I think the Trump adminstration will be "generally" good for FinTech innovation due to percieved lessened regulatory burden. That said, we will have to see what actually is provided. 

Sorry for delay, LEAF is not a 529 plan. We support 100% of plans through our web-based platform. So not linked to state of residence though 529 plans typically are which is why we have created our universal "Marketplace."

Assuming you do not have another family member who can use the funds you can redeem the remaining funds (they are your funds). Here is a link that explains the process in detail http://bit.ly/1KdOZWj. Thanks for asking.

I think you “cannot, period-end-of-story” do anything in Fintech as we know it without a perspective on regulation. Thanks for asking.

Addressing your questions specifically:

1. Decentralized digital currency = Bitcoin:  http://bit.ly/1PovAAT
2. Federated digital currency = Ripple: http://bit.ly/1O4TzRx
3. Centralized digital currency eCurrency Mint = http://bit.ly/1o2vKo9

My assessment is that while all have their applications (other than currency), I see the centralized model winning out -- similar anonymity benefits as Bitcoin -- as currencies are the domain of sovereign nations that will fight at all costs to prevent any disruption to that. Thanks for asking.

I think it will lead to a renaissance of Artificial Intelligence as our primary interface w/ our financial institution; imagine your personal family office/hedge fund manager regardless if you have $10thousand or $100million in your account. Will also lead to interfaces that will pass the Turing Test http://bit.ly/1o2uz88. Thanks for asking.

I might have addressed some of this in a prior question. That said I would answer your question a little differently, not what inspired me but who. My Dad, he was my first business partner. When I was a junior in high school, He guided me in starting a not-for-profit developed to get disadvantaged (grades 4-12) kids in my community college-bound. It was was called the Scholar’s Club http://bit.ly/23Z7vrV. To date we have graduated nearly 200 thousand kids w/ nearly 90% college matriculation rate. Thanks for asking.

I started LEAF as I had gotten to a point in my career where could apply both my vocations in finance and technology with my avocation in getting more kids on the path to college; the most transformative process in our society today.  A child is up to 7-x more likely not just to attend college if they have any amount of savings but also to complete w/ less debt and superior professional prospects. This is regardless of socio-economic status. I thought national politics and policy might be that path. I then had an epiphany for LEAF one day after trying to give my niece a few hundred dollars towards her college savings and realized how much friction there was in the process. We still have more to accomplish as removing this friction is still a big problem. Thanks for asking.

Yes, at LEAF the service is free to employees though we do charge a small administrative fee to employers for participating employees. This is similar to what companies pay on behalf of their employees from transit, health savings, 401ks, etc. Thanks for asking.

I developed a 2 by 2 matrix for being a financial manager of a political campaign (sounds like an oxymoron). One side of the matrix candidate wins and candidate loses and the second side cash surplus and cash deficit respectively. The take-away all that matters in politics is that your candidate wins (at any cost), you don’t get accolades for having money in the bank. I was the only DNC CFO in recent history to have a surplus at the end of the convention. I decided to stick w/ business where profits matter and the laws of finance (and gravity) apply! Thanks for asking.