Things To Do In SW Florida

By DAVID KOENIG (AP Airlines Writer)

DALLAS (AP) — Southwest Airlines is studying changes to its quirky boarding and seating policies as it searches for ways to raise more revenue.

Airline officials say they are studying possible changes but won’t have anything to announce until September. That tease is leading to speculation about whether Southwest might ditch some longstanding traditions, including the practice of passengers picking their own seats only after they board a plane.

CEO Robert Jordan says he is proud of Southwest’s “product,” but it was developed when flights weren’t as full as they are today, and customers’ preferences change over time, prompting the “deep dive” into “transformational options” in boarding and seating.

“Early indications, both for our customers and for Southwest, look pretty darn interesting,” he told analysts and reporters Thursday.

Every other major U.S. airline sells first- or business-class seats with more room and amenities. They assign seats long before passengers arrive at the airport. And increasingly, they charge extra if economy-class passengers want to pick a particular seat, such as one in an exit row or near the front of the cabin. read more

In a recent column for InvestmentNews, IRA expert Ed Slott highlighted the potential problems of holding alternative assets in IRA accounts. He explained that, in a recent case involving the estate of the late actor James Caan, several mistakes were made, resulting in approximately $1 million lost in taxes and penalties.

The primary issue stemmed from the nature of assets within the IRA account. Caan had multiple IRA accounts, one of which contained hedge funds. Custodians must report the year-end valuation for all IRA accounts. However, valuing illiquid alternative assets within these accounts poses challenges. This is particularly problematic when a required minimum distribution (RMD) necessitates a year-end value.

In Caan’s case, the custodian was unable to report to the IRS the year-end value of the IRA account with hedge fund assets. In addition, the financial adviser Caan was using left the firm that was holding Caan’s IRAs, and convinced Caan to transfer some of his holdings to a new financial institution. However, because of the valuation problem, that account was not transferred to the new financial firm. read more