FitSugar

Credit Card Interest Rates the Highest in Nine Years

SavvySugar — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 14:45:10 PDT

We're happy about the new credit card rules finally taking place this week, but the Wall Street Journal reports this morning that these laws have triggered the highest average credit card interest rates in nine years - 14.7 percent.

This means that when you sign up for a new card, you're going to face a pretty high rate because banks aren't able to charge certain fees and don't have the ease of changing rates like they used to. Still, Credit Card Act of 2009 sponsor Rep. Carolyn Maloney tells the WSJ it's "better that consumers should know up-front what the interest rate is, even if it's higher, than to be soaked on the back-end by tricks and hidden fees."

New Credit Card Rules Begin This Week

SavvySugar — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 10:00:27 PDT

The last stage of the Credit Card Act of 2009, passed in Congress last May, finally takes effect this week. Here are some of the important changes that savvy consumers should take note of.

Penalty Fees: Your late fees can't exceed more than $25 of the minimum payment on your credit card. However, this only applies if you're not a repeated violator.
Inactivity Fee: You can't be charged for an inactivity fee.
Interest Rate Hikes: Any interest rate hikes from January 2009 will have to be reviewed by your bank every six months. If the evaluation says you deserve a lower rate, the company has to comply within 45 days of the review. Issuers now have to inform you why your APR has risen.

Obama Readies Plan to Tighten Financial Regulations

CitizenSugar — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 07:22:39 PDT

President Obama wants to wield more regulatory power over companies that have the potential to damage the entire financial system. Before he heads to the G20 conference, Obama plans to show his commitment to regulation (and not just government spending), so he can persuasively push European governments to do some spending of their own.

The New York Times reports that Obama's plan would require complex financial instruments, the kinds that contributed to the current mess, be traded through clearinghouses. In other words, this would make everything more transparent. Hedge funds would also become more closely monitored.

Another key component of the oversight rules would be limits on executive pay. To find out those details,

read more. The government might require that executive compensation be tied to corporate performance - that sounds pretty reasonable. But the rules could also apply to companies that aren't taking bailout money, raising concerns of undue intervention. In addition, the government would have the power to cancel bonus contracts similar to those given to AIG execs. Right now the government can only take over the federally insured banking component of a company. Do you think its necessary for the government to create tighter rules of regulation, instead of just trying to spend its way out of the crisis? Source

New Country of Origin Food Label Law

FitSugar — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 03:00:00 PDT

I like eating seasonally and locally, but I am a realist too. I know much of the food we all eat comes from outside the US. Remember the tomato and hot pepper salmonella scare? Food regulations vary from country to country and many are not as strict as ones in the US, which can pose some health risks. Now a new food label law comes into effect that will require companies to state where certain products such as meat, produce, and other products came from. Now you'll be able to tell if the foods you buy are imported or not, and from which countries they were produced.

The country of origin labeling requirement has been years in the making, and now that it's here, the law is a little confusing since not all foods are covered under the new regulations. Certain foods that are processed such as roasted peanuts, breaded chicken, and bacon are excluded from this law, as are bags of mixed lettuce. Retailers have six months from now to learn and implement the new labeling rules, so you should begin seeing labels in stores relatively soon. This mandatory labeling could help sell products since many people will appreciate knowing their apples came from a local farm. The food origin labels might also discourage people from buying products from unsafe sources, such as with the recent issues in China. The thing is though, consumers have a right to know where their food was grown or packaged. I'm in full support of this law and look forward to the day when the government requires all food retailers to state where their foods come from. What do you think? Are you happy about this new law or not really phased by it? Will these new labels affect how you shop?

Source

TV Drug Ads Might Have to Highlight Hairy Side Effects

CitizenSugar — Fri, 16 May 2008 09:00:12 PDT

Regulators are considering a proposal today that would require potentially gnarly and dangerous side effects be touted as loudly as their miracle cures in pharmaceutical promotions. The FDA is considering requiring TV drug advertisements to also display a number where patients can report serious problems with their medication.

TV advertising has created a culture of savvy drug consumers who think they can prescribe drugs more adroitly than their physicians - ads have become a cornerstone of the pharmaceutical business since regulators allowed them ten years ago. Companies spent roughly $3.5 billion on spots last year. To see if consumers are capable of getting the message,

read more. According to a Consumer Reports poll published this year, only 35 percent of consumers knew they could report drug side effects to the government. The founder of a patient advocacy group scheduled to present before the FDA today said, "If it's good enough for print, it's good enough for TV." The group is called WoodyMatters and is named for the founder's husband, Woody, who committed suicide in 2003 while taking Pfizer's antidepressant Zoloft. Warnings about risks of suicidal behavior to all depression drugs were released the following year. Though research shows that 80 percent of viewers can recall benefits mentioned in TV drug ads, while only 20 percent successfully recall side effects, the WoodyMatters spokeswoman says, "Any warning of a possible risk is better than not publicizing that information until it's too late for someone." Should drugs be advertised on TV at all? Will more regulations help keep consumers safe? Source

Anatomy of a Tattoo

FitSugar — Wed, 16 May 2007 03:30:00 PDT

I am ever curious about how the human body works, and recently I pondered the permanence of tattoos. Skin is always shedding layers of dead cells (especially if you exfoliate), so how can a tattoo remain year after year?

