When we say that we invest for principal protection, we are referring to investing your contributions in securities such as fixed-income government and corporate bonds. These are lower risk, investments that preserve your principal so that when the beneficiary is ready for school, the principal can be returned to you. Protecting your principal is one of our investment objectives and we're proud to say that the CST Foundation has upheld its promise of providing principal protection throughout its history. To further grow the income on your principal, CST offers you the option of keeping your principal in the plan after the beneficiary starts post-secondary education. When the beneficiary turns 17 or 18, you are able to withdraw funds through Education Assistance Payments (EAPs) to pay for the child's education. Because these funds include a combination of government grants, grant income, any applicable post-maturity (after your beneficiary turns 18) income on the principal and a CST Loyalty Bonus (if applicable), the total can often be more than what the beneficiary will need in the first year. So, we allow you to leave 100% of the principal in the plan until your beneficiary has received their last education assistance payment or take out whatever amount you need when you need it.