DES MOINES, IA (02/06/2014)(readMedia)-- State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald is advocating Iowans to take advantage of the benefits of College Savings Iowa to save for future education expenses. "We want parents to know it is never too soon to start planning for their children's education," Fitzgerald said. "And as a way to encourage families to take the first step towards saving, College Savings Iowa is giving away a $5,290 account this spring." Visit collegesavingsiowa.com to enter the giveaway and see official rules.

College Savings Iowa offers families a tax advantaged way to save money for their children's higher education. It only takes $25 to open an account, and anyone - parents, grandparents, friends and relatives - can invest in College Savings Iowa on behalf of a child. Iowa taxpayers have the additional benefit of being able to deduct contributions up to $3,098 per beneficiary account from their 2014 Iowa adjusted gross income.*

. For more information about future giveaways and events find College Savings Iowa on Facebook and Twitter (@Iowa529Plan).

*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 the 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 1-888-672-9116, or visit www.myiowa529plan.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. Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Distributor.

College Savings Iowa is an Iowa trust sponsored by the Iowa State Treasurer's Office. The Treasurer of the State of Iowa sponsors and is responsible for overseeing the administration of the College Savings Iowa 529 Plan. The Vanguard Group, Inc., serves as Investment Manager and Vanguard Marketing Corporation, an affiliate of The Vanguard Group, Inc., assists the Treasurer with marketing and distributing the Plan. Upromise Investment Advisors, LLC, provides records administration services. The Plan's portfolios, although they invest in Vanguard mutual funds, are not mutual funds.

DES MOINES, IA (01/02/2014)(readMedia)-- State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald wants to encourage families to start their New Year off with a bang by considering a contribution to a loved one's future education. "With the New Year, comes an increased Iowa state income tax deduction when making contributions to College Savings Iowa," Fitzgerald said. "Iowa taxpayers are now able to deduct the first $3,098 they contribute per child on their 2014 state taxes.* What better way to start off a new year than with an early deduction off of your taxes?"

College Savings Iowa is the state sponsored college savings plan that allows participants to start saving on behalf of a future scholar. "One of the best features of College Savings Iowa is how easy it is to get started," continued Fitzgerald. "All you need is $25 and ten minutes of your time to start saving for a loved one's future educational expenses. I encourage all families to save whatever they can today to help offset what has to be borrowed in the future.

College Savings Iowa lets parents, grandparents, friends and relatives invest for college on behalf of a future scholar. Investors in the plan can withdraw their investment tax-free to pay for qualified higher education expenses. These expenses include tuition, books, supplies and room and board at any eligible college, university, community college or accredited technical training school in the United States or abroad.** While participants do not need to be an Iowa resident to invest in the plan, they do need to be an Iowa taxpayer to take advantage of the Iowa income tax deduction.

"By starting early, saving a little at a time and making smart investment choices, you could make 2014 a year to never forget," Fitzgerald said. "Not only will you get a tax deduction, but this could be the year you take that first step towards helping a loved one start financing the path to the rest of their life."

. To stay up to date on current giveaways and events, connect with the Plan on Facebook and Twitter (@Iowa529Plan).

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

**Earnings on non-qualified withdrawals may be subject to federal income tax and a 10% federal penalty tax on the earnings, as well as state 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 the 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 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. Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Distributor.

College Savings Iowa is an Iowa trust sponsored by the Iowa state treasurer's office. The treasurer of the state of Iowa sponsors and is responsible for overseeing the administration of the College Savings Iowa 529 Plan. The Vanguard Group, Inc., serves as Investment Manager and Vanguard Marketing Corporation, an affiliate of The Vanguard Group, Inc., assists the treasurer with marketing and distributing the plan. Upromise Investment Advisors, LLC, provides records administration services. The plan's portfolios, although they invest in Vanguard mutual funds, are not mutual funds.

DES MOINES, IA (12/19/2013)(readMedia)-- State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald presented a $5,290 College Savings Iowa account today to one year old Peyton Becker. Peyton was chosen to receive the award after her mother, Krista, entered her for the giveaway as part of the College Savings Iowa Fall Giveaway.

"With college tuition rising faster than inflation, saving for college is not an easy task these days," stated Fitzgerald. "Our goal for College Savings Iowa is to encourage families to start saving early for their loved one's higher educational expenses. Saving ahead of time can reduce a parent's need to borrow to cover educational expenses, which can help them and their child get through college with less debt."

College Savings Iowa attended various events across the state this past fall to help spread the message about saving early. While learning about the Plan, families were able to register for the 2013 College Savings Iowa Giveaway. Peyton, who was randomly selected from over 9,000 entrants, will be able to use the $5,290 to help pay for tuition, books, room and board at any qualifying institution.

While investors do not need to be a state resident to participate in College Savings Iowa, there are some additional benefits if they are an Iowa taxpayer. Iowans can deduct contributions up to $3,045 per beneficiary account from their adjusted gross income in 2013.* In order to qualify for the 2013 tax deduction, contributions must be made by the end of the year. Participants can contribute online at collegesavingsiowa.com. If sent by mail, they must postmark checks by December 31, 2013.

Opening a College Savings Iowa account is simple. With as little as $25 and ten minutes anyone can start investing on behalf of a child. To learn more about College Savings Iowa, please visit collegesavingsiowa.com or call 1-888-672-9116. You can also connect with College Savings Iowa on Facebook and Twitter (Iowa529Plan) to learn about upcoming events and giveaways.

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

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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 the 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 1-888-672-9116, 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.

College Savings Iowa is an Iowa trust sponsored by the Iowa State Treasurer's Office. The Treasurer of the State of Iowa sponsors and is responsible for overseeing the administration of the College Savings Iowa 529 Plan. The Vanguard Group, Inc., serves as Investment Manager and Vanguard Marketing Corporation, an affiliate of The Vanguard Group, Inc., assists the Treasurer with marketing and distributing the Plan. Upromise Investment Advisors, LLC, provides records administration services. The Plan's portfolios, although they invest in Vanguard mutual funds, are not mutual funds.

DES MOINES, IA (12/12/2013)(readMedia)-- State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald knows many Iowans are hoping for a white Christmas. Instead of glistening snow, they may end up seeing green, the color of money. "The best gift you may be able to give is finding someone's name in the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt," Fitzgerald said. "By taking the time to search today, as the family gathers over the holidays, you can share gifts of green."

Returning unclaimed property to the rightful owners and heirs is a year-round effort by Fitzgerald's office. "Although the spirit of giving is especially high throughout the holiday season, we do not just return property during the frenzied time of the holidays," Fitzgerald said. "We are returning millions of dollars to Iowans year round."

The Great Iowa Treasure Hunt program has returned over $170 million in unclaimed property to more than 415,000 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.

to search and see if you have a treasure waiting for you. Also, like the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt on Facebook and follow the program on Twitter @GreatIATreasure to keep up to date on events and the latest listings of names.

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