DES MOINES, IA (06/16/2015)(readMedia)-- Family, food and fireworks are a staple of Independence Day celebrations statewide and State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald might have something patriotic to help you continue your celebrating year-round. "If you're looking for that one-of-kind patriotic item, check out our Independence Day eBay auction," Fitzgerald stated. "The auction is filled with unique collectibles that were turned over to the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt."

Interested bidders may view selected items before the auction at IowaTreasurer.gov. Click on the "For Citizens" tab at the top, select "Great Iowa Treasure Hunt" and click on "eBay auction."

The auction will begin on Tuesday, June 30 and will close on July 7. Some of the treasures in this online auction will include red, white and blue jewelry pieces; U.S. silver dollars eagle coin; an American flag pin; and a U.S. Constitution Commemorative silver dollar. Visit Great Iowa Treasure Hunt's eBay page at http://myworld.ebay.com/ia.unclaimed.property at the time of the auction to bid on these treasurers.

Items included in the auction are from abandoned safe deposit boxes reported to the state treasurer as unclaimed property by financial institutions across the state. Photos, letters and other personal memorabilia will not be included in the auction. The auction proceeds are held for the rightful owners should they come forward.

. Be sure to like Great Iowa Treasure Hunt on Facebook and follow the program on Twitter, @GreatIATreasure, for information about future auctions.

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DES MOINES, IA (05/12/2015)(readMedia)-- With graduation season upon us, there is no better time than now to start planning for the future. Whether your children are graduating from grade school or high school, a contribution to their College Savings Iowa account is a great way to show how proud you are.

While any form of saving for college is better than not saving at all, there are advantages to using a 529 plan, such as College Savings Iowa. With initial and ongoing contribution amounts as low as $25, College Savings Iowa is an affordable way for families to save in order to meet the rising costs of higher education. As a way to help families start saving, we are celebrating 529 College Savings Day on May 29 and giving away a $5,290 College Savings Iowa account. For more information and to enter the giveaway, please visit CollegeSavingsIowa.com any time before May 31.

Administered by my office, College Savings Iowa allows you to choose from multiple investment choices, including four age-based options that take into account the child's age and the account owner's tolerance for risk. As a general rule, age-based accounts opened for younger beneficiaries are heavily invested in stocks early on; these accounts try to maximize returns by taking advantage of the longer time horizon. As the beneficiary nears college age, the assets are automatically shifted to more conservative portfolios. This allows you to protect your capital and reduce the market risk before you begin making withdrawals for college expenses.

In addition, College Savings Iowa offers significant tax benefits to help your savings grow even more. Contributions and earnings grow free of federal and Iowa state income taxes while invested. They remain tax-free when they are used to pay for qualified higher education expenses at any eligible college, university, community college or accredited technical training school in the United States or abroad. Iowa taxpayers who participate in College Savings Iowa are also allowed to deduct up to $3,163 in contributions per beneficiary account from their 2015 adjusted gross income.*

While a college education is an investment that lasts for a lifetime, the season to save for it is a lot like summer vacation - much shorter than you think. Start saving today and help make college a reality for a child in your life.

. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (@Iowa529Plan) to stay up to date on all our current events and giveaways.

* Adjusted annually for inflation. If withdrawals are not qualified, the deductions must be added back to Iowa taxable income. The earnings portion of nonqualified withdrawals may be subject to federal income tax and a 10% federal penalty tax, as well as state and local income taxes. The availability of tax or other benefits may be contingent on meeting other requirements.

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Investment returns are not guaranteed and you could lose money by investing in the plan. Participants assume all investment risks as well as responsibility for any federal and state tax consequences. If you are not an Iowa taxpayer, consider before investing whether your or the designated beneficiary's home state offers any state tax or other benefits that are only available for investments in such state's qualified tuition program.

For more information about the College Savings Iowa 529 Plan, call 888-672-9116 or visit www.collegesavingsiowa.com to obtain a Program Description. Investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other important information are included in the Program Description; read and consider it carefully before investing.

DES MOINES, IA (04/30/2015)(readMedia)-- State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald announced he is looking for more than one million people who are owed over $295 million. The spring publication of the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt is scheduled to begin soon and includes thousands of names that have been received in the last year.

