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Liz Weston: Health insurance coverage concerns complicate decisions about retirement

Dear Liz: I work for a wonderful company that has a generous profit sharing plan. I am 61 years old and plan on working until I am 65 and eligible for Medicare.

Due to some health issues, I am reducing my hours and this will significantly reduce my income for the next four years. I thought this was a good plan because it keeps my health insurance intact, but now I am wondering if the lower earnings will affect my profit sharing when I retire. I know the final distribution is based on earnings and time on the job. Should I retire now, while my income is up, or should I wait until I am 65?

Answer: There are a lot of moving parts to any decision about retirement. How much will health insurance cost and how will you pay for it? How much do you have saved and how long are those funds likely to last? What’s the best time to apply for Social Security and how will that affect your retirement fund withdrawals? (It’s often best to delay Social Security as long as possible and draw down retirement savings instead, especially if you’re the primary earner, but individual

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JAB tightens grip on US pet care market with insurance deal

JAB Holding has tightened its grip on the booming US pet care industry with a $1.4bn investment in Fairfax Financial Holdings’ pet insurance business, a week after US regulators raised concerns about the European private equity firm’s growing influence in the American veterinary market.

JAB has acquired stakes in two companies from Fairfax, taking over its interests in Crum & Forster Pet Insurance Group and Pethealth in a deal announced on Monday.

The investment comes a week after regulators at the US Federal Trade Commission intervened in JAB Consumer Partners’ acquisition of SAGE Veterinary Partners, forcing the JAB investment vehicle to divest its veterinary clinics in Texas and California to prevent it from forming local monopolies. JAB must also give notice to the agency for future clinic acquisitions.

JAB began acquiring US veterinary clinics in 2019 and has since moved into the $2.8bn North American pet insurance market, challenging rivals such as Mars and Nestlé. In-force premiums in the sector more than doubled between 2018 to 2021, according to the North American Pet Health Insurance Association (Naphia).

Stuck at home during lockdowns, Americans increased spending on pets, with ownership growing from 67 per cent to 70 per cent of US

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4th Florida property insurance company has gone bankrupt

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Nearly 80,000 Florida homeowners will have to find new insurance, after Southern Fidelity declared bankruptcy. The Tallahassee based company is the fourth insurer to declare insolvency since February.

Southern Fidelity’s bankruptcy filing is concerning because, according to insurance agents, a large portion of those dropped customers will likely have to reinsure their homes using Citizens Property Insurance — the state-owned property insurance company. Insurance agents say Citizens has ballooned as a private company, and just one hurricane could detrimentally affect homeowners across the state.

Southern Fidelity’s shutdown comes less than a month after state lawmakers held a special session to stabilize what’s been described as an industry in crisis. The company announced in early June, that it won’t be able to purchase reinsurance in time for the 2022 Hurricane season.

According to state insurance records: Lighthouse Property Insurance Corporation, Avatar Property and Casualty Insurance and St. Johns Insurance Company shut their doors over the past four months. Local insurance owner and agent, Sean Way, tells News4JAX, finding some of these homeowners affordable new policies can be challenging.

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“Especially for those that are on fixed incomes, they have now retired,” Way said. “And they

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Love Your Dog, but Beware of Your Homeowners’ Insurance

“We’ll say, ‘He is strong, but he’s sweet. He walks well on a leash,’” Nancy Haynes, the shelter’s behavioral expert said of the animated Louie, a mixed breed who stood to her shoulders as he awaited a treat. “It’s not about the breed. It’s about what we know about him. What we’ve seen.”

Pit bulls, mastiffs, Rottweilers, King Corsos, Dobermans, German shepherds and Chow Chows are surrendered more frequently, and stay longer, than the poodles and retrievers, the shelter staff said. The breeds’ prevalence in low-income households is a factor, particularly as many dog owners lost jobs during the pandemic. Their reputation as dangerous fighting dogs also makes them less adoptable.

“Unfortunately, these bully mixes aren’t the dogs everyone is looking for because of this myth that they are aggressive. Then, when pet owners need to surrender an animal, we don’t have space,” said Ashley Jeffrey Bouck, chief executive of the shelter, which euthanizes animals only with debilitating and painful medical conditions. “When people do want to open their homes to our dogs, insurance can be a reason not to.”

More than a decade ago, Karen and James Porpeglia, of Schenectady County, adopted Cole and Duke,

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American Family Insurance Championship, Final Round stream: Watch online, TV channel – How to Watch and Stream Major League & College Sports

The American Family Insurance Championship has been around five seasons, with local legend Jerry Kelly winning the last two seasons and finishing in second place the year before. It has become Kelly’s championship, but he enters the final round three strokes back of the leaders at seven-under-par as he tries to play catch up with Thongchai Jaidee and Miguel Ángel Jiménez.

How to Watch American Family Insurance Championship, Final Round Today:

Game Date: June 12, 2022

Game Time: 3:00 p.m. ET

TV: The Golf Channel

Live Stream American Family Insurance Championship, Final Round on fuboTV: Start your free trial today!

Last year’s winner, Jerry Kelly, took the championship for the second straight year as the local and fan favorite.

Kelly has eight birdies, an eagle and three bogeys, playing a very strong brand of golf through 36 holes. He has to be on the minds of the leaders and the golfers ahead of him in the standings as the hometown favorite and two-time winner here is very capable of storming up the leaderboard today.

At the top of the leaderboard, Jaidee played a great second round with seven birdies and no bogeys, after the first round he finished with four

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