Things To Do In SW Florida

I receive more mail about retirement account issues than about any other subject, and that’s because Congress and federal agencies keep updating the regulations.

When trying to answer readers’ questions about retirement, I regularly consult IRA expert Ed Slott and his staff (IRAhelp.com) because they are up to date with all the changes in regulations.

I highly recommend Slott’s book “The Retirement Savings Time Bomb Ticks Louder.” It addresses the critical issue that every other retirement- and tax-related book ignores: protecting your assets from excessive taxation. He believes this factor is more crucial than any other to your “ability to live the lifestyle you’ve been saving for all your life, or to pass on your hard-earned savings to those you love.”

Action plan

There have been significant regulation changes related to retirement accounts since 2020. Slott outlines a five-step action plan that will allow you, not the IRS, to make full use of your retirement plan assets.

Timing of distributions is important, and Slott discusses the right time to start taking money out, the right amount to take, and how to avoid penalties. read more

TALLAHASSEE — With state officials pointing to issues such as job growth in the construction industry, Florida’s unemployment rate remained at 3.3 percent in May, according to a report released Friday.

The rate also was 3.3 percent in April, after inching up from 3.2 percent in March and 3.1 percent in the three previous months. Florida had a 2.8 percent unemployment rate in May 2023.

Across Florida, the lowest unemployment rate in May continued to be in South Florida, with the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metropolitan statistical area at 2.6 percent, down from 2.7 percent in April.

The Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island and Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin areas were at 2.7 percent, both dropping from 2.9 percent a month earlier.

Panama City was next at 2.8 percent, while the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford area was at 2.9 percent.

The highest rate was in the Homosassa Springs area at 4.5 percent, down from 4.9 percent in April. The next-highest areas were The Villages and Sebring, both at 4.2 percent. read more

Under legal threat, Mount Dora’s City Council approved a controversial mixed-use development this week that blows past height limits in the city’s Wolf Branch Innovation District, but some council members voiced doubts the project would ever be built as proposed.

The Tuesday night approval of the settlement and rezoning with AMCO Development puts the company’s suit against the city to bed for now. It will also allow the developer to submit plans for phase 1 of their mixed-use master-planned community for city review, according to a report in GrowthSpotter.

AMCO’s plans call for buildings as tall as 175 feet tall, which is a reduction from the developer’s initial proposal of towers as tall as 300 feet. The Council voted to deny the developer approval in February 2023 because the building heights weren’t aligned with the Wolf Branch Innovation District’s previously approved maximum height of 100 feet.

The current plans also call for about 1,800 residential units, some of which would be age-restricted, up to 950,000 square feet of commercial space, a 100,000-square-foot convention center, 325 hotel rooms, a 60,000-square-foot medical office, a 125,000-square-foot self-storage facility, a preschool, and an underground parking garage. Additionally, there would be a 5.2-acre man-made lake with walking trails and a water park that would be accessible to the public. read more

Two California-based Disney employees are suing the company, alleging misrepresentation of a project that led them to follow work to Orlando, just to move back two years later when the project failed.

A $1 billion office space at Lake Nona was touted to bring 2,000 new jobs to the area, but Disney scuttled the campus last year amid the political feud between the company and Gov. Ron DeSantis.

According to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, the two employees were among at least 250 others who thought Disney would fire them if they didn’t make the move. The suit says the worker group was “fraudulently induced” to move, and seeks class-action status on their behalf.

The complaint was filed by attorney Jason S. Lohr of the San Francisco law firm, Lohr Ripamonti & Segarich.

Lohr said that because Maria De La Cruz and George Fong, the two employees filing, still work for Disney, they would not participate in interviews. Disney did not respond immediately to a request for comment. read more

Penguin Trek, an indoor-outdoor roller coaster at SeaWorld Orlando, will officially open to the public on July 7, the theme park announced Thursday.

The attraction, which has snowmobile-styled ride cars, will go up to 43 mph across more than 3,000 feet of track and have two launch sequences.  There will be a 42-inch height requirement for passengers.

Penguin Trek is located in the Antarctica Realm within the park, and it is built in the approximate location of the former Empire of the Penguin dark-ride attraction.  Riders again will exit past a real-life penguin habitat, where they can see the animals above and below the surface of water.

“Penguin Trek offers a unique blend of thrills and education, allowing guests to immerse themselves in the wonders of Antarctica while highlighting our dedication to wildlife preservation and family-friendly fun,” Jon Peterson, president of SeaWorld Orlando, said in a news release.

SeaWorld’s pass members will have exclusive access to the coaster, manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, with special ride times starting July 2, nearly a week before its grand opening. read more