Things To Do In SW Florida

Delays and cancellations at airports across the country are sometimes unavoidable because of winter or summer storms, or even global technology outages.

So what do airlines offer passengers for the inconvenience?

All U.S. airlines are required to follow through on promises made in customer service plans and to refund travelers if their flights are canceled or “significantly delayed,” according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

“Each airline has its own policies about what it will do for delayed or canceled passengers,” federal transportation officials said. “If an airline has made a commitment to provide a particular service or compensation, then the Department can hold the airline accountable.”

However, airlines only have to adhere to their customer service plans when the delays and cancellations are “controllable” — such as for maintenance or crew problems, cabin cleaning, baggage loading, and fueling, according to federal transportation officials.

When flights are delayed or canceled because of the weather, disasters or air traffic control conditions, airlines do not have to honor any promises in their customer service plans. read more

Karen Bennett | (TNS) Bankrate.com

Logging onto your bank account and seeing a low balance can be stressful, especially if you’re nowhere near your next payday. If you’re struggling to stay afloat — or even if you’re doing OK but want to be more disciplined with money — a spending diet may help you get on the right track.

Currently, around 1 in 3 (34%) Americans say they’re living paycheck to paycheck, according to Bankrate’s Paycheck to Paycheck Survey. If you often find yourself short on money, trimming extra fat from your expenses through a spending diet can help free up funds for savings or other financial goals.

Here we’ll delve into the ways you can put a spending diet to work, along with the potential benefits and drawbacks of following this type of money management strategy.

What is a spending diet?

Similar to watching what you eat to improve your health, a spending diet helps you improve your personal finances in order to live within your means and keep money in the bank.

A spending diet can be defined as taking steps to decrease your expenses. One way to do this is by following a monthly budget that ensures your income exceeds your expenses. A budget can help free up some of your dollars for other wants or needs, or simply to build up savings. read more

By Kimberly Palmer | NerdWallet

The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments.

Summertime often coincides with big spending on summer camps, travel and other seasonal fun. That can make fall the ideal time to focus on money management.

There’s still time to make adjustments before the end of the year, says Carla Adams, a certified financial planner and founder of Ametrine Wealth in Lake Orion, Michigan. “As you are getting out of the summer haze, you can make sure that all of your finances are in shape,” she says.

Here are some ways to get finances on track as the days shorten and temperatures cool:

Review summer spending

Before making decisions about future spending, Adams suggests looking at where your money went over the summer. She says tracking your spending is effective because, “you start noticing how much money you’ve spent on things like takeout and clothes.” read more