People typically have a lot of questions as they research their Medicare options, which primarily include Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement plans, before finding the plan that best fits their needs.

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions that licensed Humana health insurance agents get from consumers during the Medicare Annual Election Period:

* When is the annual enrollment period to choose a Medicare plan for 2019?

The Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plan Annual Election Period takes place from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, 2018, for coverage that takes effect Jan. 1, 2019.

* How do I find out if my doctors, hospitals and specialists are in my Medicare Advantage provider network?

Most Medicare Advantage plans offer easy-to-use online tools to help you find doctors and hospitals that are in the plan's network. A licensed agent can also help you look up hospitals and doctors to see if they're accepting a plan and taking new patients.

* If I select a Medicare plan for the coming year, and then find that I don't like it, can I drop it and choose another plan?

The plan you select by Dec. 7 will be your Medicare plan for all of 2019, with few exceptions, so it's wise to research your options carefully. If you sign up for a Medicare Advantage plan for 2019, and then find that it's not the right fit, between Jan. 1 and March 31, there will be an Open Enrollment Period during which you can switch from a Medicare Advantage or a Medicare Advantage-Prescription Drug Plan to another Medicare Advantage plan with or without prescription drug coverage. Or you can choose Original Medicare with or without a stand-alone Prescription Drug Plan.

Full information on 2019 Medicare health and prescription drug plans is available on www.medicare.gov.

For Humana plans, visit www.humana.com/Medicare.

You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) (or TTY: 1-877-486-2048) 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or call Humana at 1-877-877-0714 (TTY use 711) 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time, seven days a week. 

Humana is a Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and PFFS organization, and stand-alone prescription drug plan, with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in any Humana plan depends on plan renewal. 

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"Yeah, I've been moving since I was 18," says Matt, "and I was getting sick of it. I'm really good at packing and moving, though. I've had lots of practice."

Part of the reason Matt moved so frequently was that he enjoyed getting to know different areas of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It also taught him which neighborhoods he'd want to live in on a more permanent basis.

"After working in the mortgage industry for three years, I became very aware of what a smart financial decision it is to buy a home," explains Matt. So, he began house hunting while living with a roommate and paying $525 each for rent.

Because Matt owns a motorcycle, a house with a garage was a must. Unfortunately, the area he wanted was comprised of older homes - many without garages. And, he was unwilling to go above his price range.

As a young first-time homebuyer with student loan debt, Matt didn't want to overextend himself. He also didn't have enough in his savings for a 20 percent down payment. So, when he finally found his four-bedroom home with a garage, and in his price range, he decided to apply for a low-down-payment loan. His goal was to put down five percent and use private mortgage insurance, which is required on conventional loans with less than a 20 percent down payment.

Yet Matt was still a bit uncomfortable about using all of his savings for his down payment and closing costs. He had the money, but wondered what would happen if his bike or new home needed expensive repairs. Matt wanted to ensure that he still had a rainy-day fund just in case, so he researched down payment assistance programs.

While there are different types of programs available, Matt took advantage of the Easy Close Advantage - Down Payment Assistance program offered through WHEDA (Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority). In order to be eligible, buyers must be purchasing an owner-occupied home in Wisconsin and meet specific requirements, such as income levels, credit ratings and home-purchase price limits.

Matt easily qualified for the program, and closed on his home in July 2018. His monthly mortgage payment is $1,292, which includes escrow and $59 for the down-payment-assistance loan.

But what does a smart millennial do with a big four-bedroom house and a lot of former roommates? Yep. Even though Matt could afford the mortgage himself, he invited two of his buddies to live with him. Now, his roomies pay $550 each per month and Matt pays only $192 of the mortgage, so he's saving money while building equity. As Matt confides, "I see this house as a really good investment."

And on top of that, he can finally get rid of his moving boxes!

For more homebuyer resources, visit readynest.com. To find down payment assistance programs in your area, visit downpaymentresource.com/

Starting as early as Aug. 17 and running through Nov. 3, there's something for everyone, from mild and family-friendly to wild and terrifying.

