534.213  Investment in securities and real estate.
  Every association shall have power to invest in securities and real estate as follows:
  1.  General investment powers.  An association may invest without limit, except as expressly stated, in any of the following securities:
  a.  Obligations of, or obligations which are guaranteed as to principal and interest by, the United States or this state.
  b.  Stock of a federal home loan bank of which the association is eligible to be a member and any obligation or consolidated obligations of any federal home loan bank or banks.
  c.  Stock, obligations, or other instruments of the federal national mortgage association, the government national mortgage association, the federal home loan mortgage corporation, or any successor.
  d.  Demand time or savings deposits, or bankers acceptances with any bank or trust company the deposits of which are insured by the federal deposit insurance corporation.
  e.  Stock or obligations of any corporation or agency of the United States or this state or deposits of the corporation or agency to the extent that the corporation or agency assists in furthering or facilitating the association’s purposes or powers.
  f.  Savings accounts of any savings and loan association the deposits of which are insured by the federal deposit insurance corporation.
  g.  Bonds, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness which are a general obligation of a city, village, county, school district, or other municipal or political subdivision so long as the total investment under this paragraph does not exceed five percent of the assets of the association, except that any investments which are securities or obligations which are evidence of first mortgage liens on real estate are exempt from the five percent limitation.
  h.  Bonds or bond instruments secured by an interest in real estate.
  i.  Capital stock, obligations, or other securities of service corporations; however, the aggregate investment in service corporations shall not exceed ten percent of the assets of the association.
  j.  An open-end management investment company registered under the federal Investment Company Act of 1940, the portfolio of which is restricted to investments in which an association may invest; however, the association’s total investment in the shares of any one such company shall not exceed five percent of the association’s assets without prior notification of the superintendent, who may prohibit exceeding the five percent limit by order.
  k.  Shares or equity interests in venture capital funds which agree to invest an amount equal to at least fifty percent of the association’s investment in small businesses having their principal offices within this state and having either more than one half of their assets within this state or more than one half of their employees employed within this state. An association shall not invest more than a total of five percent of its assets in investments permitted under this paragraph or paragraph “l”. For purposes of this paragraph, “venture capital fund” means a corporation, partnership, proprietorship, or other entity formed under the laws of the United States, or a state, district, or territory of the United States, whose principal business is or will be the making of investments in, and the provisions of significant managerial assistance to, small businesses which meet the small business administration definition of small business. “Equity interests” means limited partnership interests and other equity interests in which liability is limited to the amount of the investment, but does not mean general partnership interests or other interests involving general liability.
  l.  Shares or equity interests in small businesses having their principal offices within this state and having either more than one half of their assets within this state or more than one half of their employees employed within this state. The total amount of an association’s investments under this paragraph shall not exceed five percent of the association’s capital and surplus. An association shall not invest in more than twenty percent of the total capital and surplus of any one small business under this paragraph. For purposes of this paragraph, “small business” means a corporation, partnership, proprietorship, or other entity formed under the laws of the United States, or a state, district, or territory of the United States, which meets the appropriate small business administration definition of small business and which is principally engaged in the development or exploitation of inventions, technological improvements, new processes, or other products not previously generally available in this state or other investments which provide an economic benefit to the state; and “equity interests” means limited partnership interests and other equity interests in which liability is limited to the amount of investment, but does not mean general partnership interests or other interests involving general liability.
  m.  In addition to other investments authorized in this section, an association may invest and may continue previous investments in capital stock, obligations, or other securities of finance subsidiaries and may exercise powers with respect to finance subsidiaries to the same extent as a federal association is permitted under the Home Owners’ Loan Act, 12 U.S.C. §  1461 et seq., as amended, and regulations adopted thereunder by the federal office of thrift supervision. Investments authorized by this paragraph shall not be counted in applying the limitations on investments in service corporations in paragraph “i”.
  n.  In addition to other investments authorized in this section, an association may invest and may continue previous investments in capital stock, obligations, or other securities of corporations which are wholly owned by the association and which exercise only those powers which may be exercised by an association under this chapter. Investments authorized by this paragraph shall not be counted in applying the limitations on investments in service corporations in paragraph “i”.
  o.  Commercial paper and corporate debt securities with investment characteristics as defined by rules adopted by the superintendent.
  2.  Investment in real estate.  In real estate purchased at sheriff’s sale or at any other sale, public or private, judicial or otherwise, upon which the association has a lien or claim, legal or equitable; in real estate accepted by the association in satisfaction of any obligation; in real estate purchased for sale or improvement and sale, upon contracts, at the cost of land and improvements, when such contracts are executed concurrently with or prior to such purchase, such transactions to be subject to all the limitations herein provided with respect to real estate loans; in real estate acquired by the association in exchange for real estate owned by the association; in real estate acquired by the association in connection with salvaging the value of property owned by the association; an amount not exceeding the sum of its reserves and undivided profits in the purchase and development of real estate for the purpose of producing income or for sale or for improvement thereof and the erection of buildings thereon for sale or rental purposes. Title to all real estate shall be taken and held in the name of the association and such title shall immediately be recorded in accordance with law. No association shall invest in any loan at any time when its liquid assets are less than five percent of its savings liability, unless the superintendent shall have issued written approval.
  3.  Investment in EFT organizations.  Subject to the prior approval of the superintendent, in shares in a corporation engaged in providing and operating facilities through which an association and its members may engage, by means of either the direct transmission of electronic impulses to and from the association or the recording of electronic impulses or other indicia of a transaction for delayed transmission to the association, in transactions in which the association is otherwise permitted to engage pursuant to applicable law.
  4.  Deposits of funds by associations.  Funds of such associations may be deposited in any state or national bank insured by the federal deposit insurance corporation on certificate of deposit, or the usual bank pass book credit, subject to check by the proper designated officers of such association or in the federal home loan bank of the district in which Iowa is located.
  5.  Investment in home office buildings.  Any such association may invest an amount not to exceed five percent of its paid-in savings liability or such additional amounts as are authorized by the superintendent in unencumbered real estate for use wholly or partly as its business office.
1-3.  [C27, 31, 35, §9340-b1; C39, §9340.01; C46, 50, 54, 58, §534.25; C62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §534.17; 82 Acts, ch 1253, §15]
4.  [C27, 31, 35, §9340-b2; C39, §9340.02; C46, 50, 54, 58, §534.26; C62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §534.16]
5.  [C39, §9340.16; C46, 50, 54, 58, §534.40; C62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §534.18]
84 Acts, ch 1112, §4
C85, §534.213
85 Acts, ch 136, §5; 85 Acts, ch 252, §37, 38; 90 Acts, ch 1208, §8 – 11; 91 Acts, ch 92, §8, 9; 2007 Acts, ch 88, §27
Investments in federally insured bonds, §636.45