Business

By Lori Leath Smith Local contractor Tom Stein had a hunch—he predicted there would be a need for quality and affordable site development in our area. That was more than 35 years ago when he had moved to Walton County to help found the community of Seaside located on then...

By Erin Bakker Q: What are the financial benefits of solar energy? A: When you install a solar energy system on your property, you save money on your electricity bills and protect yourself against rising electricity rates in the future. How much you can save depends on the utility rates and...

For parents of high school students, SAT scores are a huge deal. With college admissions and scholarships on the line, paying for tutors and test prep materials may be worth the price. But watch out for local con artists eager to take advantage of this. Scammers – with access...

By Ricky Harper, C12 Working from home, remote work, teleworkers or virtual teams; call it what you will, it is fast becoming the nature of today’s workplace dynamics. But working from home is nothing new. I have been doing it since 1995 when the company I was working for at...

By Matthew Vanderford, Claimology There’s a lot going on in the world of insurance these days. And I mean a lot. Over the last few years, Florida has been hit several times with severe hurricanes. And Floridians have been boots on the ground rebuilding their lives; living out brotherly and...

By Maurice Stouse, Financial Advisor and Branch Manager So much is being written and said about electric vehicles. The new administration, investors, environmentalists, car enthusiasts and just about anyone has heard about them of has an opinion on them. What then is the current and future state of electric vehicles...

By Chris Balzer, ECES If we could go back in time to 1797, we would witness John Adams become the 2nd U.S. President, the first ship of the U.S. Navy, the frigate USS United States being commissioned and the first washing machine being invented. Yes, the first washing machine, a...

By Victoria Ostrosky “This can’t be right!” Mark exclaimed. “Please tell me this is a joke.” “I wish I had better news for you,” replied Anne. “The insurance market has gone through some significant changes over the past 12 months.” “But I don’t understand. This house isn’t that old and it’s in...

By Heather Bennett The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is one of the nation’s oldest non-profit organizations. It provides consumers with business profiles, consumer reviews, consumer information, scam alerts and reviews on charities. It’s here to make sure, as consumers, we make wiser decisions about where we spend our money. I spoke...

The Emerald Coast Public Relations Foundation awards a $1,000 scholarship to graduating seniors planning to pursue a college degree in the areas of public relations, communication, marketing or journalism. Applicants must be high school seniors residing in Okaloosa, Walton or Santa Rosa counties, with a GPA of 3.5 or...