FabSugar

Win Nicole Richie's Signorelli Charity Tank!

FabSugar — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 16:00:22 PDT

You've read my interview with her. You've seen her make charity look chic. Now it's your turn to win the Signorelli charity-benefitting tank top Nicole wore to help raise more for The Children's Health Fund. Fashion for a cause just got cooler. You can further support the organization by buying other Signorelli items.

To enter to win just log in and take our fun quiz about Nicole. Your eligibility is not based on getting the answers correct, just simply on taking the quiz once you are logged in. You do however, need to be a TeamSugar member to take the quiz. So if you're not already a member, register here for an account and to join in all the fun on the Sugar sites! One quiz entry per person; all repeat quizzes will be ignored. Remember: You must be logged in to TeamSugar for your vote to count. Just click on "take the quiz" below and I will do a random drawing on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at midnight PDT. US residents eligible only (sorry!). Click here for the Official Rules.

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A Few Fab Words With Nicole Richie

FabSugar — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:00:22 PDT

Nicole Richie thinks there's nothing cuter than a little boy dressed in a suit. I know this because she told me. Well, it is pretty cute. We snuck Richie away at a recent fundraiser event to talk charity, fashion, and her evolving brand House of Harlow. This happened the night after the Chanel party, so as you can see, Fab was on a celebrity binge. I think I got my fix after an intimate chat with the funny and laid-back Richie at the Cusp Boutique in LA. Nick Verreos, Project Runway alum and friend of Nicole, was also there so stayed tuned to hear what's new with him.

Nicole partnered up with Signorelli to create T-shirts benefiting The Children's Health Fund. She proudly announced raising $400,000! She was wearing the black tank with Angel motif - stay tuned to enter to win the tank Nicole was wearing that benefits the Fund. But first, a few Fab words . . .

What brings you here?

We’re partnering up with Signorelli to raise money for the Children’s Health Fund. Just in Los Angeles, there are 500,000 children without health care and by selling the T-shirts a large amount of the proceeds are helping to fund building for mobile units. So the mobile units can go around and provide immediate health care.

Did you have any say in the design of the shirts?

I didn’t but they sent me options and I went with the black tank, I wear a lot of black.

Can we talk about your jewelry line that’s in the works?

Yes. It’s called House of Harlow and it’s actually the beginning of a brand that I’m developing of children’s apparel and also a clothing line, shoes, bags, sunglasses, everything. I’m really excited. The jewelry is first and it will be out in late August.

To read the rest of the interview and to see lots more exclusive pics from the event,

Can you tell us about the children’s collection?

I’m at the very beginning stages but I’m designing adult clothes for babies. The girl’s clothes are designed after my personal clothing and the guy’s clothes are going to be designed after Joel’s.

So it’s going to be like a mini-me sort of thing.

Yes, exactly. So little hippie dresses for girls and sleeveless tops and suits for boys. I think there’s nothing cuter than a little boy dressed in a suit.

And what else are you wearing?

I think the jacket is Stella McCartney - is it? - the pants are Balenciaga, and Loubs. (And she was carrying her black Balenciaga motorcycle bag – with iPod headphones falling out).

How would you describe your personal style?

I don’t know how to answer that! I really don’t know, I feel like I wear the same thing every day. I just accessorize differently and wear whatever I’m comfortable in. Like, when I’m with the baby I wear flats and when I’m not I wear heels. It just depends on what mood I’m in.

How has your style evolved?

I still like to dress up. I think every girl, whether you’re 13 or in your twenties, should always try new things. I mean, I’ve had my hair pink and brown and blonde and I think it’s all about trying new things; I’m really open to new looks. I love fashion so much that I definitely want to take it to the next level and I’m really excited about it all.

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Does Jason Russell's Meltdown Affect Your Feelings About the Kony Movement?

Tara Block — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:30:42 PDT

Unless you've been living under a rock these past few days, you've heard of Invisible Children cofounder Jason Russell's complete meltdown in San Diego last Thursday. The face of the huge viral Kony2012 campaign was detained for running around naked in the streets of San Diego. Initial reports stated that Jason was vandalizing cars, acting drunk, and even masturbating in public, but all that has been confirmed is that he was detained in a medical institution and is on a mental health hold. And while official statements from the organization and his wife have said that he wasn't on anything (instead they say that he was suffering from "exhaustion, dehydration, and malnutrition"), the videos of Jason's naked freakout are pretty disturbing.

