Florida
Florida retirees are in financial trouble
Florida is no longer the retirement haven it once was, according to a recent Bankrate survey that placed it eighth on a list of the best states to retire in the country.
According to the New York-based financial services company’s annual rankings, Delaware is the best state for retirees to thanks to its high-quality healthcare, light tax burden, affordable homeowner insurance and good weather.
Bankrate’s analysis, which considered affordability, overall well-being, the cost and quality of health care, and crime rates for each U.S. state, found that Florida, often considered a retirement hotspot, ranked eighth for the second year in a row. It was behind Delaware, West Virginia, Georgia, South Carolina, Missouri, Mississippi and Pennsylvania.
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“Ten years ago, Florida would’ve been a no-brainer for retirement. But with skyrocketing home prices, property taxes and homeowners insurance, it’s worth taking a pause to make sure you can afford the retirement lifestyle you want in Florida,” Bankrate analyst Alex Gailey told Newsweek.
While Florida is no longer in the top five, it’s still number eight in Bankrate’s ranking—meaning that it’s still among the most appealing states for American retirees.
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“Florida is a warmer state with several beautiful beaches and golf courses, which are attractive for retirees. It also ranks well in terms of overall well-being and crime,” Gailey said.
“A big perk of flocking to Florida for retirement is that there is no state tax on retirement income like Social Security, pension funds, 401(k)s or IRA. Healthcare costs are also more affordable in Florida compared to the rest of the country, and the quality of healthcare falls in the middle of the pack,” he added.
But the state falls short in other ways for retirees, with its high home prices, high property taxes, high sales tax and high homeowners insurance.
“All of that has risen dramatically in Florida in the last few years,” Gailey said. “Florida is also subject to a lot of natural disasters, particularly hurricanes and flooding, which can be financially devastating.”
The bottom line, according to Gailey, is that Florida isn’t as affordable as it once was for retirees. “Retirees wanting to move to Florida for sunny winters, beaches and affordable health care may have to sacrifice in other areas,” he said.
Why Is Florida No Longer A Retirement Haven?
“Florida has long reigned as the retirement capital of the U.S., thanks to its beachfront living, world-class golf, and stunning ocean views. However, there is a dark side to the Sunshine State,” Kris Bruynson, VP of Marketing and Product for Moneywise, told Newsweek.
“With a considerable strain on overpopulation, increasing hurricane threats, and—most notably—skyrocketing housing and food costs, retirees are being driven away from the state,” he added. “To maintain the same lifestyle as before, newcomers now require significantly larger savings, prompting seniors to rethink their retirement plans.”
In a recent Moneywise survey, Florida was ranked tenth in a list of the states with the highest risk of elderly bankruptcy. The Sunshine State’s estimated risk score was 54.23.
Bruynson said that while Florida ranked 23rd in overall cost of living in their survey, the study uncovered that a staggering one-quarter of the state’s seniors live below 150 percent of the poverty line, ranking it 7th in elderly poverty nationwide.
“Several metro areas in Florida have experienced some of the nation’s fastest-rising inflation. This rapid increase has placed immense pressure on retirees, mainly due to a 73.5 percent surge in home prices over the past five years.”
Utility bills also disproportionately impact seniors, and Florida’s annual electricity costs currently average $2,069—28 percent higher than the national figure.
“Combined with transportation and food expenses reaching $9,300 annually and healthcare costs at $9,501, the financial strain is evident,” said Bruynson.
“Floridian retirees are facing a perfect storm of financial pressures. Housing, utility, and living expenses alone create a challenging environment for seniors, even before factoring in debt, property maintenance, or insurance,” he added.
Will Retirees Stop Flocking To Florida?
The Sunshine State currently has one of the highest shares of people aged 62 and above compared to its population—but that might change in the future.
“If home prices, property taxes and homeowners insurance rates keep climbing, I wouldn’t be surprised if Florida eventually starts losing some of its luster as a retirement hotspot,” Gailey said.
According to Bruynson, Florida’s popularity as a retirement haven is already showing signs of cooling, with a 0.2 percent drop in out-of-state retirees between 2021 and 2023.
“The increasing challenges in Florida could slow retiree migration, but it’s difficult to predict a significant drop,” he said.
“The state’s overall allure will likely continue attracting seniors, but we may see a shift in the types of retirees moving there. Those with larger budgets may still be drawn to the state, but those on fixed incomes might explore alternative locations.”
Florida
Golf roundup: Austin Smotherman plays ‘boring, simple’ to expand lead in Florida
Austin Smotherman will carry a three-stroke lead into the weekend at the Cognizant Classic at The Palm Beaches.
