Things To Do In SW Florida

Humans are so creative, so persistent.

Take thieves, frauds and scammers. As long as there are dollars in someone’s bank account, there are other people devising ways to siphon those dollars and claim them as their own.

The Internal Revenue Service is on to them. In its list of “dirty dozen” tax scams for 2025, the agency tells taxpayers how to protect themselves from fraud. It also warns people about ways some taxpayers try to trick the IRS.

The agency started publishing the dirty dozen list in 2002 to inform and protect taxpaying workers.

Here are several schemes and scams to watch out for this year, as well as mistakes and tricks to steer clear of as a taxpayer.

Fake charities. A seeming do-gooder asks for donations to help victims of a natural disaster. You’d gladly open your pocketbook. But how do you know it’s legitimate?

“Taxpayers who give money or goods to a charity might be able to claim a deduction on their federal tax return if they itemize deductions, but charitable donations only count if they go to a qualified tax-exempt organization recognized by the IRS,” the IRS writes. read more

By STAN CHOE and CORA LEWIS, AP Business Writers

NEW YORK (AP) — Much like all the upheaval shaking the world, the huge swings rocking Wall Street may feel far from normal. But, for investing at least, all this is typical.

Sharp moves for the U.S. stock market, like its recent 6% drop in just a couple of weeks, happen regularly. Stomaching them is the price investors have to pay for the bigger returns that stocks can offer over other investments in the long term.

This time doesn’t look much different, experts say. Here’s a glimpse at what’s behind the market’s wild moves and what experts are advising investors young and old to consider:

THE MARKET IS BAD, RIGHT?

It has certainly struggled. The stock market’s main benchmark, the S&P 500, has been dropping since setting an all-time high last month, largely because of worries about President Donald Trump’s tariffs and signals that the U.S. economy is running less powerfully than economists expected.

Any kind of uncertainty around the economy will give Wall Street pause. These tariffs have had a particularly jostling effect because no one knows how long Trump will go through with them. When worries are high, stocks sink sharply. When Wall Street goes back to thinking Trump is using tariffs as just a negotiating tactic, stocks have bounced back, such as on Wednesday. read more

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.

We hear a lot about the importance of saving money, but what if learning how to spend is just as important?

Michael Hunsberger, a certified financial planner and owner of Next Mission Financial Planning in St. Charles, Missouri, says many of his clients struggle with the spending side of the financial equation, and he wants them to get better at it.

Architecture

Shawn Reed was hired as a senior planner at FK Architecture, Winter Park.

Banking

Chris Castro was appointed executive vice president and chief sustainability officer at Climate First Bank.

Hospitality

Bryan Gay was appointed director of sales and marketing at Caribe Royale Orlando.

Real estate

Willie Butts has joined Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, Southeast Orlando, as a sales advisor.

Marcus Trigales Costner has joined Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, Southwest Orlando, as a sales advisor.

Awards

Ed Timberlake, chairman of the Dr. Phillips Center and a founding donor, received the 2025 James B. Greene Award from the Orlando Economic Partnership. The award is the highest honor bestowed by the OEP to recognize individuals whose leadership and contributions have significantly advanced the Orlando region’s economic growth, quality of life, and community prosperity.

Submit professional appointments, management-level promotions and significant awards for individuals, along with photos as .jpg attachments, to peopleonmove@orlandosentinel.com. read more

By ALEXA ST. JOHN, Associated Press

DETROIT (AP) — President Donald Trump’s short reprieve for U.S. automakers from stiff tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada isn’t likely to allow enough time for those companies to make the changes necessary to minimize the damage from Trump’s intensifying trade war.