Not surprisingly, the bizarre and sad turn of events have caused a huge backlash against the Invisible Children organization and the Kony2012 movement, which had already been facing criticism on everything from how the group uses their funds to the video being misleading. Before the public breakdown, New York Times op-ed columnist and author (who has long focused on human rights abuses, especially in Africa) Nicholas Kristof wrote this about the attacks against Jason: "A young man devotes nine years of his life to fight murder, rape and mutilation, he produces a video that goes viral and galvanizes mostly young Americans to show concern for needy villagers abroad - and he's vilified?"

Whatever is really going on with the cofounder is yet to be uncovered, but the real question is: does the fall of an organization's leader make the movement less worthy? Reading comments online it seems like those who were against it from the start have more fuel to add to their anti-Kony2012 fire, and those who felt like the cause was a good one are either hoping Jason gets help, while noting that he's only a small part of a big movement, or questioning their support. As someone who has followed Invisible Children since its inception and personally know people who've devoted their time, money, and efforts over the last decade to the cause, I have to say it saddens me to see this incident put a dark cloud over all the good it's done. But I'm conflicted too, as I know the actions of a leader reflect on his or her organization, and there are consequences for these types of episodes. What do you make of it all?

Hidden Chemicals in These Products May Increase Your Risk of Breast Cancer

Leta Shy — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 12:50:11 PST

When buying products, reading labels may be one of the best ways to figure out if something contains chemicals that you'd rather not be exposed to. But a study released today found chemicals that may increase your risk of developing cancer or disrupt reproduction in many products, and many of those chemicals weren't listed on product labels.

The study, partly funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, tested 213 commercial products in 50 different categories. The study included many popular consumer products, including "alternative" products marketed as being safer and more eco-friendly.

The results were worrying; the study found that the products contained high levels of chemicals that have been linked to higher breast cancer risk, reproduction and growth problems, and asthma - even in those alternative products thought to be safer - including BPA, parabens, glycol ether, triclosan, and synthetic fragrances. And since many of these chemicals weren't listed on their labels, it can be hard for people to tell how much of a possibly unsafe chemical is in their favorite brands.

Want to know which types of products to try to avoid? Read on for the list.

Is Being Single Better For Your Finances?

LearnVest — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 00:15:10 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

We got to thinking, as we do, about the difference between being single and married . . . that is, in dollars.

Currently, singles make up 49 percent of the American population, and 28 percent of all households consist of one person - the highest levels of singledom in American history.

According to sociology professor and author Eric Klinenberg, singles are supporting the United States economy through discretionary spending that far exceeds both married couples and parents.

From taxes to house buying to paying for a wedding, marriage is either the best thing or the worst to ever happen to your finances, depending on whom you ask. And that’s aside from the value judgments surrounding any discussion of relationships: “But are you happy?”

There are many factors: the little things (like sharing the cost of utilities), government policy (which changes every few years), and the psychology that makes couples spend differently than singles.

But in whose favor do the chips fall? We matched up the two scenarios, head to head.

The Little Things

When it comes to little day-to-day expenses, it’s obvious that married couples have the edge because they’ve sliced their basic costs in half: only one cable bill, one rent bill, one utilities bill. There are also less obvious savings, like skills sharing. A partner who can sew a button or fix a loose doorknob saves money on paying someone to do it for you. These “discounts,” of course, also apply to unmarried, cohabiting couples. A point to the marrieds on this one.

The Taxes

According to a Congressional Budget Office analysis, 51 percent of married couples paid less filing jointly than they would have filing alone as singles, saving an average of $1,300. Interestingly, the more disparate their incomes, the more they saved. Of course, the benefit decreases if you earn a very similar income to your spouse, like 40 percent of dual-income couples today. At any rate, we’ll make that one point in honor of the marrieds. (For more information on marriage and tax brackets, read this.)

Read on for more.

