On the dole Two local banks, Carolina First and National Bank of South Carolina, through their holding companies, have qualified to sell stocks to the U.S. Treasury as part of the national bailout of its banks, aka Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP). Synovus, parent company of NBSC, will sell the Treasury $973 million in preferred stock and related warrants. The South Financial Group, parent company for Carolina First, will sell $347 million in senior preferred stock and common stock warrants.

Whittle replacements Mack Whittle was both chairman and CEO of The South Financial Group, and his recent departure rushed the recruitment for his replacement. H. Lynn Harton is the new CEO of TSFG, and Columbia's John C.B. Smith is chairman.

Money bus Columbia-based Abacus Planning Group is the local connection to the Your Money Bus Tour, a consumer education initiative sponsored by the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) Consumer Education Foundation, TD AMERITRADE Institutional, and Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine. Coming to Columbia on Tuesday, November 25, 2008, the Your Money Bus Tour delivers the message it is never too late to begin preparation for a secure financial future. Volunteer financial advisors will be available on board to conduct three free gatherings open to the public. (1) 9:30 to 11 am, USC's Russell House, 1400 Greene St.: Understanding Debt, Saving and Your Financial Well-Being. (2) 12:30 to 3 pm, Richland Public Library, 1431 Assembly St.: Bring your financial questions and sit down and chat with a financial advisor and leave with your answers and a toolkit of information on debt reduction and saving. (3) 4 to 7 pm, Drew Wellness Center, 2101 Walker Solomon Way: Come for the same program described in (2). For further information on the Your Money Bus Tour, call Benjamin Lewis at Perception Inc., 301.963.7555 and visit www.YourMoneyBus.com.

Reminder The status of the financial markets and the economic forecast for S. C. and the U. S. in 2009 are among the topics to be addressed by economists at the Moore School of Business 28th Annual Economic Outlook Conference, Wednesday, Dec. 3, at the Columbia Marriott on Main St. The conference, which has become the state's premier economic event for business leaders, runs from 9:30 am to 2 pm. Registration is $75 and includes a networking breakfast at 8:30 am and a lunch at 12:30 pm. The conference program begins at 10 am. Daniel H. Stern, founder and co-CEO of Reservoir Capital Group in NYC, will give the keynote talk, Current Status of the Financial Markets, at the 12:30 pm lunch. Deadline for registration is Wednesday, Nov. 26. Registration is at http://mooreschool.sc.edu. For further information, call Nancy Beym at 800.393.2362.

Coble coaches the Obama administration Columbia Mayor Bob Coble, responding to a query on MSNBC.com, suggested President- elect Obama make alternative energy the focus of his energy policy, particularly hydrogen research.

Duke reassigns executives Charlotte-based Duke Energy Carolinas lost its president, Ellen Ruff, to the company's nuclear development program, where she will be president there. She will shepherd the 2,134- megawatt Lee Nuclear Station, proposed to be built for about $11 billion near Gaffney, S.C. Replacing her is Brett Carter, most recently head of the company's business development and customer service. Ruff began with Duke Power in 1978 as an in- house attorney. She had been president of Duke Carolinas since spring 2006.

Settle down for the long haul The U.S. is at the start of a deep recession expected to be measured in years, not quarters, according to the economics editor of The Economist, Zanny Minton Beddoes, when she spoke to the annual luncheon crowd of the Charleston Regional Development Alliance on Thursday, Nov. 13.