By Dar Danielson (Radio Iowa)

State Treasurer Roby Smith is celebrating the ISave 529 state educational savings plan today, on May 29th, or “529 Day”.

Smith says there have been some changes made in the plan recently. “We raised the contribution amount that can run off on their Iowa taxes to 58-hundred dollars ($5,800) per individual. Also, they can spend the money that they accrue in there for K through 12 tuition, apprenticeship programs, and trade school. They can even do a student loan repayment up to $10,000 if they’d like,” Smith says.

Smith says you can tailor the plan to how aggressive you want to be in planning for the future. “If they want to have a little bit more risk, they can go ahead and invest in something that covers the entire stock market. If they want to have a little bit less risk, they can do more bonds, less stock market. It just depends what their risk tolerance is,” Smith says. He says the earlier you start, the more money you’ll have to pay for your child’s education. “If you think about this way, if you have 18 years, if you start when you’re a child is first born, and you put in two dollars a day, less than a cup of coffee, you’ll have over $13,000 in contributions by the time they turn 18,” Smith says. “And that doesn’t even count any growth in the investment that they could have.”

Changes in state and federal law now allow you to use that account after your child later in life. “If there’s money left over on the account and you’ve had it open for at least 15 years, you can turn over up to 35-thousand dollars. You can put it into your child’s Roth IRA. Not only do you help them for school, but now you can set them up for retirement,” he says.

Smith says you can start an account with a little as $25 by going to iowa529.com.

DES MOINES — The price of regular unleaded gasoline rose 2 cents, averaging $2.95 across Iowa according to AAA.

Crude Oil Summary

• The price of global crude oil fell this week on the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) by $.16 per barrel over last week, currently priced at $61.89.
• Brent crude oil fell by $.37 and is currently priced at $65.00.
• One year ago, WTI crude sold for $80.90 and Brent crude was $81.34.

Motor Fuels

• As of Wednesday, the price of regular unleaded gasoline averaged $2.95 across Iowa according to AAA.
  • Prices rose 2 cents from last week’s price and are down 32 cents from a year ago.
  • The national average on Wednesday was $3.16, down 2 cents from last week’s price.
• Retail diesel prices in Iowa fell 2 cents this week with a statewide average of $3.32.
  • One year ago, diesel prices averaged $3.58 in Iowa.
  • The current Iowa diesel price is 22 cents lower than the national average of $3.54.
• The current Des Moines Terminal/Rack Prices are $1.98 for U87-E10, $2.32 for Unleaded 87 (clear), $2.16 for ULSD#2, $2.41 for ULSD#1, and $1.97 per gallon for E-70 prices.

Heating Fuels

• Natural gas prices were up $.24 at the Henry Hub reporting site and are currently priced at $3.62  MMbtu.
• We will continue reporting retail heating oil and propane prices in Iowa in October.

Tips for saving energy on the road or at home are available at energy.gov and fueleconomy.gov.

DES MOINES — Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly April through November. Additionally, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship provides a weather summary each week during this time.

“Last week’s cool and soggy conditions sidelined many farmers who were looking to finish planting or complete other field work. Despite the delays, most farmers are grateful to receive the rain as we recharge our soils and give the crops a strong early season boost,” said Secretary Naig. “We expect a less active weather pattern with warmer temperatures and spotty rain in the week ahead.”

The weekly report is also available on the USDA’s website at nass.usda.gov.

Crop Report
Timely rains while needed, limited Iowa farmers to 3.8 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending May 25, 2025, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Corn and soybean planting continued but some producers are waiting for warmer and drier conditions to start spraying.

Topsoil moisture condition rated 4 percent very short, 15 percent short, 76 percent adequate and 5 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 5 percent very short, 23 percent short, 67 percent adequate and 5 percent surplus.

Corn planted reached 95 percent. Corn emerged reached 76 percent, 6 days ahead of last year’s pace and 2 days ahead of normal. Corn condition rated 0 percent very poor, 2 percent poor, 15 percent fair, 62 percent good and 21 percent excellent. Ninety-two percent of the expected soybean crop has been planted, just over 2 weeks ahead of last year and 8 days ahead of the 5-year average. Soybeans emerged reached 60 percent, 8 days ahead of last year and 4 days ahead of normal. Soybean condition rated 1 percent very poor, 2 percent poor, 17 percent fair, 64 percent good and 16 percent excellent. Ninety-two percent of the State’s oat crop has emerged. Oats headed reached 26 percent. Oat condition rated 0 percent very poor, 1 percent poor, 13 percent fair, 69 percent good and 17 percent excellent.

Forty percent of the State’s first cutting of alfalfa hay has been completed.  Hay condition rated 85 percent good to excellent. Pasture condition rated 68 percent good to excellent.