado and is also used by investors and financial advisors throughout the U.S. It is one of the largest advisor-sold 529 college savings plans[2], with assets of over $3.5 billion*. Scholars Choice is managed by QS Legg Mason Global Asset Allocation, LLC and primarily distributed by Legg Mason Investors Services, LLC. It is one of the lowest-cost advisor-sold 529 college savings plans[3].

Scholars Choice offers seven Age-Based Portfolios, five Years-to-Enrollment portfolios, and six Static Portfolios. Investment options encompass a wide range of carefully constructed portfolios consisting of funds managed by Legg Mason affiliates including QS Batterymarch Financial Management, Brandywine Global Investment Management, ClearBridge Investments, Royce & Associates and Western Asset Management; and two unaffiliated funds managed by Thornburg Investment Management and Templeton Global Advisors Limited.

Important Information
An investor should consider the Program's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses before investing. The Program Disclosure Statement at scholars-choice.com, which contains more information, should be read carefully before investing. If an investor and/or an investor's beneficiary are not Colorado taxpayers, they should consider before investing whether their home states offer 529 plans that provide state tax and other benefits only available to state taxpayers investing in such plans.

Investments in the Scholars Choice College Savings Program are not insured by the FDIC or any other government agency and are not deposits or other obligations of any depository institution. Investments are not guaranteed by the State of Colorado; CollegeInvest, QS Legg Mason Global Asset Allocation, LLC; Legg Mason Investor Services, LLC; or Legg Mason, Inc. or its affiliates, and are subject to investment risks, including loss of principal amount invested.

Scholars Choice is a registered service mark of CollegeInvest. CollegeInvest and the CollegeInvest logo are registered trademarks. Administered and issued by CollegeInvest, State of Colorado. QS Legg Mason Global Asset Allocation, LLC, Investment Manager. Legg Mason Investor Services, LLC is the primary distributor of interest in the Program; together, they serve as Manager of the Program. QS Legg Mason Global Asset Allocation, LLC; ClearBridge Investments, LLC; QS Batterymarch Financial Management, Inc.; Brandywine Global Investment Management, LLC; Royce & Associates, LLC; Western Asset Management Company and Western Asset Management Company Limited; and Legg Mason Investor Services, LLC are Legg Mason, Inc. affiliates. Thornburg Investment Management and Templeton Global Advisors Limited are not affiliated with Legg Mason, Inc. and its affiliates.

QS Legg Mason Global Asset Allocation (QS LMGAA) is part of the combined QS Investors investment platform, which is comprised of QS Investors, LLC, QS Batterymarch Financial Management, Inc. and QS LMGAA.

*As of 12/31/14.
[1] Awarded to Ken Leech, Carl Eichstaedt, and Mark Lindbloom for Western Asset Core Bond Fund (WACSX) and Western Asset Core Plus Bond Fund (WAPSX) named Morningstar 2014 U.S. Fixed-Income Fund Manager of the Year, United States of America. Morningstar Awards 2015 © Morningstar, Inc. Western Asset Core Plus Bond Fund is not available in all Scholars Choice investment options. Morningstar Fund Manager of the Year award recognizes portfolio managers who demonstrate excellent investment skill and the courage to differ from the consensus to benefit investors. To qualify for the award, managers' funds must have not only posted impressive returns for the year, but the managers also must have a record of delivering outstanding long-term performance and of aligning their interests with shareholders'. The Fund Manager of the Year award winners are chosen based on Morningstar's proprietary research and in-depth evaluation by its fund analysts.
[2] Source: Strategic Insight, "4Q14 College Savings Quarterly Update."
[3] Source: Strategic Insight, "529 College Savings Quarterly Fee Analysis, Fourth Quarter 2014."

©2015 Legg Mason Investor Services, LLC. Member FINRA, SIPC. Legg Mason Investor Services, LLC is a subsidiary of Legg Mason, Inc. SCHX013129 468062 4/15 FN1511361

 

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/legg-masons-scholars-choice-college-savings-program-ranked-1-again-for-the-5-year-period-300063841.html

SOURCE Legg Mason, Inc.

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