Let's start at the beginning with how a tattoo is created. Tattoos are made by inserting pigment into the skin with an electrically powered solid needle that punctures the skin between 50 and 3,000 times per minute (makes me think of a sewing machine - yikes!!). The needle penetrates the skin by about a millimeter and deposits a drop of insoluble ink into the skin with each puncture.

When you look at a person's tattoo, you're seeing the ink through the epidermis - the outer layer of skin. The ink resides in the dermis - the second layer of skin, just below the epidermis. Dermis cells are far more stable than the cells of the epidermis, so the tattoo's ink will stay in place, with only minor fading and dispersion (spreading out), for a person's entire life!

Fit's Tips: FYI - tattoo parlors are NOT regulated by the FDA and not ALL states require tattoo parlors to be licensed. If I were you, I'd go to a place that is licensed and inspected by the state. The licensed places will definitely follow all the correct sterilization and sanitation procedures. Since tattoos involve needles and blood, you want to make sure there is little risk for the transmission of diseases such as hepatitis, tuberculosis, and STIs. These regulations may make tattoos safer, but it sure won't make those needles hurt any less!

Want to see some interesting tattoos? Then

View 6 Photos ›

Source, Source, Source, Source, Source, and Source

Sex and the City Perfume Fakes Flood the Market

Miriam Lacey — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:06:59 PST

Sex and the City isn't just popular with video bootleggers: according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's list of top seizures, it's also the most popular counterfeit perfume, WWD reports. Out of 138 commercial perfume shipments Customs intercepted for counterfeit scents, 52 contained fake SATC fragrances. And in total, the agency seized more than a million bogus bottles of the stuff last year.

Fake perfumes aren't just a problem for the company that makes them legally, either. "In addition to the economic harm," Customs said in its statement, "counterfeit perfumes are also often contaminated with unknown chemicals that can cause serious injury." There's no regulation on this stuff, and tests have found some truly heinous ingredients, from urine to known carcinogens. So when it comes to perfume, you're almost always better off biting the bullet and paying full price at the department store. Carrie wouldn't tolerate a knockoff, and neither should you.

5 Healthy Reasons to Eat Valentine's Day Chocolate

Leta Shy — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 03:07:13 PST

It's almost Valentine's Day, and that may mean you've got chocolate on your mind. Though you may be fearing the amount of calories in those heart-shaped boxes, there are many reasons to love Valentine's Day sweet treats. In fact, here are five healthy reasons to eat dark chocolate.

It helps you exercise longer: A recent study found that eating a tiny amount of dark chocolate before a workout helps fight fatigue, which means you can go that much further during your workout. The amount that worked in the study was tiny - just half a square, but if it's good quality chocolate, a small square will go a long way.
It's stress-relieving: And not just when you're PMSing. A study found that when highly stressed participants ate an ounce and a half of dark chocolate (the equivalent of a Hershey's bar) a day for two weeks, the level of stress hormones in their bodies, dropped significantly. While eating a candy bar a day can contribute to a whole new set of stresses if you're watching your weight, it's nice to know that dark chocolate has a measurable effect on stress levels.

Read on for three more reasons to eat dark chocolate.

Feel-Full Quick Tricks

Health — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 04:49:40 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

By Health.com

It's not just what you eat that can make you more satisfied - it's how you eat, too. Try these tips to feel fuller longer.

H2O some more
Drink two eight-ounce glasses (16 ounces total) of water before each meal. It will fill up your stomach and trim up to 60 calories per meal.

Health.com: Which Foods Burn the Most Fat?

Flavor of the day
Use vinegar (or vinaigrette) and cinnamon for flavor whenever possible. These two ingredients can help regulate blood sugars after meals and help you feel full longer after eating, according to a study from the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, in Zurich, Switzerland.

Keep reading for quick feel-full tricks.

Best Practices: Extend the Life of Your Workout Wear

Jenny Sugar — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:37:43 PST

You splurged on $70 capris, but since they make such a difference in the way you feel during workouts, you'll never go back to cheapo clothes again. Because you've shelled out a lot of dough for these items, it's best to know how to take care of your workout clothes so they'll last. Always check the label or the brand's website for care instructions, and to answer a few common concerns about washing wicking-wear, we spoke to a few of our fave brands to get the skinny on the matter.

Go With Cold
We spoke with Zobha, Lululemon, and SmartWool, and they all agree: wash your technical and wool workout garments in cold water. No need to hand wash either! Just drop your clothes into the machine. But Lululemon adds "avoid washing with fluffy clothing (i.e. big cotton sweatshirts)" so your favorite leggings don't end up with a bunch of unwanted lint as decoration.

Say No to Bleach and Fabric Softeners
Bleach does not play nice with technical fabrics, so these brands say to avoid it. When it comes to your woolens, SmartWool recommends avoiding fabric softeners "because they coat the merino wool fibers and reduce the fibers' ability to naturally manage moisture and regulate your body temperature."

To Tumble Dry or Not
When it comes to drying your gear, all these brands agree: it's perfectly acceptable to tumble dry your clothes on low. Lululemon does provide the caveat that "hanging to dry will help prolong the life of the garment." I find using the dryer helps lessen the stink factor that affects some of my workout wear. Plus it saves time - I hate when I grab a pair of air-drying capris for my morning workout and they're still damp.

If you have more questions on washing your fave pieces of gear, read up on how to wash workout clothes for more tips.