March 29, 2024

Monday's Daily Pulse

What you need to know about Florida today

| 1/6/2014

Florida banks doing better but....

Only four Florida banks failed in 2013, just half of the previous year's total and the lowest number in five years. But Florida is still not a healthy place for many lenders. The state is home to the nation's third-highest percentage of troubled institutions, according to analyst BauerFinancial Inc., and ranks near the bottom for the number of healthiest banks. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]


Your 40s and 50s

Florida Trend Exclusive
Executive Health: A decade by decade guide

Your 40s and 50s

Executive health programs throughout Florida encourage individuals to become proactive about their health and provide strategies for taking charge of wellness. Most programs tailor evaluations to an individuals age, gender, family history, personal history and other risk factors. Following are some issues that are particularly important to monitor at specific times of life. Full story...


The fight over gambling that could change the face of Florida tourism

Pitted between tourism giants such as Walt Disney Co. and billion-dollar casino companies, legislative leaders want a rewrite of the state's gambling regulations — from changing the oversight of horse and greyhound racing to authorizing Las Vegas-style destination casinos. But there's a catch: If they can't decide during the spring session what Florida's betting landscape should look like, voters could wind up doing the job. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]


Flood insurance rate hikes begin taking toll on property market

Lawmakers from Florida and other flood-prone states still hold out hope that the National Flood Insurance Program rate increases can be rolled back, but real estate professionals say the hikes are already taking a toll in certain neighborhoods. Home sales have stalled, sellers are dropping prices and the mechanics of completing a deal are becoming more complicated. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]


Many stock watchers see Wall Street poised for modest returns in 2014

Burned badly by the stock meltdown of 2009, many mom-and-pop investors swore off the markets completely. They wound up missing a magical rebound that has taken the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Standard & Poor's 500 to new highs and the Nasdaq roaring back above 4,000 for the first time in 13 years. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]


ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Cuba charter business consolidates in Florida
Despite optimism three years ago when the Obama administration authorized a dozen new U.S. gateway cities for travel to Cuba, today the only charters to the island leave from Florida.

› South Florida trade volume likely to rise slowly in 2014
South Florida likely will see slow growth in its huge volume of international trade in 2014, spurred by a small uptick in the local economy and in key markets in Latin America and Europe, insiders say.

› FSU's success on the field means more memorabilia sold
A Florida State victory in the National Championship Game could mean big dollars for the university in memorabilia sales. In part, it’s because schools are doing a better job at marketing, but it’s also related to institutions inking deals with some of the top licensees and clothing manufacturers to develop more lines of colorful gear that cater to both alumni and non-alumni.

› Fight over citrus canker may resume
They won their court battle against the state more than five years ago, yet nearly 60,000 Broward households have not received a cent for trees destroyed in the failed campaign against citrus canker. The bitter fight may resume in the coming months.


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