"In upcoming weeks, the new names that have been added to the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt will be published," Fitzgerald said. "I believe many individuals are going to be pleasantly surprised to see their names." Individuals do not have to wait for publication to see if they have unclaimed property. "You can start your search today by visiting our website, GreatIowaTreasureHunt.com. I encourage everyone to take a few minutes and search for their name."

The Great Iowa Treasure Hunt program has returned over $190 million in unclaimed property to more than 457,000 people since Fitzgerald created it in 1983. Unclaimed property refers to money and other assets held by financial institutions or companies that have lost contact with the property's owner for a specific period of time. State law requires these institutions and companies to annually report unclaimed property to the state treasurer's office. The assets are then held until the owner or heir of the property is found. Common forms of unclaimed property include savings or checking accounts, stocks, uncashed checks, life insurance policies, utility security deposits, and safe deposit box contents.

Visit the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt at GreatIowaTreasureHunt.com to begin your search. Be sure to like Great Iowa Treasure Hunt on Facebook and follow the program on Twitter @GreatIATreasure.

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DES MOINES, IA (04/07/2015)(readMedia)-- When it comes to our children, we all want the best for them and their futures. Watching them grow and develop, we observe them exploring with their imaginations and discovering the endless possibilities for success in life. Graduating with a college degree is a huge achievement, and one way to help set them up for that success is to save for their higher education. However, much like the April 15 deadline for taxes, the time to start saving for your children's college education is over before you know it, which is why I encourage you to take your 2014 refund and invest it in your children's future.

By investing your refund in College Savings Iowa you have:

1. Tax savings. 529 plans were designed to provide families and friends a tax-advantaged way to save for higher education expenses. Participants are able to withdraw their investment free from both federal and Iowa state income taxes when used to pay for qualified higher-education expenses.* Additionally, the state of Iowa allows Iowa taxpayers to deduct contributions up to $3,163 per account from their 2015 state income taxes.**
2. Flexibility. You have the ability to save for anyone: children, grandchildren, friends or even yourself. College Savings Iowa accounts may be used to pay for a variety of expenses, including tuition, books, supplies and certain room and board costs, at any eligible college, university, community college, vocational/technical schools and graduate schools.
3. Low minimum investments and low fees. Getting started is easy and doesn't have to be expensive! Enrollment is free. Accounts can be opened with a minimum of $25, and each additional contribution can be as little as $25. Investors have the option to contribute regularly or whenever it is convenient. College Savings Iowa also doesn't charge enrollment, annual, withdrawal or advisor fees or commissions, which other types of plans may charge. Your only expense is a low annual asset-based fee of 0.26%. That means that for every $1,000 you invest, you will only pay $2.60 in fees per year.

Although there are many ways to prepare a child for a successful future, none can bring greater lifetime rewards than a quality education. As I always say when discussing College Savings Iowa with families, by starting early, saving a little at a time and making smart investment choices, you can make your college savings work for you and get the most out of these precious years. They grow up fast; you will be glad you planned for their tomorrow today!

About the Author: Michael L. Fitzgerald is the state treasurer of Iowa. He started the College Savings Iowa program in 1998 as a way to help families save for college and earn tax breaks at the same time. To date, College Savings Iowa has over $4 billion in assets and has helped over 68,000 families pay for college.

*The earnings portion of nonqualified withdrawals may be subject to federal income tax and a 10% federal penalty tax, as well as state and local income taxes. The availability of tax or other benefits may be contingent on meeting other requirements.

**If withdrawals are not qualified, the deductions must be added back to Iowa taxable income. Adjusted annually for inflation.

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Investment returns are not guaranteed and you could lose money by investing in the plan. Participants assume all investment risks as well as responsibility for any federal and state tax consequences. If you are not an Iowa taxpayer, consider before investing whether your or the designated beneficiary's home state offers any state tax or other benefits that are only available for investments in such state's qualified tuition program.

For more information about the College Savings Iowa 529 Plan, call 888-672-9116 or visit www.collegesavingsiowa.com to obtain a Program Description. Investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other important information are included in the Program Description; read and consider it carefully before investing.