Blog

4 Documents to Complete Before a Child Goes to College

Meri Grogan, Director of Finance & Administration

Sending a child to college this fall? Don't forget the paperwork! Before your child moves into their dorm, make sure you’ve checked off these 4 essential legal and financial documents. They can help you support them in case of an emergency — and give everyone peace of mind.

Finance Moment

In this short Finance Moment podcast episode, Associate Financial Planner Jennifer Scheck explains how goal-based financial planning helps uncover your dreams, goals and purpose of money. Tune into the episode here. 

Financial Information

Endow Iowa Tax Credit Program Updates

This legislative session, a bill was passed and signed by the governor that affects the limits of the Endow Iowa Tax Credit program beginning Jan. 1, 2026.

• Reduction of Endow Iowa Tax Credit program from $6 million per year to $3.5 million per year.
• Reduces the maximum tax credit amount from $100,000 to $50,000 per taxpayer annually.
• Gifts to corporate-named endowments will not be eligible.

The Endow Iowa Tax Credit program will remain unchanged for the remainder of 2025. There is still approximately $3.4 million of 2025 Endow Iowa Tax Credits available on a first come, first serve basis. If you have questions about the Endow Iowa program, please contact your planning team. 

In the News

Managing Director Lance Gunkel Named a Registered Investment Advisor to Watch

Congratulations to Managing Director Lance Gunkel on being named to AdvisorHub's 250 RIAs to Watch in 2025 list! This list represents efficient and productive teams that have achieved scale without compromising their level of service while maintaining healthy growth.

Lance and our entire leadership team ensure our core values, coupled with our high client service standards, are felt by our team and clients every day. We are proud of Lance and the Syverson Strege team! 

You can read the full article and ranking information at https://www.advisorhub.com/advisors-to-watch-ria-2025.

Disclaimer: Award rating provided by AdvisorHub recognizes advisors and their teams with sophisticated practices, great growth and a commitment to professionalism. Rating provided on 6/18/2025 for the period of 1/1/2024-12/31/2024. No compensation has been provided by Syverson Strege with obtaining or using this rating.

Inside Look

New Team Member

We want to extend a warm welcome to Syverson Strege’s newest client service associate Michaela Bradley!

Michaela was an intern at Syverson Strege this past spring and recently graduated from Iowa State University with a bachelor’s degree in financial counseling and planning + a minor in agricultural business.

To learn more about Michaela, visit click here. 

Syverson Strege Launches Farm/Ag Financial Planning Landing Page

Whether you're running a multi-generational family farm or managing a large-scale operation, strong financial planning is the foundation of long-term success.

Our new Farm / Ag Financial Planning landing page shares the Syverson Strege team’s experience and our ability to help you make confident decisions — from financial planning and investment management to comprehensive strategy and tax-efficient transitions.

     ✅Built for producers who think long-term.

     ✅Tailored for the business of farming.

Explore the new page today: https://www.onlyworkforyou.com/farm/ag-planning.

Holiday Notice

Our office will be closed Friday, July 4 to celebrate Independence Day. We will resume normal business hours on Monday, July 7.

Events

• Aug. 13: Older Iowans Day at the Iowa State Fair; 9a.m.-2p.m. We are taking up to 12 clients to the Iowa State Fair for a day of fun, including transportation to/from our office, entry ticket, $10 in food/drink coupons and a cup of Barksdale cookies per person! Must be aged 60 or older to attend. Limited to the first 12 to RSVP to Deb Longseth at (515) 225-6000 or dlongseth@onlyworkforyou.com.

• 2025 Client Appreciation Events: Aug. 21 (5-7 p.m.) or Sept. 26 (11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.) – see invitation and RSVP links below.

NOTE: The Aug. 21 event at Spare Time is kid-friendly, so please

include children in your RSVP count for that event. Formal invitations to come.

Out and About

DMARC Food Pantry Volunteers

As a longtime supporter of Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC), Syverson Strege team members have been working volunteer shifts at the DMARC food pantry in Des Moines this spring/summer. Associate Financial Planner Damian Beard and Client Service Associate Nicole Tripp recently worked a shift to assist food pantry visitors.

With summer in full swing, 1/3 of the individuals DMARC food pantries assist are ages 17 and younger. Interested in donating? Here are a few of the most-needed items:

🥜Peanut butter

🍓Fruit (canned in its own juice)

🌾Cereal (whole grain option)

Learn more ways to get involved at https://dmarcunited.org/.

Unconventional Business Network Luncheon

Syverson Strege was proud to sponsor and attend the Unconventional Business Network luncheon held in Des Moines earlier this month. Unconventional Business Network events feature prominent business speakers who share unconventional stories and practical examples of integrating faith in the workplace.