Charleston Currents

Money

MORRIS: Identity theft and your role in protecting your data

By Kyra Morris, contributing editor | The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is the U.S. government’s central repository for identity (ID) theft complaints and provides victim assistance and consumer education. In 2014, one billion records – Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, health records, and private photos — were taken. Forty percent of all identity thefts are tax- or wage-related.

In 2015, the IRS “Get Transcript” data breach involved potentially 724,000 compromised accounts. The thieves were able to transcend a multi-step authentication process that required prior personal knowledge about the taxpayers. There was also an additional step where several personal identity verification questions typically only known by the taxpayer were correctly answered.

by Kyra Morris · 08/29/2016 · Comments are Disabled · Money, Views

Photographer Bill Hawker of Sydney, Australia, captured this shot outside the Tower of London around the time of the Brexit vote.

MORRIS: What’s going on post-Brexit and what it means

By Kyra Morris, contributing editor | History was made June 23 of this year when the United Kingdom (UK) voted to leave the European Union (EU). For two days after the so-called “Brexit” vote, the U.S. stock market offered buying opportunities.

The DOW fell over 600 points on the June 25 and another nearly 300 points on the following Monday. Then the rebound began. Within the following month, the S&P and the DOW not only regained their pre-Brexit levels, but went on to achieve record highs. International markets since the vote – everywhere but the UK — also rebounded. This include both developed and emerging markets. This is only one month. Does it give us any idea of what to expect going forward?

by Kyra Morris · 07/25/2016 · Comments are Disabled · Money, Views

FOCUS: One Region targets infrastructure, education, housing

By Kyra Morris, contributing editor | The Charleston area is our home. This area includes Charleston County, Berkeley County and Dorchester County. It’s changing, and it’s happening quickly. The passive approach is to sit back and simply marvel, or perhaps we can complain at the increase in traffic with poor road conditions, the high cost of housing and the quality of our educational system. The active approach is to get involved.

The Charleston Regional Development Alliance (CRDA) and the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce (CMCC) joined together to form a collaborative initiative. The purpose is to create a multi-fibered think tank representing the public sector, private sector, nonprofit and educational organizations within our region to further enhance and sustain our economy while maintaining the quality of life we all cherish. They call this initiative One Region: A Global Competitive Strategy.

by Kyra Morris · 07/04/2016 · Comments are Disabled · Focus, Good news, Money

MORRIS: Spoleto is at home here — and part of our edge

By Kyra Morris, contributing editor | 1977 – the beginning of Charleston’s emergence as a world destination city– was also the first year of Spoleto Festival USA. Is this a coincidence, or is there a correlation?

Gian Carlo Menotti, a Pulitzer-Prize-winning composer, sought to establish a sister festival to the Festival dei Due Mondi of Spoleto, Italy. After a comprehensive search for the right place, he chose Charleston. It met his expectations for old world charm, historical architecture, and abundance of theatres and other performance spaces, including the variety of beautifully-maintained churches that reminded him of those in Italy.

by Kyra Morris · 05/30/2016 · Comments are Disabled · Money, Views

MORRIS: Let’s talk politics and the markets

By Kyra Morris, contributing editor | This is an election year, and often we hear that election years are bad years for market returns. This is a particularly interesting, unusual and unexpected election year. The markets are jittery. What though really is the correlation of election years and the subsequent years to market returns?

by Kyra Morris · 02/29/2016 · Comments are Disabled · Money, Views

FOCUS: Advice on financial resolutions for the new year

By Kyra Morris, contributing editor | It’s almost January, a time for new beginnings. The holidays are just about over. Now it’s time to pay for the festivities. We often say to ourselves, “I’m going to do it differently this year.” Then we ask ourselves, “Is it worth the effort?” So many resolutions go unresolved and undone. So – can the New Year truly find you a better person.

Prior years’ studies show that around 51 percent of those who make resolutions regarding their finances feel they are better off financially after just one year. That’s over half. The percentages are in your favor. With a little forethought and some self-motivation, you can do it. Identify your goals and desires, and then develop your plan. Your financial resolutions may improve your overall financial health.

by Kyra Morris · 12/28/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Money, Views

MORRIS: Have a financially-savvy holiday season

By Kyra Morris, contributing editor | As our bellies are now full from a wonderful Thanksgiving meal, it’s now time to consider emptying the wallet for the holidays. At least that is what retailers would like for you to do. The holiday season and shopping are often directly correlated. Instead of the joy of the season, we often experience the stress of the season.

by Kyra Morris · 11/30/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Money, Views

MORRIS: The blood supermoon: Astronomical phenomenon or apocalypse?

By Kyra Morris, contributing editor | As USA Today put it, “It almost sounds like something from a comic strip: A total supermoon lunar eclipse, also known as a blood moon — supermoon.” This is real, and by the time you read this, it happened in its fullness on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015, lasting until early Monday morning.

by Kyra Morris · 09/28/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Money, Views

MORRIS: Our World Trade Center is making a difference

By Kyra Morris, contributing editor | Our world is a global world. Our markets are global markets. Economic viability depends on our ability to interact within these horizons.

by Kyra Morris · 07/27/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Money, Views

MORRIS: Charleston is part of a global community

By Kyra Morris, contributing editor | My husband and I traveled all over Australia last month. At the beginning of June, only a few people we met were familiar with Charleston, our fair city. By the end of our travels because of the tragedy at Mother Emanuel, most of the people we met knew of Charleston.

Their comments were kind expressions of sorrow, but also of how they were impressed by the total community support and display of love and unity that Charleston showed to the families of the victims. This unity was felt by the world.

We did that part right. We let the world know that Charleston is not a place of hate. …

by Kyra Morris · 07/13/2015 · Comments are Disabled · Focus, Money, Views