Business

By Ricky Tillman Harper “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” —Abraham Lincoln I am thankful for 2020. Yes, you read that right. As difficult as last year was and as tragic as the pandemic has been, we learned much...

United Way Emerald Coast’s (UWEC) Emerging Leaders is pleased to announce the inaugural class of “40 Under 40” honorees, presented by Step One Automotive Group. This award seeks to recognize Okaloosa and Walton counties’ top young leaders excelling in their workplaces and making a difference in the community. This is...

By William Blanken Military families face plenty of financial challenges. If you’re saving for college or retirement, buying a home, or wondering how to help secure your family’s financial future, don’t overlook these five important benefits. 1. Thrift Savings Plan Retirement is something you need to plan for, whether it’s far away...

By Chris Balzer, ECES But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. – William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet No one would dispute that having the beauty of soft natural light shining through our windows puts a smile on our face and warms our hearts....

By Joe Capers, Insurance Zone In most states, including Florida, auto insurance is required to register and legally operate a vehicle. Like most lines of insurance in Florida, rates have been on a rise for the past few years. It may be tempting to only purchase enough coverage to meet...

By Matthew Vanderford, Claimology By now, you’ve heard me speak of Hurricane season this time of year; it’s just so important to know what to do when trying to recover from a Hurricane’s aftermath, in many ways, but also as it pertains to your insurance claims. Hopefully, it doesn’t happen...

By Maurice Stouse, Branch Manager and Financial Advisor Many businesses and individuals in the world and America in particular are experiencing and benefiting from (in spite of the increased spread of the virus) a huge growth in the money supply, strong earnings, early retirements and the sales of their businesses....

Founder of Vets Helping Vets & First Responders For years, Jimy Thorpe had felt the urge to give back. A veteran, Jimy had served as a young man in the U.S. Army for eight years and had always held the highest regard for the men and women who serve our...

By Gail Pelto Online reviews are a must these days! Why? Because most people search the internet for just about everything: where to eat, how to pick a cat, how to hire a contractor, how to hire a great Realtor (like me!), etc. And online reviews are awesome! That is...

By Ricky Tillman Harper Margin. Business leaders talk about it all the time, usually in terms of profit and loss. Most CEO’s or business owners manage from a profit/loss sheet that often has margin calculations built in. We therefore think of margin in purely financial terms; it is the difference...