Smotherman followed his opening 62 with a 2-under-par 69 on Friday at PGA National’s Champion Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. That brought him to 11 under, comfortably clear of Taylor Moore, who is in second after his second straight 4-under 67.
Cognizant Classic scoreboard
“Yeah, leading a PGA Tour event, come on, pretty awesome,” Smotherman said.
Smotherman, 31, is in fine position for his first win on the PGA Tour since turning pro a decade ago. He has won three times on the Korn Ferry Tour, including last June.
Afterwards, he credited himself with playing “Austin Smotherman golf.” When asked what that meant, he responded, “as boring and simple as it can be.
“That’s what I want to do out there. I feel like I ball strike it good enough to have that kind of boring golf, a bunch of fairways ideally,” he said.
He suffered three bogeys Friday after a bogey-free opening round, but the key stretch for him after starting on the back nine was between Nos. 17 and 3. He birdied four holes in that stretch, starting with a 54-foot bomb at the par-3 17th hole.
“Anything under par I thought would have been (good) following up a round like yesterday, which was a special one,” he said, “and try not to get too far ahead of myself thinking I’m going to make every long putt I’m looking at, like kind of was the feeling yesterday, and then today I still make a 55-footer on 17.”
Moore overcame a bogey in each half of his round with three birdies on either nine, more than counterbalancing the rough patches to earn his second straight solid score.
“I think very different 67s,” Moore said when comparing his rounds. “I didn’t hit many fairways yesterday, kind of grinded a lot, had a couple chip-ins, which obviously helps. I thought I struck the ball much better today. Drove it in the fairways on the par-5s, I felt like. Yeah, still had a few up-and- downs, obviously, with the tough windy conditions this afternoon, but overall I thought it was solid.”
Canadian A.J. Ewart had the round of the day, a 64 that powered him to 7 under for the week. He’s tied with Colombia’s Nico Echavarria (72), and Joel Dahmen is in fifth at 6 under after a second consecutive 68.
Ewart, who played for nearby Barry University in college, came in with some familiarity.
“We used to come and watch this tournament when I was at school. I think I came up here twice, maybe three times and watched,” Ewart said. “I had never actually played the golf course, but I felt like I knew it just from watching it.”
Irishman Shane Lowry, one of the most recognizable players in the field, is in a large knot for sixth at 5 under after posting a 67. Defending champion Joe Highsmith made the cut on the number at even par.
Notable players who missed the cut included Webb Simpson (1 over), Gary Woodland (2 over), Matt Kuchar (2 over) and Canada’s Adam Hadwin (3 over).
Kim maintains narrow lead in Singapore
Auston Kim maintained a narrow lead over three seasoned competitors with a 3-under-par 69 on Friday at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore.
Kim carded five birdies and a double-bogey at the par-5 16th hole at Sentosa Golf Club to move to 9-under par, one shot ahead of major champions Minjee Lee of Australia (64 on Friday) and Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn (67) and three- time LPGA Tour winner Haeran Ryu of South Korea (68).
Lurking two shots back at 7-under in the no-cut event are Australia’s Hannah Green (66), Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen (68), Sweden’s Linn Grant (69) and England’s Mimi Rhodes (69).
Kim, an LPGA Tour member since 2024, has been knocking on the door of her first tour win. The American has eight finishes in the top 10 and was the runner-up at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship last season.
“I think just sticking to my process. I’m trying to earn each shot and win each shot and win each day,” Kim, 25, said of her strategy heading into the weekend. “I can put a hundred percent of my focus into every single shot and try my best to execute each time, I’ll do well.”
Lee soared into contention with an eagle at the par-4 second hole and six birdies in a bogey-free round.
“I think just I holed a few more putts out there,” Lee said of the difference between Friday’s play and her opening-round of 72. “I holed a few long ones and I also holed out for eagle on the second. That always helps the score.”
Jutanugarn had six birdies, including three straight from holes Nos. 5-7, and one bogey.
Ryu collected four birdies in a round free of bogeys, but not free from pain.
“Today, my neck was so bad and I cannot turn it around, it’s so hard, my neck,” Ryu said. “But yeah, golf is not perfect. I just think about it, just hit the fairway and the green. Yeah, that’s good for me. There’s a lot of birdies, and yeah, I’m so happy.”
Angel Yin matched Lee for the low round of the day with a 64 to move into a tie for ninth at 6-under.
Defending champion Lydia Ko of New Zealand (72) remained a 2-under posting four birdies and four bogeys.
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand is tied for 33rd at 1-under after a round of 70.
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