Individual health insurance is insurance you purchase yourself – not through an employer or provided through a government health insurance program.  Individual health insurance policies come in two main forms –they are available either on or off the federal Health Insurance Marketplace. If you are purchasing a policy that is on the federal Health Insurance Marketplace, you may receive help from a navigator, an assister, or an insurance agent certified to sell on the Health Insurance Marketplace.  In Iowa for the 2024 plan year, three companies write policies on healthcare.gov: Wellma ..read more

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In 2023, romance scams made up nearly 30% of the senior financial exploitation reports filed with the Iowa Insurance Division. The total or attempted loss for these cases exceeded $4 million.  With today being Valentine’s Day, there can be a sense of urgency for everyone to find someone, anyone, to be their “valentine” for the special day.  Just be careful not to get swept away by a romance scam! The below scam alert discusses some common tactics used by scammers, and some tips on how you can protect yourself and your money. A PDF of this scam alert can be downloaded at the Iowa Ins ..read more

By Doug Ommen, Iowa Insurance Commissioner  We are excited to announce the Iowa Insurance Division’s upcoming Iowa Fraud Fighters forums across the state this summer. Nearly 7 million Americans ages 60 and older fall victim to fraud each year. Con artists use elaborate schemes that prey on your good nature and trust. There is no shame in falling for their games. You can report fraud to us and help stop others, such as your friends and neighbors, from becoming victims.   Our Iowa Fraud Fighters team is here to help you and provide you with the resources to spot a scam and report it. T ..read more

By Sonya Sellmeyer, Consumer Advocacy Officer for the Iowa Insurance Division The new year brings opportunities for improvement to your financial health.  Investing in the stock market can be an effective way to build wealth. The historic average stock market return is 10% annually before inflation, but investing is geared toward long-term goals and involves risks.  Being financially literate is the foundation to investing, growing, and protecting your assets. The North American Securities Administrators Association recommends asking four quest ..read more

By Sonya Sellmeyer, Consumer Advocacy Officer for the Iowa Insurance Division A recent LendingTree survey found nearly half of the 2,000 consumers surveyed are dreading the holidays due to the financial stress.  There are ways to reduce the financial stress of the holidays and purchase gifts that promote financial wellness. Start with creating a budget for all your holiday expenses such as gas, food, decor, holiday cards, and travel.  Include a predetermined monetary amount for each person on your gift-giving list.  Sticking to a budget will prevent you ..read more

By Sonya Sellmeyer, Consumer Advocacy Officer for the Iowa Insurance Division Teaching a child good savings habits is essential for any financial foundation as an adult.  Despite that, T. Rowe Price’s 11th annual kids and money survey from 2019 found nearly half of parents said they missed opportunities to discuss money and finances with their children.  The survey also revealed that a fourth of the parents were very or extremely reluctant to have a financial conversation with their children while the children surveyed were eager to speak about the topic with half ..read more

Many kind, generous people are looking for ways to help the people suffering in Ukraine. Sadly, there are also many people taking advantage of that generosity and good will in order to line their pockets. According to Newsweek.com, many fake donation websites surfaced after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. These fake websites prey on donors and promise to help people in Ukraine. They appear to be legitimate but are in fact not helping those in Ukraine. This is not a new scam. In charity scams, the wrongdoers mislead donors and divert funds away from the charity. They use legitimate-sounding name ..read more

By Sonya Sellmeyer, Consumer Advocacy Officer for the Iowa Insurance Division Iowa’s recent devastating tornadoes remind us to review our insurance policies to ensure we have proper insurance coverage on our autos, homes and their contents. Damage caused by a tornado, a type of windstorm, is usually a scheduled peril on both auto and homeowners insurance policies and will cover your autos, home and the personal contents inside your home. You may also want replacement cost coverage, or the amount to replace your dwelling and the contents instead of actual cash value, the replacement cost less d ..read more