The Most-Overlooked Tax Deductions

Kiplinger — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:50:44 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Kiplinger story here on Savvy!

Every year, the IRS dutifully reports the most common blunders that taxpayers make on their returns. And every year, at or near the top of the “oops” list is forgetting to enter their Social Security number at the top of the tax form - or making a mistake when entering those nine digits.

But think about it for a minute: Do you think that’s the most common mistake . . . or simply the easiest to notice?

One thing we know for sure is that the opportunity to make mistakes is almost unlimited, and missed deductions can be the most costly. About 45 million of us itemize on our 1040s - claiming more than $1 trillion worth of deductions. That’s right: $1,000,000,000,000, a number rarely spoken out loud until Congress started tying itself up in knots trying to deal with the budget deficit and national debt.

Another 92 million taxpayers claim about $700 billion worth using standard deductions - and some of you who take the easy way out probably shortchange yourselves. (If you turned 65 in 2011, remember that you now deserve a bigger standard deduction than the younger folks.)

Yes, friends, tax time is a dangerous time. It’s all too easy to miss a trick and pay too much. Years ago, the fellow who ran the IRS at the time told Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine that he figured millions of taxpayers overpay their taxes every year by overlooking just one of the money-savers listed below

7 Personal Finance Basics For New Grads

Kiplinger — Mon, 16 May 2011 00:15:50 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart Kiplinger story here on Savvy!

My daughter is about to graduate from college. What are the key personal finance issues she needs to consider during her first year on her own?

Congratulations to your daughter! If she tackles these personal finance basics, she’ll be off to a great start:

1. Make the most of new health insurance rules. If your daughter is lucky enough to get a job with health insurance, that’s usually her best bet. But if she doesn’t have a job with benefits, you no longer need to worry about finding new coverage after graduation -- adult children can now stay on their parents’ policies until age 26. If you already have family coverage to cover younger children, then you may not have to pay extra to keep your daughter on your policy. But if you’d have to pay extra to keep her on your policy (or if your daughter lives far away from your policy’s in-network providers), it might be worthwhile to compare the cost of buying her own policy. In most states, a healthy person in her early twenties can buy her own health insurance for less than $100 per month. She can reduce the premiums by raising the deductible, yet still have free preventive coverage. See How to Keep Recent Grads Insured for details. Also see Health Insurance for Adult Children about the rules for keeping her on your policy if she gets offered a job with inferior coverage.

2. Get free money from the boss. If your daughter’s employer offers pretax savings through a 401(k), 403(b), Thrift Savings Plan or another employer-provided retirement account, she should sign up right away. Her contributions will lower her taxable income and grow tax-deferred until retirement. Because retirement plan contributions are made with pretax dollars, they reduce her take-home pay less than the full amount of the contribution. For example, if she’s in the 25% tax bracket and contributes $1,000 to a 401(k), her paycheck shrinks by only $750. And if her employer matches her contributions, it’s one of the rare opportunities to get free money! Say, for example, she earns $50,000 per year and her employer contributes 50 cents for every dollar she contributes up to 6% of pay. If she contributes $3,000 to her 401(k) for the year ,then she’ll get a $1,500 match from her employer. See Retirement Savings Tips for New Grads to learn how to make the most of your 401(k) and how the savings can grow significantly through the years.

Read on for some personal finance tips for new graduates.

25 Ways to Waste Your Money

Kiplinger — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 00:15:53 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Kiplinger story here on Savvy!

Has your budget sprung a leak?

Nearly everyone has spending holes. And as with other kinds of leaks, you may have hardly noticed them. But those small drips can quickly add up to big bucks. The trick is to find the holes and plug them so you can keep more money in your pocket. That extra cash could be the ticket to finally being able to save, invest, or break your cycle of living from paycheck to paycheck.

Here are 25 common ways people waste money. See if any of these sound familiar, then look for ways to plug your own leaks:

1. Carrying a balance. Debt is a shackle that holds you back. For instance, if you have a $1,000 balance on a credit card that charges an 18% rate, you blow $180 every year on interest. Get in the habit of paying off your balance in full each month.