This year's lineup includes a host of All-Hallows events and attractions; themed hotel packages; and the return of the largest horror convention in the nation. 

Theme Park Frights 

This year, visitors can expect Universal Orlando Resort's Halloween Horror Nights to pay an homage to the '80s , with a haunted house in the theme of Netflix's "Stranger Things," as well as nine other haunted houses, for a total of 10 - the most ever in the event's 28-year history.

For a more family-friendly experience, the Walt Disney World Resort's Magic Kingdom Park comes alive with jack-o-lanterns and special characters for Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.

Visitors can trick-or-treat throughout the park, masquerade with costumed characters at the Boo-to-You Halloween Parade, sing along at the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular, and end the night with a "Boo-tacular" fireworks show.

SeaWorld Orlando's Halloween Spooktacular has an ocean of Halloween fun planned.

During this daytime event, families are immersed in an underwater "fantasea" including trick-or-treating, not-so-spooky live shows, and the chance to mingle with everyone's favorite Sesame Street friends including Elmo, The Count, Cookie Monster and more. 

Boo Beyond the Parks 

The largest horror convention in the nation, Spooky Empire, returns to Orlando Oct. 26-29 at the Caribe Royale Orlando. Celebrity guests this year includes David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson of X-files fame, with more to be announced.

Other thrills and chills include a, costume contest, zombie walk, and film festival.

A Petrified Forest features two outdoor scare trails for small groups to venture through a haunted forest at night. Live actors stalk guests through the dark, and uniquely themed areas make for a truly thrilling, chilling experience. The event runs select nights, Oct. 5 - Nov. 3 

Haunting Hotel Happenings 

Three Hyatt properties are offering a "No Tricks, Just Treats" package, Sept.1 - Nov. 4, to get guests into the Halloween spirit.

The package includes two complimentary "spooky" drinks or beverages of choice per stay as well as a special-themed treat placed in their room upon arrival, available at Hyatt Place across from Universal Orlando Resort, Hyatt House across from Universal Orlando Resort, and Hyatt Place Orlando Convention Center.

Hilton Orlando is offering "A ROOM WITH A BOO" package, which includes daily breakfast, premium Wi-Fi and late checkout at 2:00 p.m.; perfect sleeping-in time for those "creatures of the night." Use this link for booking.

For more information, visit VisitOrlando.com.

Yet the challenge is how to find, research, track, manage and trade these tax-exempt investment over the ten years of the tax incentive.

The Entrex Capital Market is one of the leaders building state by state Opportunity Zone Trading solutions, typically for the state economic development teams. Working together with local and state representatives, Entrex brings each opportunity zone to the forefront and can even allow investors to perform tax-free 1031 type of exchanges (including qualified bitcoin gains) into qualified assets in each Opportunity Zone, all through regulated market constituents.

One company taking advantage of the new tax "opportunities" is Webco Dental, a Disabled Veteran-qualified small business. Webco has gained significant exposure from building their company in a Pasco County, Florida Opportunity Zone. Christopher Cooley, CEO of Webco, suggests;

"Being in an Opportunity Zone and being a Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, or SDVOSB, allows us to help investors support our veterans, while focusing on the economic and employment growth our communities need - all on a potentially tax-free income and capital gain basis."

Entrex helps to bring exposure to investors by offering the ability not only to buy debt and equity of companies, but also the potential of liquidity. "It's like the eBay or real estate's MLS for private companies," says entrepreneur Craig Rutkai of Florida.

Similar to the way they managed over 200 transactions for companies in 2017 - each reviewed by the regulators - Entrex now offers a variety of alternative investors from real estate, gold and silver commodities, Opportunity Zones, and consumer debt. And potentially is there for government-backed airlines leases.

Stephen H. Watkins, CEO of Entrex, suggests: "Back in 2015, when our Broker/Dealer managed the Overstock.com TIGRcub Bond - we helped manage the first security to ever trade on the Blockchain. Now every trade and interest payment we service can be pushed out."

"It is an exciting time and the beginning of the democratization of private companies."

