Things To Do In SW Florida

TALLAHASSEE — A 2024 Florida law aimed at keeping children off of social-media platforms came under scrutiny Friday, as lawyers for the state told a federal judge the measure is addressing a “mental-health crisis” and attorneys for industry groups argued the restrictions violate First Amendment rights.

The law, in part, seeks to prevent children under age 16 from opening social-media accounts on certain platforms — though it would allow parents to give consent for 14- and 15-year-olds to have accounts. Children under 14 would be prohibited from having accounts.

The Computer & Communications Industry Association and NetChoice, whose members include tech giants such as Google and Meta Platforms, filed a lawsuit in October, contending the law — spearheaded by then-House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast — violates speech rights and that parents should make decisions about children’s social-media use.

Lawyers for the state argue that, among other things, the industry groups do not have legal standing to challenge the law and that its restrictions regulate commercial activity — not speech. read more

Christine Benz of Morningstar

Emergency funds are an absolutely crucial aspect of any financial plan, regardless of the life stage or situation.

Once you establish a retirement account, such as an IRA or 401(k), you want to maintain your balances and obtain tax-free growth for as long as possible. When unplanned expenses arise, you don’t want to make withdrawals from your retirement accounts unless there are no other viable options.

If you do have to withdraw funds from your retirement plans, you need to know how to do so without incurring penalties.

There are now over 20 exceptions to the 10% penalty. Ed Slott, a retirement plan expert, believes that “early withdrawals from retirement accounts should be discouraged because they reverse the retirement savings process, and early distributions are the most expensive. They are highly inefficient as they can be subject to both income tax and the 10 percent early withdrawal penalty, which combined can erode half of the distribution. It would be better to take the necessary cash from a non-taxable account.”

There are three categories of early withdrawal exceptions: exceptions that apply to both qualified company plans and IRAs; exceptions that apply only to IRAs; and exceptions that apply only to company plans. read more

By MATT O’BRIEN, AP Technology Writer

Microsoft is closing down Skype, the video-calling service it bought for $8.5 billion in 2011, which had helped spark a transformation in how people communicate online.