2. Overspending on gas and oil for your car. There’s no need to spring for premium fuel if the manufacturer says regular is just fine. You should also check to make sure your tires are optimally inflated to get the best gas mileage. And are you still paying for an oil change every 3,000 miles? Many models nowadays can last 5,000 to 7,000 miles between changes, and some even have built-in sensors to tell you when it’s time to change the oil. Check your manual to find the best time for your car’s routine maintenance.

3. Keeping unhealthy habits. Smoking costs a lot more than just what you pay for a pack of cigarettes. It significantly increases the cost of life and health insurance. And you'll pay more for homeowners and auto insurance. Add in various other expenses, and the true cost of smoking adds up dramatically over a lifetime - $86,000 for a 24-year-old woman over a lifetime and $183,000 for a 24-year-old man over a lifetime, according to The Price of Smoking (The MIT Press).

Another habit to quit: indoor tanning. There is now a 10% tax on indoor tanning services. As with cigarettes, the true cost of tanning - which the World Health Organization lists among the worst-known carcinogens - is higher than just the price you pay each time you go to the salon.

Read on to find out what other budget leaks you should avoid.

7 Insurance Policies You Can Live Without

Emily Co — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 15:00:02 PDT

It's always better to be safe than sorry, and insurance policies can sure make you feel well protected. However, buying your peace of mind can be quite expensive, so you want to make sure that you're spending money on the right insurance policies. Here are insurance policies you should consider forgoing:

Pet insurance: If you total the medical costs incurred in a pet's lifetime versus the cost of pet insurance coverage, the policies are often found to be unnecessary, Bob Hunter, the director of insurance at Consumer Federation of America tells SmartMoney. Unlike human insurance, you also have to pay all the costs up front and wait for the providers to reimburse you because there isn't a co-pay system.
Trip cancellation: If you can't make it to a flight because something came up at work or a pre-existing medical condition, you won't get your money back if you bought a trip cancellation policy. On most of the trip cancellation policies, the reasons that will get you a refund are pretty extreme - you or a family member has to suffer from an illness, injury, death, natural disaster. Unless you invested a lot of money in the trip, you might want to skip this policy.
Divorce or wedding insurance: If you've been paying for divorce or wedding insurance, you'll be covered if you have the misfortune of canceling your wedding or getting a divorce. This option isn't favored by a lot of the people because of the negative image it, and financial planners aren't fans as well. Glenn Daily, an insurance consultant, tells the WSJ that a good emergency fund would easily foot the expenses that divorce or wedding insurance would cover and describes it as "insurance you could live without."
Extended warranties: Extended warranties on products are generally something you can do without. In fact, you are probably already protected with the manufacturer's warranty or your credit card company. Consumer Reports found that appliances generally don't break during their warranty period and if it does break down, the price it takes to repair the product will cost the same as warranty.

Read on for more insurance policies you don't need.

"Fit Not Fat" Report Highlights Stats on World Obesity

FitSugar — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 03:00:18 PDT

Last week, the OECD, an international economic organization of 33 countries (including the US, Canada, and much of Europe), released its stats on obesity around the world. The "Fit Not Fat" report gives some depressing figures on the current trends in obesity, which the organization says is the result of many factors, including increased food supply, fewer home-cooked meals, less physical activity at work, and more sophisticated tactics from food advertisers. The result of all of this means that while in 1980 only about 10 percent of us were obese, the figure is now at 50 percent or more in most countries are overweight or obese, and that could rise to more than 66 percent if we continue to live the way we do. The stats from the report are pretty interesting. To see some that really stood out for me, just

An obese person incurs 25 percent higher health costs than a person of normal weight.
Obesity is responsible for 5-10 percent of total health costs in the United States.
Obesity increases the risk of early death by approximately 30 percent.
Children who have at least one obese parent are three to four times more likely to be obese.
Poorly educated women are two to three times more likely to be overweight than those with high levels of education, but almost no disparities are found for men.
Obese people earn up to 18 percent less than non-obese people.

The ray of hope is that according to the OECD, prevention strategies such as education programs would save thousands of lives, not to mention dollars, each year in many countries, and the report urges governments to fund prevention programs.

Source: Flickr User Tobyotter