To learn more about the Entrex Alternative Trading Portal capabilities, technologies and opportunity zone investments, visit www.EntrexCapitalMarket.com.

B&Bs "are more intimate, with much more personal attention," says Sharon Scruggs, who operates the Fife and Drum Inn with her husband, Billy. Both are lifetime residents of Williamsburg, Virginia, and provide a unique and in-depth perspective on the history of the area for their guests.

The bed-and-breakfast experience offers many other benefits beyond what travelers find in a chain- hotel setting.

- Location. Many bed and breakfasts are historic properties, often located in the center of scenic areas.

The Fife and Drum Inn has been part of Sharon's family for generations. The building was constructed in 1933 by her grandfather as a combination of stores with apartments above, and is a short walk to the sights and sounds of Colonial Williamsburg, including the holiday Grand Illumination fireworks display.

- Character. Part of the charm of a bed and breakfast is the uniqueness; art, décor, and food are integrated to create a complete experience. For example, the Fife and Drum retains the colonial feel of the area in all its guest rooms. Special features include antique furnishings, elegant four poster beds in some guest rooms, as well folk art and artifacts from the restoration period of the historic area available for guests to enjoy.

- Food. Bed and breakfasts don't shirk the breakfast half of the equation, and the best of them reflect the local cuisine. The Fife and Drum features daily breakfast casseroles based on family recipes to reflect the southern cooking of the area; other items include fresh biscuits, Virginia ham, fruit, and a unique blend of granola to fuel a day of sightseeing.

- Customization. Not only do visitors to a bed and breakfast get a unique perspective on the place they are visiting, they have options for special packages not available in other hotel settings. Bed and breakfasts can partner easily with local businesses for a smoothly organized and highly personalized vacation experience.

The Fife and Drum Inn offers options such as the Historic Triangle Package that includes three nights at the Inn, breakfasts, and admissions to historic Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown. Bed and breakfasts also lend themselves to romance. Helpful hosts can design guest packages built around proposals, anniversaries, or just a special getaway.

Visit fifeanddruminn.com for more details about how a bed and breakfast makes for a memorable travel experience.

For instance, while solar panels have long been a way of minimizing one's carbon footprint - be it a homeowner or a company - cost, construction, implementation, and a myriad of other reasons, have made it problematic to utilize these alternative energy sources.

Now however, the evolving technology allows for the use of solar energy on the interior or exterior of buildings and are, once again, gaining in popularity.

As an example, solar panels can be integrated into newly constructed commercial and residential buildings.

To this end, integration can maximize the technology of thin-film solar panels by curbing costs of heating and air conditioning. Solar power can be integrated into either flat or slanted rooftops, as well as interior walls and ceilings.

Similarly, older buildings can become greener with retrofitting and the use of thin-film solar panels. Factories, large residential buildings, and other structures can enjoy the financial and environmental benefits of solar energy while preserving the existing building structure.

Innovations in solar panel technology have resulted in panels that are thin yet durable, and can blend with existing tiles for a more subtle and attractive appearance that is equally functional in terms of energy.

The Hanergy Thin Film Power Group, a pioneering multinational clean energy company, is one example of a company on the cutting edge that has developed a new generation of solar cells for thin-film solar panels.

The new technology is environment-friendly, pollution-free, and cost-effective, averaging a high-power output and offering good performance even in low light.

Some recent innovations include copper indium gallium selenide, GaAs (single junction), GaAs (double junction) and efficient silicon heterostructure technology.

Hanergy has developed curved tiles that can be used for roofs of commercial buildings and residential houses that are unable to hold the weight of conventional solar panels. Hanergy's flexible solar thin-film can also be used on light posts, boats, or other uneven surfaces where solar energy is desired.

Other products include building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) or HanWall which could light up the buildings with its unique glass wall design and is availabile in different colors and various sizes allowing the building designers to utilize their creative ability to build new eco landmarks.

In addition, Hanergy has developed solar charging products to harness solar power for phones or other devices while outdoors, including a solar umbrella.

For more information, visit Hanergy.com and hanergyamerica.com.