Andryanna Sheppard

The insurance process can be tricky and difficult to navigate. If you haven’t filed a claim, do it as soon as possible. Christopher Smith, managing partner at Goldstein, Buckley, Chechman, Rice & Purtz, said some people wait to claim because they aren’t sure how bad their roof damage is and then a couple of months […]

It’s illegal to ridiculously raise the price of necessary goods like food, water, gas and rent during a state of emergency. One woman believes a local apartment complex is price gouging her and other members of the community. The woman said in a matter of days the unit she wanted to view jumped 63%. Now […]

Many people lost their cars in the flooding caused by Hurricane Ian and are searching for new ones to get around. When getting a replacement car, you don’t want to get stuck with another one that has flood damage. Not all flood damage is visible. According to Carfax, Texas and Florida lead the country regarding […]

One week after a public adjuster knocked on his door, Craig Stafford found himself at the Department of Financial Services booth in the Port Charlotte Town Center insurance village, worried that he had been taken advantage of. “It was a few days after the storm. I thought they were knocking on the door to tell […]

Hurricane Ian has left many people in need of assistance in various forms. One of the organizations offering help is FEMA, and it is drawing lines in Port Charlotte. Vinette Burks, from Port Charlotte, was one of the people who lined up to get help from FEMA. Burks and her son evacuated before Ian made […]

WINK News consumer reporter Andryanna Sheppard spoke with Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis about insurance issues that arise now that Hurricane Ian has passed. In Port Charlotte, an insurance village is set up so you can talk face-to-face with a claims expert and even start a claim at the Port Charlotte Town Center. All the national […]

FPL crews are staging the Charlotte County Airport to prepare ahead of Ian’s arrival. There are about 20 staging sites up and down Florida’s west coast. Severe weather, including heavy rain, flooding and high winds, is expected to cause widespread outages throughout Florida’s western and northern peninsula over the next few days. As of 12 […]

When a storm hits, some businesses might try to take advantage of your desperation for supplies. They raise prices to make more money before, during, and after the storm. WINK News explains price gouging and how to protect your money. Corey Vines, a Cape Coral resident said,  “So, we’ll just have to see. Hopefully, we […]

Protecting your home doesn’t just mean shutters and making it more hurricane resistant. It also means getting everything inside covered too. Those awaiting a storm should check their homeowner’s insurance policy. Just keep in mind whatever you have now is what you will have after the storm. Most insurance companies will not let you change […]

The Federal Reserve is continuing to slow the rising cost of everything. But by doing that, the key interest rate goes up. This is the fifth rate hike this year. Walmart isn’t Stacy Simpson’s first choice when it comes to grocery shopping for her family but she says it’s where she’ll get more bang for […]