Blog Posts by ForbesWoman

By Sheryl Nance-Nash

It's not Mother's Day yet, but it is Women's History Month, so it seems appropriate to think all things sisterhood. I got to thinking about women's relationships to each other and our relationship to our daughters. The mother-daughter thing has to be the most unique relationship in the world. It can be wonderful, it can be hellish for a time. But, for sure it is one of life's most precious gifts.

We love our daughters dearly, but do we talk to them, really talk to them? I'm not talking about "the talk" - the sex talk, but the money talk. What have you told your daughter about money?

I got to thinking again and I wondered, what have mothers who are financial pros told their daughter? They are experts. Perhaps they are doing a better job with this conversation than the rest of us mere moms. What can we learn from them?

The Parent Trap: Pay For Kids College or Save For Retirement

What would you tell your daughter about money?"When my daughter was in first grade, I started giving her a

By Amy Westervelt

A first-of-its-kind, peer-reviewed study published Environmental Health Perspectives today reveals an alarming number of unlabeled chemicals of concern in commonly used household and personal care products. The study was funded by Silent Spring Institute, which had 213 consumer products (in 50 categories) independently tested by Battelle Labs in Ohio for 66 specific chemicals associated with either endocrine disruption or asthma.

The study included both conventional products, such as Windex original glass cleaner and Irish Spring deodorant soap, as well as "alternative" products marketed as containing safer ingredients than their conventional counterparts, such as Seventh Generation Free and Clear natural glass and surface cleaner and Tom's of Maine natural moisturizing body bar. Lab tests detected 55 chemicals of concern-including parabens, phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), antimicrobials, cyclosiloxanes, glycol ethers, and fragrances-in the conventional product

By Jenna Goudreau

Are you a compulsive shopper with a closet full of still-tagged sale items? Do you frequently open your dresser and groan because you "have nothing to wear?" Have you ever swapped clothes with your teenage daughter to try to stay with it? If so, you may be guilty of one of the cardinal wardrobe sins-and your faux pas might say more about you than you realize.

"Your clothes reflect how you feel at the moment," says clinical psychologist and wardrobe consultant Jennifer Baumgartner, the author of upcoming You Are What You Wear: What Your Clothes Reveal About You. "We critically examine all types of behaviors-from sex to eating and exercise-but oftentimes blow off clothing as superficial. In fact, the inner self and the external environment impact each other and are in constant communication. What you wear can be an indicator of what's going on internally."

Baumgartner, a closet whisperer who has developed the "psychology of dress," identified the nine most common

By Meghan Casserly

Lately it seems I can't have a conversation with a women's expert without hearing the phrase "opting out." "Thirty percent of working women will opt out of the workplace during the course of their career," they tell me. "How can we ever expect to make progress when so many women opt out before they reach the truly high-powered positions," they ask.

And each time I hear the phrase, I have a very physical reaction. I stiffen up, I shut down. I often question her judgment entirely. Doesn't the very phrase "opting out" imply making a choice? And more than making a choice, doesn't opting imply making the preferred decision? How, then, can these bright so-called experts be criticizing women who make the decision to do what's best for them, what's best for their children? By focusing on the greater good of woman-kind, are we losing sight of the individual?

By Meghan Casserly

There's an ongoing debate in the ForbesWoman offices lately and it's very, very sweet. When a woman brings homemade cookies into work, is she being nice or is she doing herself a terrible disservice?

A bit of background: we have something of a secret snack share here at Forbes. Editorial staffers who want in either bring in goodies each week or fork over "dues" for a run to the nearby Union Square Green Market and-when we're feeling particularly athletic-to the Trader Joe's three long Avenues away. To be clear, when I say "we," I generally mean "me." As a lifelong snacker (my earliest recorded nickname was, appropriately, "Snack Machine"), I get immense satisfaction out of both picking out delicious treats for my friends and, frugally, getting my total within pennies of the budget each week.

Top 20 Best-Paying Cities For Women

Career ruiner?One afternoon as I was returning to the newsroom a female colleague made a comment that went something like "blah blah women's work, blah blah, not good," that stopped me dead in my tracks. Was I, in fact, undermining my authority as a Forbes writer, and employee or a woman to be reckoned with by gleefully highlighting my femaleness?

According to conventional (read: our mother's) wisdom, yes. Another female staffer, having overheard our exchange related a conversation she had with her own mother around the holidays. "I wanted to give little gifts to my colleagues and boss for Christmas and thought it might be fun-and cost-effective-to bake cookies or brownies." "No way," her mother replied. Did she want her colleagues to think of her as a highly effective team member or "that girl who bakes good cookies?" No, the sweet stuff sends the wrong message: one of domesticity over diligence, Becky Homecky more than Jane Q. Corneroffice.

By Jeff Landers

Over the past year, my blog posts here have been devoted to helping women better understand the steps they need to take so they can emerge from divorce in the best financial shape possible.

Today, I want to take a different tack and discuss various things women should AVOID doing while they're in the process of divorce.

Taken individually, any one of these mistakes might derail the efforts of even the most skilled divorce team. Combine a few of them, and you could substantially reduce your chances of a successful divorce settlement. (Please note: Most of these have legal implications, and the laws vary from state to state, so please consult with your divorce attorney as soon as possible).

Avoid these common mistakes during a divorce.

20 Crucial Money Questions To Ask Before 'I Do"

1 - Texting. Every type of electronic communication has the potential to leave a digital trail. That means your Tweets, your emails, your text messages and every type of electronic transmission in-between could

By Jenna Goudreau

Can where you hang your hat shape the size of your salary? In short: Absolutely. U.S. job markets vary drastically by region, state and municipality. Women, who earn between 70 and 80 cents for every dollar earned by men, may be especially impacted by the place they call home.

To uncover the U.S. cities where women earn the most, ForbesWoman analyzed data from the 2010 American Community Survey by the U.S. Census Bureau, using the average earnings for full-time, year-round female workers in the largest metro areas in the nation. Where are the best-paying cities for women?

In Pictures: The Top 20 Best-Paying Cities For Women

At No. 1, San Jose, Calif., tops the list. Women in this West Coast city earn an average of $67,052 annually for full-time work. That's more than twice as much as the worst-paying city for women-McAllen, Tex.-where women earn a mean of just $31,287 each year

The top industries in San Jose are manufacturing; professional, scientific and management services; and education and

By Meghan Casserly

When international tourists arrive in Orlando, their first stop is rarely a Disney property, but one of the city's 500 factory outlet stores. And they're looking for a very specific item: an empty suitcase.

According to Susan Lomax, the associate vice president of publicity for the city of Orlando, shopping has become the number one activity for international tourists visiting the city, drawn by the brand names at lower prices afforded by the country's most concentrated city for outlets. And Lomax's group, which watches the behavior of these visitors to their city as it increases its attention to shopping as a top tourism draw, reveals an interesting pattern of consumption. "They start in a luggage outlet," she says, "They buy an empty suitcase and spend the rest of their visit filling it up."The Best Cities For Bargain Shopping

In Pictures: The Best Cities For Bargain Shopping

With enough retail space to fill 900 American football fields, it just might take that long. Orlando's 500 outlet