By Sonya Sellmeyer, Consumer Advocacy Officer for the Iowa Insurance Division
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. All consumers and businesses should practice cybersecurity to protect their computer systems and networks from scammers and hackers. The FBI documented a record $7 billion lost to cybercrime in 2021. The federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security…
By Sonya Sellmeyer, Consumer Advocacy Officer for the Iowa Insurance Division
The Iowa Insurance Division believes it is critically important for all Iowans to have access to financial education resources and the tools to learn how to save for a secure retirement so we provide Iowans the Save4Later program. For women, their financial journey often looks different due to caring…
By Sonya Sellmeyer, Consumer Advocacy Officer for the Iowa Insurance Division
National Financial Awareness day is August 14th and is the ideal time to review your financial situation and goals. Everyone is on their own financial journey and increasing your financial knowledge to be better financially aware is important for all Iowans no matter your age or stage of the journey…
By Sonya Sellmeyer, Consumer Advocacy Officer for the Iowa Insurance Division
According to the Insurance Information Institute, over 20,000 Iowans reported being the victim of identity theft in 2021. Identity theft occurs when someone else steals your financial or personal information such as credit card information, social security, or insurance numbers. The information may be used…
By Sonya Sellmeyer, Consumer Advocacy Officer for the Iowa Insurance Division
June is national homeownership month and a reminder to review your homeowners insurance for adequate protection. Most policies have four types of coverage - for the structure, personal belongings, liability protection, and additional living expenses.
The dwelling or structure protection covers repairs…
By Sonya Sellmeyer, Consumer Advocacy Officer for the Iowa Insurance Division On January 1, 2022, the No Surprises Act began providing health insurance balance billing and surprise billing protections for consumers. Balance billing occurs when a provider bills the consumer for the difference between the insurance company's allowed amount and the amount billed by the provider. This…
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…
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…
By Sonya Sellmeyer, Consumer Advocacy Officer for the Iowa Insurance Division February is the month of romance, but love and companionship may also involve a scam. According to the FBI, romance or confidence scams were responsible for over 23,000 reported victims losing over $605 million in 2020, compared to 12,500 victims and $203 million in losses during 2015. A romance scam is when a…
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…