FitSugar

Margarine War: Earth Balance vs. Smart Balance

FitSugar — Tue, 27 May 2008 03:00:00 PDT

As if the war between butter and margarine weren't enough to think about, now I have to choose between kinds of margarine. Have you ever wondered what the difference is between these two? They're both organic, dairy free, and made without hydrogenated oils, but what else sets them apart besides their names?

To find out,

Would You Want to be as Successful as Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg?

Emily Co — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:34:15 PST

Many of us look up to Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg as a role model because she's one of the most successful female business leaders of our time. She's consistently ranked by Forbes as one of the most powerful women in the world and she's estimated to be worth a cool $1.6 billion. She's the face of women trying to crack the glass ceiling, and with so many glowing praises showered on Sandberg, I was surprised to see career blogger Penelope Trunk make the bold statement that "very few women want to be Sandberg." Trunk explains:

"Sandberg wants to be a role model for women who want big, exciting careers. But here’s the problem: women don't want to be Sandberg. It’s no coincidence that the number one woman on the list of self-made millionaires is Oprah. She has no kids and no husband. She’s fascinating, nice, and smart. But few of us would really enjoy her life.

Sandberg and Oprah represent extreme choices in life. The things they give up are not things that most women would want to give up in exchange for the wild career success they could have . . . You can't have small kids and a startup if you want to see your kids."

Everyone has a different definition of what it means to "make it." In fact, success for many women doesn't mean climbing the corporate ladder; it's having a good work-life balance, according to a More magazine survey. The Facebook executive may be one of the wealthiest women around, but her intensive job may leave her with less time to spend with her two kids and husband. What about you - would you want to be as successful as Sheryl Sandberg?

Savvy Links: The 5 Weirdest Office Gadgets You Didn’t Even Know You Wanted

Emily Co — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:13:11 PST

The 5 weirdest office gadgets you didn’t even know you wanted - The Jane Dough
10 smart things to do with $25 - Wise Bread
Your tax refund could be delayed - LearnVest
Unique Valentine's Day gifts under $20 - AllYou
4 ways to turn your iPad into a handy kitchen accessory - Tecca
Use this tool to figure out if you should pay off debt or invest - Real Simple
Changing the work-life balance game - HuffPost Women
6 offbeat IRA investment ideas - Bankrate
The professional implications of a “naturally frowny face” - Corporette

11 Rules to Dramatically Increase Your Productivity

Wise Bread — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:35:04 PST

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

There's a problem with a lot of productivity advice out there, and it's this - your "rules" for personal productivity are often going to be different than mine. Sure, sometimes there's overlap. Sure, you can always learn from others.

But if you want to see a dramatic increase in your productivity, spend less time reading and memorizing other people's rules, and more time figuring out what your own rules are. You'll be more productive and in a way that works with who you are.

So I'm sharing a few of my personal productivity rules. Maybe some of them will work for you or inspire you to think of your own.

1. Small Daily Movements Become Big Accomplishments

I tend to think that I must have big blocks of time in order to get any forward movement. So I hesitate and procrastinate, waiting for that "open time" when I can really push and get a lot done on whatever the current project is.

Turns out, that's a waste of time. Small daily movements add up. It's just that the movements or steps themselves are so small, I think they don't count. They do.

I have to constantly remind myself that I don't need a whole day or a whole week to devote to some project. I just need to take the 10 or 20 minutes I have here and there and use them. I need to achieve a little bit of forward movement every day. That adds up, and it builds momentum, and pretty soon there's been quite a lot accomplished.

For more rules, read after the jump.

No Balance Transfer Fee Offers Aren't Always a Bargain

Business Insider — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:49:00 PST

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

Credit card companies may be targeting consumers with great credit with a host of new perks recently, but CreditCards.com warns against falling for 0% balance transfer fee offers.

In a study looking at offers from 37 lenders, the site found offers to waive these fees for as many as 21 months.

But there's a catch: Companies are also charging much more for balance transfers once the offer period ends.

They've got customers who carry balances and have a healthy credit score in their crosshairs, rolling out more than 1 billion mail offers to consumers in the third quarter of 2011 alone.

Earlier this month, Cardhub.com's Credit Card Landscape Report found credit card companies were more than willing to extend 0% introductory rates for new customers in the last quarter of 2011, and offered 60% more cash back rewards offers.

"After the CARD Act, we thought zero percent balance transfer offers would just go away," Linda Sherry, director of national priorities for Consumer Action, told the site. "But it turned out that wasn't true."

Another way they've compensated for keeping the waiver alive is by nixing the usual $50-$75 balance transfer fee caps.

CreditCards.com's survey found 12 cards offer the fee waiver for six months, three for a year and seven for 15 months.

Read on to find out more about the cards.

6 Tips to Start Your New Job Right

Kiplinger — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:08:12 PST

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

I learned some valuable lessons about how to succeed in the "real world" while starting out at my first full-time job, and you can, too.

I never expected my social circle, at age 22, to use the phrase "I feel so old" so much. We know we still have our whole lives ahead of us, but making the transition from college to career can really make you feel like you've aged 20 years. For example, unlike in my college years, convincing myself to go out on a Friday night these days takes almost as much work as getting out of bed on a Monday morning. And I never thought I would be spending my beloved lazy Sundays running whatever errands I didn't get done during the week. Even four internships, including one with my current full-time employer, the Kiplinger Washington Editors, hadn't fully prepared me for this whole professional-life thing.

To help you make the adjustment and overcome common obstacles you might face when you're just starting out, here are some lessons I learned in the first few months of my first job. I hope these tips will help you feel as young as you are. SEE ALSO: Our Quiz on Navigating the First Weeks at Your New Job

Read on for tips.

