TheSunNews.com: Business

Holiday hordes roll in

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:11 EST

The bus tours that roll through the Grand Strand in the winter full of tourists geared up for holiday shows and shopping sprees are as predictable as the season's cooler temperatures and early sunsets.

And this year, officials from many of the shopping venues and the local theaters - which all kicked off their Christmas shows last week - are expecting a tour bus ambush even greater than last year.

"So far this year, we're ahead as far as numbers go," said Jordan Gilmore Watkins, marketing manager for the Carolina Opry. "I don't know if it's a combination of factors. I guess, right now, people want to laugh and enjoy themselves."

Travelers leery of swine flu

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:11 EST

Some Americans say they will factor in the swine flu when making travel decisions, but local and state officials say the Myrtle Beach area has nothing to fret about.

Of those who intend to take a leisure trip during the next six months, more than one third would be "very or extremely likely" to alter their travel plans if their intended destination has a widespread outbreak of the H1N1 virus, according to a survey released by the YPartnership and the U.S. Travel Assoc-iation.

Of those who would change their plans, about 45 percent said they would postpone their trip until the outbreak subsided, 32 percent said they would choose a different destination and 31 percent said they would cancel their trip, the data showed.

Business pulse | Arrivals, awards in Myrtle Beach area

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:11 EST

ARRIVALS

Angela Jordain has joined the Holden Beach, N.C., Police Department.

Susan Baldwin has joined Servpro Fire & Water Restoration as a marketing representative.

Shoppers seek Black Friday deals earlier

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:11 EST

Bargain hunters are getting antsy when it comes to researching deals online for the day after Thanksgiving, according to Experian Hitwise, a Web traffic measurement company.

Shoppers started Web searches in August speculating on which products may have the biggest discounts that day, the holiday shopping season's traditional beginning.

In 2006, the searches took place over nine weeks leading up to Thanksgiving and Black Friday, growing to 14 weeks in 2007 and 16 weeks in 2008 and a similar period this year.

Classic toys join the hall of fame

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:11 EST

. Bounce it, kick it, catch it. Chase, throw or smack it. The ball, arguably the most popular plaything of all time, has finally earned a place inside a glass case at the National Toy Hall of Fame in New York.

Along with the Big Wheel and the Game Boy video device, the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester chose the ball this week to join its all-star lineup of 41 classics, including the bicycle, the kite, the jump rope, the teddy bear, the stick, marbles and Mr. Potato Head.

The muscular Big Wheel tricycle was launched at the 1969 Toy Fair in New York, and Game Boy was an instant hit for Japan's Nintendo Co. in 1989.

Poll: Would you change your travel plans because of a threat of the swine flu?

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:17 EST

The newest drugs may not always be the best

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:11 EST

Last year pharmaceutical companies spent more than $4 billion urging patients like you to "ask your doctor" about their drugs. But if you want a prescription that won't empty your wallet, while still keeping you well, you might start asking your doctor about drugs you don't see on TV.

As unemployment continues to rise, experts estimate that 50 million Americans are without health care coverage, forcing many to bear the full cost of their prescriptions.

Compounding the problem are steadily rising drug costs. The senior advocacy group AARP reports that prices for the most popular drugs rose 8.7 percent on average last year, more than twice the rate of inflation.

Do math on flexible spending accounts

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:11 EST

One of the tricky issues employees need to sort out as they choose their benefits for next year is whether to put money aside in a medical flexible spending account, and if so, how much.

The accounts, commonly referred to as FSAs, let workers earmark part of their paychecks before taxes to pay for medical expenses not covered by health insurance.

Calculating how much to put away for the new year can be difficult and require guesswork. But it's important to make your best estimate and err on the side of caution because with FSAs, if you don't use the money for a given year, you lose it.

Parents must help kids master finances

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:11 EST

Young people starting out on their own or in a new job face many challenges in establishing not only their career, but their finances. The most support they can receive now is from their parents.

Older adults have the experience that can be passed on to their children, even if financial support cannot. So moms and dads should move beyond the birds and the bees and sit their kids down and talk about the spending and the saving. This way, when the time comes for a child to grow into independence, that child has established a set of financial morals.

The first and arguably most important lesson for young adults: how to keep a budget. Also stress the importance of keeping to the budget and paying the bills on time to keep a clean credit history for when the time comes to get a loan.

Boeing breaks concealed

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:11 EST

Politicians and other state officials privately crafted a $450 million incentive deal to land Boeing Co. on the promise of thousands of jobs and a multibillion-dollar economic impact, but the details of that deal could be kept from public view for the next year.

The largest incentive package ever offered in the state will be kept under wraps to give the state Department of Commerce and company executives time to sort out the details. State law allows those agreements to remain confidential until they're finalized, which could take up to a year.

Ashley Landess, president of the S.C. Policy Council, a Columbia-based political think tank, said back-door government deals aren't in anyone's best interest.