Iowa probate & fiduciary bonds.
We size, underwrite & quote it.

Before the court issues letters, most fiduciaries have to file a bond.
It guarantees you’ll administer the estate honestly and according to law.
The bond is set to the size of the estate — and we underwrite it.
A surety specialist reviews your file and returns a quote, usually within one business day.

Required of fiduciaries under Iowa Code §633.169 unless waived by the will or court
Amount is the value of personal property plus estimated gross annual income (§633.170)
Underwritten on personal credit and financials; collateral may apply to a large estate
Underwrittencourt sets the amountA-ratedA.M. Best carriers1 business daytypical specialist reply
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BDG
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McKinney
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JLL
Triple Five
Georgetown
How it works

Built for the grant of letters.

The court won’t issue letters until the bond is filed and approved, so the bond is usually the last step before you can act. Here is the whole process:

TODAY · 10 MINUTES

Send us the file

Apply online with the order or petition setting the bond, the estate’s value, and the fiduciary’s details. The estate size and any restricted assets drive the penal sum.

WITHIN 1 BUSINESS DAY

A surety specialist underwrites it

A specialist reviews the file, a personal credit check, and any financials, then returns a quote. The amount is set by the statute and the court — underwriting decides approval and any collateral on a large estate.

ON APPROVAL

Execute & file

Once you bind, we issue the executed bond on the court’s required form, ready for the clerk to approve so letters can issue.

About this bond

What it is and who needs it.

What a fiduciary bond protects

When the court appoints you to handle someone else’s money — as an executor or administrator of an estate, or a conservator or guardian for a protected person — it usually requires a bond before issuing letters.

The fiduciary bond guarantees that you perform all your duties according to law: that you inventory the assets, account honestly, and don’t misuse the estate. If you breach those duties, the bond makes the estate or protected person whole — and the surety looks to you to repay it.

Because the surety stands behind the estate, the bond is underwritten on your personal credit and finances, and a large estate can require collateral or restricted-asset arrangements. We tell you what your file needs before you commit.

Iowa StatuteIowa Code §633.169 requires every fiduciary to file a bond unless waived by the will or by the court. §633.170 sets the amount equal to the value of the personal property of the estate plus the estimated gross annual income during administration, subject to the court’s power to fix a different amount; the value of real property and of assets deposited under court restriction may reduce the bond. Guardian and conservator bonds are governed by §633.174.

You need this bond if you’re

An executor or administrator appointed to administer an Iowa estate under chapter 633
A conservator of the property of a minor or a protected adult
A guardian managing the affairs of someone who cannot manage them alone
Counsel or a family member arranging the bond so the court can issue letters and you can begin administering

The application takes about ten minutes.

These are the actual underwriting fields — the estate, the bond amount the court set, the fiduciary, and your finances. Submit once and a surety specialist returns a quote, typically within one business day. Free until your bond is issued.

Start the application →
FAQs

Common questions.

If yours isn't here, the bond team can usually answer within the hour.

What is an Iowa probate or fiduciary bond? +
It is the bond a court requires before issuing letters to a fiduciary — an executor, administrator, conservator, or guardian. Under Iowa Code §633.169 and §633.170 (and §633.174 for guardians and conservators), it is conditioned on the faithful performance of the fiduciary’s duties, protecting the estate or protected person from mismanagement or fraud.
How much does it cost? +
It is underwritten, not flat-rated. The statute sets the penal sum to the size of the estate — under §633.170 that is the value of the personal property plus the estimated gross annual income. A surety specialist then reviews the fiduciary’s personal credit and finances and returns a premium quote, usually within one business day.
Who decides the bond amount? +
The statute sets the measure and the court fixes the amount. Under §633.170 it tracks the value of the personal property of the estate plus the estimated gross annual income, less assets deposited under court restriction. We size and underwrite the bond to whatever amount the court sets.
Can the bond be waived? +
Sometimes. Under §633.169 a will can waive the bond, or the court can waive or reduce it — for example where assets are placed under court restriction. Where it isn’t waived, the fiduciary must file an approved bond before letters issue. Conservatorships and guardianships are bonded under §633.174.
How fast can the bond be issued? +
A specialist typically returns a quote within one business day of a complete application. Once you bind and any collateral is in place, the executed bond issues on the court’s form, ready for the clerk to approve so letters can issue.
Related bonds

Other New York bonds.

Get bonded so the court can issue letters.

Send us the estate details and the amount the court set, and a surety specialist sizes, underwrites, and quotes the bond — typically within one business day. Free until your bond is issued.

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