Things To Do In SW Florida

By Ryan Brady | NerdWallet

Life is full of life-changing moments. Moving to a different city, starting a new job, becoming a first-time parent (or grandparent). But it’s also full of uncertainty — and how long we have left to enjoy life’s many milestones is one of those uncertainties.

That’s where life insurance comes in. The payout from a policy can help ease the financial burden on loved ones when the inevitable happens. And contrary to popular belief, life insurance is probably not as expensive as you think, especially if you’re young and healthy. For a 40-year-old in the market for a 20-year, $500,000 term life policy, the average cost of life insurance is just $26 a month, according to Covr Financial Technologies, a life insurance brokerage.

While having life insurance is important when anyone depends on you financially, that need becomes magnified during pivotal moments in life. If you experience any of these milestones, it may be time to evaluate your life insurance needs. read more

Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have a rare point of agreement in their otherwise bitter and divisive contest: It’s up to the government to cut high U.S. drug prices.

Harris cast the tie-breaking Senate vote in 2022 for legislation that allows Medicare to negotiate drug prices for its more than 60 million beneficiaries. Before that, she was an aggressive regulator of the drug industry as California attorney general.

As president, Trump would likely retain Medicare price negotiations unless the pharmaceutical industry can come up with something more compelling that they’d put on the table, people close to him say. In his first term, he proposed various policies aimed at reducing prescription costs but had limited success with their implementation.

The drug industry could benefit, though, if Trump remains unable to advance such proposals.

“His efforts were largely fragmented and faced resistance from both the industry and lawmakers,” said Sergio Jose Gutierrez, a political strategist who has primarily worked with Democrats in the U.S. “The lack of a cohesive strategy and the limited ability to implement significant changes made his approach less effective compared to what a Harris-Walz administration could offer.” read more

Karen Bennett | (TNS) Bankrate.com

Accessing the money from your checking or savings account keeps getting more expensive, if you’re using an out-of-network ATM. In fact, average total ATM fees continue their climb to $4.77 this year, according to Bankrate’s 2024 checking account and ATM fee study. This reflects an increase from $4.73 last year and the highest annual amount since Bankrate began tracking ATM fees in 1998.

“If you make an out-of-network ATM withdrawal, expect to pay, and pay more than ever before,” says Greg McBride, CFA, Bankrate chief financial analyst. “Fees have increased again and you’ll typically pay two fees — one to the ATM owner and another to your own bank. Confine cash withdrawals to in-network ATMs or get cash back when using a debit card. See if your bank participates in a nationwide ATM network that can be used free of charge,” McBride adds.

Other bank fees on the rise include overdraft fees, Bankrate found, with the average having climbed this year to $27.08, up from $26.61 in 2023. This increase comes after two straight years of declines, after the average overdraft fee had peaked at $33.58 in 2021. Overdraft fees are still charged by 94% of accounts, Bankrate surveyed, and they can run as high as $38. read more

Four Central Florida restaurants shut down following health inspections the week of Aug. 18-24, according to data from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

Orange

Thunya Thai Cuisine at 5174 Conway Road in Orlando shut down on Aug. 19. Officials found 14 violations, four of which were a high priority. Those violations included an operator unable to provide documentation for a source of fish, roach activity, food held at the wrong temperatures and raw food not separated from ready-to-eat food. The facility remained closed on Aug. 21, where inspectors found eight violations. On Aug. 22, inspectors conducted two inspections. On the first inspection, the restaurant remained closed with six violations. On the second inspection, after receiving time extensions for two high-priority violations, the restaurant met inspection standards.

Volusia

Sally’s Diner at 2487 S. Volusia Ave. Suite 101 shut down on Aug. 19. Inspectors found nine violations, only one of which was a high priority for rodent activity. On a second inspection, the restaurant had four violations. None were a high priority. The restaurant met inspection standards. read more

Royal Caribbean introduced Icon of the Seas in Miami this year taking on the title of world’s largest cruise ship with sister ship Star of the Seas coming to Port Canaveral in 2025.

A third unnamed Icon-class ship is already under contract, but Royal Caribbean Group, the parent company to the cruise line, announced Tuesday its plans for a fourth ship to be built out of the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland with an option for a fifth and sixth ship in the future.

“Building on the incredible momentum and market response to the launch of Icon of the Seas and the excitement for its sister ship, Star of the Seas, coming in 2025, we’re thrilled to join with Meyer Turku once again to expand our roster of Icon Class ships and continue our future growth plans,” said Royal Caribbean Group President and CEO Jason Liberty in a press release. “Since its debut, Icon has changed the game in vacation experiences and exceeded our expectations in both guest satisfaction and financial performance.” read more