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Insurance

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U.S. employee-sponsored health plan costs spike 6.3% in 2021

The average per-employee cost of employer-sponsored health insurance jumped 6.3% nationally in 2021, according to Mercer’s 2021 National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans, released Monday.

With the highest annual increase since 2010, health benefit costs …
By BPC Staff | Dec 14, 2021
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Iowa stocks a mixed bag in November

Ten of the 17 Iowa-based companies on the Business Record’s Iowa Index posted stock price gains in November. One company posted a double-digit percentage gain in the month. Seven Iowa-based stocks posted losses, with one …
By JOHN RETZLAFF | Dec 13, 2021
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West Des Moines disaster insurance startup Recoop announces key hires

Recoop Disaster Insurance, a West Des Moines-based specialty insurance company launched earlier this year, announced the addition of two longtime insurance industry experts. Jeffrey Marshall has been named chief operating officer, and Kelly Anonson has been …
By BPC Staff | Dec 10, 2021
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Casey’s revenue up in quarter, shares lag behind estimates with higher operating costs

Des Moines Register: As the pandemic eases due to the availability of the COVID-19 vaccine, customers continue to return to Casey’s General Stores. The Ankeny-based convenience store chain reported this week total revenues surged to $3.26 …
By BPC Staff | Dec 9, 2021
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Can blockchain make surety bonds simpler?

Not long after Zach Mefferd and Ryan Swalve launched Coverage Direct in 2016, they quickly discovered a big challenge while running the West Des Moines-based independent insurance agency: how to harness technology to make it …
By JOE GARDYASZ | Dec 9, 2021
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West Des Moines-based Recoop seeks to fill gaps in disaster insurance coverage

With a goal of making insurance simpler to use, West Des Moines entrepreneur Darren Wood has launched Recoop Disaster Insurance, a product that will pay out lump-sum insurance settlements to homeowners or renters whose residence …
By JOE GARDYASZ | Dec 9, 2021
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Common Ground coffee shop to open on Skywalk at EMC campus

EMC Insurance Cos. announced that a new coffee shop, Common Ground, will open on Jan. 3 as part of its skywalk reconstruction project underway near its Des Moines headquarters at 700 Walnut St. The new …
By BUSINESS RECORD STAFF | Dec 8, 2021
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IPERS reports 29.6% FY21 investment return, reduces unfunded liability

Double-digit earnings over the past fiscal year boosted the Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System (IPERS) Trust Fund to a record $42.85 billion market value, and enabled IPERS to significantly reduce its unfunded liability. “IPERS achieved …
By BPC Staff | Dec 3, 2021
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Insurance and annuity intelligence firm Wink names Grossman as new president

Des Moines-based life insurance and annuity product data provider Wink Inc. has named Victoria Grossman as president, the firm announced. Sheryl Moore, who has been the CEO and president of Wink since founding the market intelligence company …
By BPC Staff | Dec 3, 2021
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Deferred annuity sales up 10.4% in Q3; indexed annuities jump 25% year-over-year

Third-quarter annuity sales across most categories of the industry were down from year-ago levels, according to Wink’s Sales & Market Report, an annuity market intelligence source based in Des Moines. Total third quarter sales for all deferred …
By BPC Staff | Dec 1, 2021