Things To Do In SW Florida

By Lauren Schwahn | NerdWallet

Social Security numbers are vital for getting jobs, filing taxes, receiving government benefits and much more; they’re also becoming increasingly vulnerable to identity theft.

In August 2024, news broke that nearly 3 billion Social Security numbers were reportedly compromised in a hack targeting National Public Data, a company that provides data for background checks. More recently, retailer David’s Bridal filed notice of a breach that possibly exposed personal information, including Social Security numbers.

If your unique, nine-digit number falls into the wrong hands, it could have disastrous consequences for your finances. Fraudsters may steal your money or tank your credit. But taking steps such as freezing your credit and blocking electronic access to your SSN with the Social Security Administration can reduce your risk.

Start by locking down your Social Security number

There are a couple of things you can do to restrict the use of your Social Security number: block electronic access to your SSN and lock it with E-Verify. read more

Today’s travel trends are showing where people are going, who they are going with and what they want to do while on a trip.

“People are taking more trips and they are talking about them with their friends,” said Randy Yaroch, CEO and owner of The Travel Society in Greenwood Village. “Then you add social media and that really accentuates how people make choices on where to travel next.”

Knowing what the trends are can be reassuring and inspiring — such as women traveling solo — or possibly lead to making a different choice — like opting to avoid traditional Western European favorites due to crowds.

Yaroch’s Travel Society is a member of Virtuoso, a global network of agencies that specialize in luxury and experiential travel with thousands of travel advisers. A travel adviser is similar to the travel agents of the past, but they offer more advice and insights.

“Travel agents were order taking, but in today’s world they have become professional advisers, more like a consultant that is absolutely curating itineraries,” Yaroch explained. While travel advisers tend to work with premium- to ultra-luxury clientele, Yaroch said, they can also assist with more basic trips such as booking an all-inclusive package and transportation to and from a resort. read more

After 1,853 restaurant inspections across Central Florida in September, only 187 had no issues for the entire month, according to data from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

Orange had the highest percentage of restaurants with zero violations during routine food inspections at 11.2%. Volusia came in second with 10.5% Lake came third at 10.4% and Seminole was in fourth place with 10.1%.

Brevard and Osceola ranked near the bottom at 9.7% and 4.1%, respectively.

Orange County had the most restaurants with no violations at 87 out of 780. Brevard was in second place with 32 out of 329 and Volusia was third with 29 out of 277.

BREVARD

Kelsey’s Pizza, 1850 N. Courtenay Parkway, Suite 116, Merritt Island
Cosmic Creamery and Creations LLC , 2430 S. Washington Ave. Suite 125,
Titusville
Ferreri’s Pizza, 3589 Cheney Hwy, Titusville
Tacomaniacs, 3280 Suntree Blvd. Suite 105, Melbourne
Harris Chq-Gic, 1025 W. Nasa Blvd., Melbourne
Jonathan’s Pub, 140 N. Brevard Ave., Cocoa Bch
Pizza Company, 868 N. Banana River Dr., Merritt Island
Wabi Sabi, 455 N. Courtenay Parkway, Merritt Island
Seaglass Inn, 514 Ocean Ave., Melbourne Beach
Moon Hut, 7802 N. Atlantic Ave. , Cape Canaveral
Relly’s Hot Dog Station, 3535 North Hwy 1 Suite 109, Cocoa
Comfort Suites, 1175 Malabar Road NE, Palm Bay
Florida’s Seafood Bar and Grill, 480 W. Cocoa Beach Causeway, Cocoa Beach
Marker 24 Riverfront, LLC , 1360 S. Banana River Dr., Merritt Island
Graham’s Beach Grill, 5920 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach
El Taquero Ranchero, 4990 Stack Blvd., Melbourne
Tip a Few 2, 6890 N. Atlantic Ave., Cape Canaveral
McDonald’s #11162, 8280 N. Wickham Road, Melbourne
AD1 Viera Hotel LLC , 8296 N. Wickham Road, Melbourne
No Ordinary Burritos, 660 Tucker Lane, Cocoa
Beach Bums Sweet Treats, 3270 Suntree Blvd., Vin 2502, Melbourne
Grumpy’s Biscuits, 3280 Suntree Blvd., Melbourne
Real Smoke N Grill, 3280 Suntree Blvd. Suite 105, Melbourne
Nomads Rolled Ice Cream, 660 Tucker Lane, Cocoa
Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront Resort, 1550 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach
Gators Dockside, 683 Dave Nisbet Dr., Cape Canaveral
Slow & Low BBQ, 306 N. Orlando Ave., Cocoa Beach
Bacco Wine Cafe, 4100 North Wickham Road, 108 A, Melbourne
Mouth Full of South, 2500 Parkway Dr., Vin 4615, Melbourne
McDonald’s 7469, 927 Dixon Blvd., Cocoa
Arby’s, 748 Palm Bay Road NE, Palm Bay
Culver’s of Titusville, 2855 Cheney Hwy, Titusville read more

Mia Taylor | (TNS) TravelPulse

Globetrotters may soon be able to store their U.S. passport in a Google Wallet.

The tech giant has announced that it’s rolling out a variety of new Google Wallet updates aimed at travelers and commuters.

As part of that plan, Google is beta testing the ability to create a digital ID from a U.S. passport, according to a news release from Google. Once uploaded to a Wallet, the digital U.S. Passport ID could be used at select TSA checkpoints by those traveling within the United States.

Google expects that being able to store passports digitally in your Wallet will save “time and stress at the airport when traveling domestically.”

When the new digital passport feature becomes available to the public, users will be able to create their digital ID by selecting the “create an ID pass with your U.S. passport” function in the Google Wallet app.

After that, users will be required to scan the security chip located on the back of passports. The process also involves taking a selfie that will be used to verify identity. read more

By Funto Omojola | NerdWallet

There was a time when the plunk of a metal credit card hitting the counter could turn heads and cement you as a “high-roller.”

The invite-only Centurion Black Card from American Express was the modern pioneer when it launched in 1999 and became a symbol of elite status, not only for its high qualification standards and fancy perks, but for the aesthetic exclusivity its titanium construction offered.

Since then, though, many other major issuers have followed suit with their own deluxe cards, including Chase and Capital One. The Chase Sapphire Reserve®, in particular, became so popular at the time of its release in 2016 that the issuer initially ran out of the metal it needed to make it.

These days, it’s nowhere near as difficult to find metal credit cards, and holders don’t need to be as monied to qualify for them.

“Metal cards were reserved for wealthy individuals that met their high qualification standards,” says Ben Danner, senior analyst for the credit and commercial advisory services for Javelin Strategy & Research. “Nowadays, there are several metal card offerings that cater to mass market consumers as well as the ultra-wealthy.” read more