endorsements

With Jeremy Lin's standout performances bringing a sudden shine to the otherwise lackluster New York Knicks, a number of companies have hitched their wagons to his star to buff up their brands. And with the value of such an association easy to see, why wouldn't they?

Former NBA superstar Allen Iverson earned $154 million from his Sixers salary alone during his career. Now, he owes more than he can pay. How did it happen, and what lessons can his fiscal foul-ups teach to the rest of us. The answers are distressingly simple.

I can't imagine why a 16-year-old boy would want to sell nail polish, but that's what Justin Bieber is doing for his fans starting in December. When I was a kid I had a newspaper route, although those are mostly done by grown-ups now, so kids must have to find other ways to make money. I didn't...

Tiger Woods game, like his private life, has been shaky recently, but the golfer never lost his ability to sell stuff. Corporate sponsors have long tolerated athletes' bad behavior, and Woods is too big a star for them to stay away.

Talk about 'movie star' treatment. New federal rules on product endorsements may be less stringent for celebrities than for no-name bloggers. Because they already get so much free stuff, celebrities may not have to disclose when some tequila or sports car they're extolling was gifted to them, while bloggers do.

The movie star could be the first celebrity to run afoul of the commission's stringent new guidelines for paid endorsements. In her lifestyle newsletter, she lavishly praises the newly reopened La Mamounia Hotel in Marrakech -- most likely after a free stay there.

On Friday evening, a statement on Tiger Woods' website announced that the world's greatest golfer is going to take "an indefinite break from professional golf." Tiger begins the statement by expressing awareness of the "disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused to so many people, most...

Even for someone who gets blessed with free washers and dryers, semiannual boondoggle trips to Los Angeles, New York and Florida, and all the organic yogurt drinks she can consume, $11,000 is a lot of money. For mommy bloggers, Tweeters and Facebookers who post opinions about consumer products,...

Think fast: Which government agency is in charge of regulating journalistic ethics? Okay, sorry, that's a trick question; there isn't one. Or at least it would've been a trick question prior to Monday, when the Federal Trade Commission appointed itself to that role by adopting a new set of...

The FTC has finally updated a long-overdue guide on endorsements and testimonials to address changes in technology and advertising mediums. The new rules are designed to bring greater truth and disclosure to blogs, TV ads relying on testimonials and social media. The updated guide has garnered the...