News - Friday, December 10, 2021

Predicting U.S. retail spending and consumer confidence trends right now is a headache-inducing exercise.

Breathless headlines predict nightmarish inventory shortfalls, lack of workers and soaring prices for the 2021 holiday shopping season. They are followed by counterpoint data showing consumers shopping and spending with gusto despite those headwinds.

Talking sports with attorney Torrey Feldman can be a head-spinning experience.

A Carolina Panthers fan, Feldman might critique quarterback Cam Newton’s passer rating one minute – a simple thing for most gridiron fans to grasp – and dive into the deep end of non-fungible tokens and their relevance to the world of professional athletics the next.

Realtor Donna Darnes is taking a moment during Crye-Leike Ooltewah’s Dec. 2 grand reopening to survey the space she’s reserved for a client appreciation and community giveback event. Located in the back half of the Crye-Leike Realtors office in Ooltewah, she says there will be more than enough room for Santa Claus, a Christmas tree and a festive backdrop for photos – as well as dozens of guests.

This year is winding down, and so is my term as Greater Chattanooga Realtors president. Much has changed this year locally and nationally, and I believe many of these changes will be with us well into the future.

Not all of these shifts are bad. For many, these past two years have shown exactly why our area is so appealing and why we love calling Greater Chattanooga home.

With more time being spent indoors during the winter, it’s no surprise that the walls might feel like they’re closing in at some point, especially if your home is on the smaller side.

Tiny spaces present unique hurdles that make decorating challenging, especially if all you want is a relaxing place that fits all your belongings without feeling cluttered.

Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly has tapped Joda Thongnopnua to be his chief of staff. Thongnopnua served as an adviser during Kelly’s campaign for elected office and has been serving as the city’s chief policy officer since the current mayoral term began in April.

It’s human nature to want to make things easier for our loved ones – and to have great concern about adding any stress to their lives. In fact, 72% of retirees say one of their biggest fears is becoming a burden on their families, the Edward Jones/Age Wave Four Pillars of the New Retirement study reveals. How can you address this fear?

The best personal finance advice is tailored to your individual situation. That said, a few rules of thumb can cut through the confusion that often surrounds money decisions and help you build a solid financial foundation.

The following guidelines for saving, borrowing, spending and protecting your money are culled from nearly three decades of writing about personal finance.

The season of Advent is upon us by the liturgical calendar, a time for anticipation, prayerful reflection and spiritual preparation as Christmas approaches.

Or, in my personal calendar, a time for procrastination.

Further procrastination, I should say. “Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow” has long been my motto year-round, to my wife’s frequent distress. And once December rolls around, “tomorrow” transitions into “next year.”

The new year is almost here. And, like last year, the world has changed. Our personal lives and our work lives will continue to look much different from how they looked in 2019. We’ve found a new normal.

So, what does this mean for hiring in 2022? There are a few trends you should watch.

Supply chain snags. Sold-out merchandise. Empty shelves. Hefty shipping fees. Inflation. There are plenty of complications working against you this holiday shopping season.

And despite warnings to shop early because of pandemic-related delays, some of us didn’t prioritize holiday shopping in October and November.

Tennessee fans won’t have to travel very far to watch the Vols play in a bowl game.

In the first season under head coach Josh Heupel, Tennessee (7-5, 4-4 SEC) was selected to participate in the Music City Bowl against Purdue (8-4, 6-3 Big Ten) Dec. 30, 3 p.m. EST, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.

One of the reasons Jon Robinson fired Mike Mularkey after a playoff win in 2018 and replaced him with Mike Vrabel was Robinson’s judgment that Vrabel was more likely to take the Titans to the next level.

Through two-plus seasons, Vrabel has had some ups and downs, but the Titans have remained a contending team and appeared very much on the verge of being the class of the AFC in 2021.

The Ford Bronco is back after a 25-year hiatus. This new 2021 Bronco SUV pays homage to its predecessors via boxy proportions, round headlights and short overhangs while introducing the latest in convenience and technology features.

It’s generated plenty of excitement and serves as an intriguing alternative to a well-known off-roading icon: Jeep Wrangler.