Today is the first day of Spring. The yellow hue on our cars and driveways can only mean one thing: the flowers and trees are starting to bloom. If you are one of the millions of people, like me, who have seasonal allergies it also means sneezing, congest

“Lá Fhéile Pádraig Shona!” No, that isn’t gibberish. That is how you say ‘Happy St. Patrick’s Day’ in Irish, or Gaelic. St. Patrick’s Day, or the Feast of St. Patrick, is a cultural and religious celebration dating back to the death date of St. Patrick, t

It’s that time of year again. Finally, we have some extra afternoon sunlight to actually get some things done like gardening, yard work, taking walks, and playing with our kids and dogs. Even though we lose an hour of sleep, it is worth the extra sunlight

After one of the longest bull markets in history, stocks experienced some major ups and downs toward the end of 2018. This increased market volatility grabbed headlines and caused some investors to feel anxious about potential losses to their portfolios.

This will be my last editorial as the Editor of The News Journal. It has been a great experience being Editor these past few months. I have enjoyed getting to meet with all sorts of different people in the community. I have learned so much about Florence

While we know Valentine’s Day is the most romantic day of the year, there is plenty more to the holiday than just that. After the Roman Emperor Claudius II outlawed marriage, Saint Valentine continued to marry men and women in secret. Even then, it was tr

By Richard Eckstrom, S.C. Comptroller About eight years ago I began a push to make the all-powerful S.C. Budget & Control Board more transparent by streaming its meetings on the Internet. (While the streaming of public meetings is routine these days, tha

A key financial question for retirees is what to do with their hard-earned retirement savings. For example, some investors may find it more fulfilling to provide a college fund for grandchildren rather than purchase a second home for themselves. The oppos

A little over a year ago I adopted a dog. I found him on CraigsList. I was told that he was half Husky and half Corgi. I was also told that he was fixed, house trained, and leash trained. He was none of these things. Despite the misinformation, I loved hi

I am a cat dad. I have two Siamese cats. Kit Cat Paddywack will be five this April and Reese Cup just turned two. I am more of a cat person, that doesn’t mean that I don’t like dogs, it just means that I prefer cats. Here are some of history’s most famous

A palindrome is a word or sentence that reads the same forward as it does backward. The words a and I are perhaps the simplest and least interesting palindromes; the word racecar and the name Hannah are more interesting and illustrative. Words • aibohphob

By Richard Eckstrom, S.C. Comptroller It’s the central dividing line of American politics: the age-old debate between those who generally favor higher spending and taxes, and those on the other hand who believe it’s beneficial to let taxpayers keep more

A prominent economic story of the past year has been the growing tide of trade disputes across the globe. The U.S is at the center of it – most notably with China – which means investors are often subject to daily headlines debating possible implications

Having grown up in Pennsylvania, I was always accustomed to January being well below zero in regards to temperature. Growing up, January was a time of snowball fights and sled rides. Now that I live in South Carolina, those activities are no longer possib

By Richard Eckstrom, S.C. Comptroller We can all afford to better ourselves in some way, and this time each year many us resolve to do so – whether it’s adopting a healthier lifestyle, working a little harder toward a goal, or learning a new skill. And