Celeb Style: Bar Refaeli's Wintry Cool

Hannah Weil — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:11:54 PST

When casual is executed with cool details, à la Bar Refaeli, the resulting look feels pulled-together, never sloppy. We're drawing inspiration from the model's airport style - a perfect mix of easy, seasonal pieces and smart accessories. We love how a pair of luxe, leather motorcycle boots and a quilted bag anchor her sweater coat for a more polished effect. On its own, a knit like this might feel oversized or undone, but slim black jeggings balance her proportions, and a pair of Ray-Ban shades provide the quintessential finishing touch. Feeling inspired? Just shop our editors' picks to channel Bar's effortless travel style.

DKNY Jeans Sweater, Long Sleeve Fair Isle Zip Up - $98.00	T BY ALEXANDER WANG Short sleeve t-shirt - $38.00
French Connection Black Jegging - $125.33	Jimmy Choo 'Youth' Short Biker Boot - $895.00
Ray Ban 'Wayfayer' sunglasses - $201.00	Marc by Marc Jacobs Pretty Nylon Eliza Baby - Sold Out

What to Do If Your Partner Has Too Much Debt

LearnVest — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 03:05:56 PST

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

It’s happened. You’re engaged, and you’re thrilled to be planning your wedding.

But you've also found out that you’ll be marrying into some serious debt, and there’s something new to plan: your debt strategy. Before tying the knot, it’s important to decide how you’ll handle your partner’s debt and how you’ll protect your marriage from any more debt in the future.

How Much Debt Does Your Partner Have?

Before you take any action, assess the situation. Find out how deep into debt your partner is. This will be important as you decide how the debt will be handled. For instance, your strategy may be different if you’re dealing with massive credit card debt as opposed to low-interest student loan debt.

Who Should Pay It Back?

Not all couples will handle debt in the same way. When it comes to finances and marriage, there are many options, and paying down debt is no different.

He who made the debt, pays the debt. If you and your fiancé decide to keep finances separate, he’ll be the one paying back his debts, just as you’ll keep hacking away at your own debt, if you have any.
Lend a helping dollar. Typically, one partner will be better at managing debt than the other. If you’re the saver in the relationship, you may decide to use some of your savings to help your fiancé with his debt.
Two bank accounts are better than one. Another option is to tackle the debt together. Your partner will continue making payments on his debt, and you’ll contribute what you can on a monthly basis, possibly shortening the debt repayment time.

Whichever strategy you choose, it’s important to discuss the options and come to an agreement together.

Read on to find out how to protect yourself.

10 Really Surprising Things That Hurt Your Credit Score

LearnVest — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:15:05 PST

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

Most people know the typical credit no-nos:

Don't make a late payment. Don't allow an account to go into collections. Avoid tax liens, bankruptcies and foreclosures.

And of course, paying off credit card debt should be one of your top financial priorities. (To find out your other top financial priorities, use this simple tool.)

But there are also lesser-known ways you could unintentionally damage your credit score.

Here are ten actions-from least to most harmful-that could make your number take a plunge.

10. Renting a Car With a Debit Card

While many rental agencies require that you pay your deposit with a credit card, some will accept your debit card instead. However, agencies typically have a clause in the contract stating that they can pull your credit report if you choose to pay with a debit card. That credit check causes a hard inquiry, which will ding your score a few points.

A hard inquiry is when a lender, credit card issuer or other financial institution requests a credit check in order to decide whether or not to extend a line of credit to you, such as a credit card or home loan. Each hard inquiry usually drops your credit score by a few points and will remain on your credit report for two years. The other kind of inquiry, soft inquiries, are made by people who don't intend to take action, such as your landlord checking your credit, and won't have any effect on your credit score.

Read on to find out more.

10 Low-Risk Ways to Earn More Interest on Your Savings

Kiplinger — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:15:30 PST

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

If you need a safe place to park your money now, you have a surprising variety of options to consider - even if the returns on some of them aren’t pretty.

Don’t expect rates to move up anytime soon. In response to the still-sluggish economy, the Federal Reserve has announced that it will keep short-term rates near zero through mid 2013 - and maybe longer.

We’ve listed the top spots for eking out interest on your savings, depending on your tolerance for risk and how long you can tie up your money.

Money Market Deposit Accounts

For your emergency fund - at least three to six months’ worth of living expenses - and any other savings that need to be safe and immediately available, look to accounts insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., such as money market deposit accounts. Each account is insured up to $250,000.

Money market deposit accounts generally provide checks and an ATM card for withdrawing cash or to use for purchases. You can also transfer funds electronically to/from a linked checking or savings account. You are limited to six transfers per month, not including cash withdrawals at the ATM. With yields on money market deposit accounts as meager as they are -- the average account pays less than 0.3% - rate-shopping is essential.

BEST PICKS NOW: With a $2,500 deposit, you can earn 1.10% in a money market account at Incrediblebank.com, although you’ll trigger a $10 maintenance fee if your balance drops below $2,500. Other banks with good rates include AmTrust Direct ($500 to open an account) and MyBankingDirect ($5,000 to open an account). Both are affiliated with New York Community Bank, and both pay 1.15%, but at AmTrust Direct you need to maintain a $10,000 balance to qualify for that rate.

Read on for more.


Serving Size	1 tbsp	1 tbsp	1 tbsp
Calories	100	80	102
Total Fat	11g	9g	11.5g
Saturated Fat	3.5g	2.5g	7.3g
Cholesterol	0mg	0mg	31mg
Sodium	120mg	100mg	82mg
Carbs	0g	0g	0g
Fiber	0g	0g	0g
Sugar	0g	0g	0g
Protein	0g	0g	.1g