ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
Photo by AP. When Starbucks launched a rewards credit card this year, and when Uber did so last fall, it was a big step as far as each company was concerned. But they were only following the lead of hundreds of other brands. Amazon, Costco, Target and many other brands have offered credit cards for years. These cards usually give customers higher rewards for in-store shopping than they would earn with a general-purpose credit card. But these co-branded cards, as theyâre called, also come with downsides, including higher-than-average interest rates and, in some cases, annual fees. In general, their redemption options are more limited than what you find on a general rewards card. One key factor in getting a brandâs card, says credit expert John Ulzheimer, is how often you shop with that particular brand. âIf you frequent the retailer enough, then youâre really getting a lot of value for the points,â he says. Ask these questions before you apply for your favorite brandâs credit card. What is the rewards rate? âYou should ask, âFor every dollar I spend, what percent do I earn back in points?ââ advises Barry Kirk, vice president of loyalty at Maritz Motivation Solutions, which creates loyalty programs for companies. A 1% rate is pretty weak, while 5% or higher is more likely to make it worth your time, Kirk says. âIf there is a store you shop frequently at â say, Target â and you could do all of your shopping in one place, and the card gives you a 5% discount plus other rewards, then it could make a lot of sense,â says Andrea Woroch, a writer and TV personality who specializes in consumer savings. Is there an annual fee? âRewards programs arenât free,â Ulzheimer says, and sometimes the cost is an annual fee. The Starbucks card, for example, has a $49 fee, and to get the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa, you have to be a Prime member, which now costs $119 a year. An annual fee doesnât automatically make a card bad, but you have to make sure the benefits you get will exceed the fee. Do you plan to carry a balance? Rewards cards tend to come with higher interest rates than nonrewards cards. So anyone planning to carry a balance on a credit card should focus on getting the lowest interest rate possible instead of rewards, Ulzheimer says. Will the card tempt you to overspend? Woroch says she once had a Gap credit card that led her to buy more clothes than she needed. âI kept getting rewards toward Gap, so would get clothes. It got me in the habit of buying things I didnât need,â she says. That leads to the next question: How can the rewards be redeemed? âYou have to be very familiar with the limitations and restrictions on the card,â Ulzheimer says. If you can only redeem rewards with that particular brand, then it might feel too restrictive compared with a general cash-back card. âThatâs why I like cash back as an alternative,â he says. âYou can use your money to buy anything, anywhere, anytime.â Does the card come with other perks? Some co-branded cards offer exclusive cardholder events, early sales access or other experiences that boost the cardâs value, Kirk says. If youâre a big fan of a brand, that could make its card attractive even if a general cash-back card would make more sense from a strictly financial perspective. After all, Kirk says, consumers often make decisions with their heart and not just their brain. âThey just think, âI want that brand in my wallet,ââ he says. But asking these questions first can help ensure youâll come out ahead financially, too.