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David Siegel, the founder of Orlando-based Westgate Resorts who fought the opioid epidemic after his daughter overdosed, died Saturday at age 89.

Siegel established Westgate Resorts in his garage in 1982 with its first property on an orange grove he owned in Kissimmee.

Over the course of the next several decades as CEO he grew it into it what the company called the largest privately held timeshare business in the world and one of the largest resort developers in the United States — boasting more than 13,500 rooms at 22 resorts across the country.

He retired as CEO in March and was succeeded by Jim Gissy, a close friend and self-described right hand.

Gissy said in a news release announcing Siegel’s death that he was committed to continuing his legacy at the company.

“David worked hard to leave us a company that will continue to preserve its family origins, and the significant resources and ambition to instill joy in the lives we touch through the hospitality we provide,” he said. “We know that we are all up to the task of driving forward the legacy of this visionary man and the company he founded.” read more

Q. I was married for more than 10 years before my divorce. My ex worked many years under Social Security. If I remarry, will I lose the right to survivor benefits if I remarry?

A. Good question. If you remarry after age 60, you still are entitled to a survivor benefit based on your ex’s Social Security benefit. However, you would be entitled to one benefit out of a possible three: either the survivor benefit based on your ex’s work record, or the benefit based on your own work record, or the Social Security benefit you are entitled to based on your new spouse’s work record, whichever is greater.

Q. My spouse does not plan to apply for his Social Security benefit until age 70. He is 68. I am 65, and worked many years under Social Security. I have not filed for my Social Security benefit yet, because I have not reached my full retirement age, which is 67. My husband’s Social Security benefit will be greater than mine. When should I apply for my Social security benefit?

A. If you apply for a Social Security benefit now based on your work record, it will be discounted because you are applying prior to reaching your full retirement age (FRA). If you wait until 67 to apply, when your husband reaches age 70 and applies for his benefit, you will be entitled to a spousal benefit equivalent to 50% of his FRA benefit. If you apply for Social Security benefits now, your spousal benefit would be discounted slightly because you applied prior to your FRA. read more

By Kemberley Washington, CPA, Bankrate.com

From extending the tax cuts he signed into law in 2017 to ending taxes on tips, overtime pay, Social Security benefits and more, President Donald Trump has never made a secret of his goal to make sweeping changes to the U.S. tax code.

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During his first stint in office, Trump massively overhauled tax law by passing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, or TCJA, of 2017. Now, many of those tax provisions are set to expire at the end of 2025, leaving an opportunity for the president to extend, and potentially expand, his tax policy agenda. read more

By LARRY NEUMEISTER

NEW YORK (AP) — It took only seconds for the judges on a New York appeals court to realize that the man addressing them from a video screen — a person about to present an argument in a lawsuit — not only had no law degree, but didn’t exist at all.

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  Think twice before bailing out of the stock market, financial advisers say

The latest bizarre chapter in the awkward arrival of artificial intelligence in the legal world unfolded March 26 under the stained-glass dome of New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division’s First Judicial Department, where a panel of judges was set to hear from Jerome Dewald, a plaintiff in an employment dispute. read more

By JACK BROOK

POINTE À LA HACHE, La. (AP) — Oil company Chevron must pay at least $740 million to restore damage it caused to southeast Louisiana’s coastal wetlands, a jury ruled on Friday following a landmark trial more than a decade in the making.

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The case was the first of dozens of pending lawsuits to reach trial in Louisiana against the world’s leading oil companies for their role in accelerating land loss along the state’s rapidly disappearing coast. The verdict – which Chevron says it will appeal – could set a precedent leaving other oil and gas firms on the hook for billions of dollars in damages tied to land loss and environmental degradation. read more