Surprisingly, many consumers are. If you've been following the presidential election, Hillary Clinton has gotten the backing of high wattage celebrities including Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, and Lebron James. And you've likely lost count of the many advertisements you've come across -- whether on TV or in magazines -- where a celebrity promotes a brand of lipstick, shampoo, or jeans as if it were the best thing since sliced bread. But are such endorsements effective? That, of course, depends on the person. If you're a hardcore Paty Perry fan, for example, you'd probably be more likely to buy a product she endorses or vote for Hillary Clinton. Since I'm not a big fan of any of the high-profile celebrities endorsing Clinton, it didn't make me any more inclined to vote for her. Celebrities don't hold much sway over my purchasing decisions unless they're people I genuinely admire and respect. For inst...

Who do you think tops the list of highest-earning musicians in the world? Katy Perry? Beyonce? Rihanna? Think again. It's Taylor Swift. The "Shake It Off" singer has raked in an astounding $317 million this year, thanks to her best-selling album "1989," world tour, and several endorsement deals with mega-brands like Diet Coke and Sony. To put her earnings in perspective, she makes $1 million per day! Earlier this year, she and her DJ boyfriend Calvin Harris were named the world's highest-paid celebrity couple of 2015. And the country-turned-pop star shows no signs of slowing down. She received six American Music Award nominations, including Artist of the Year. The awards show is scheduled for November. Swift is undoubtedly dominating the music industry right now -- and she's only 25 years old. I can only imagine how much money she has left to make and awards to win in her lifetime. Though, I wonder if it's a good thing that she...

I know this is largely subjective, but judging from all the media attention these women get, I'd say they are the cream of the crop right now: 1. Kim Kardashian 2. Taylor Swift 3. Beyonce 4. Rihanna 5. Iggy Azalea If I had asked this question a year ago, perhaps Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj would be on the list, but they don't seem to be in the headlines as much in 2015. The same goes for Lorde, whose ubiquitous song "Royals" was one of 2013's biggest hits. I think we can all agree that Kim Kardashian is the undisputed winner, seeing as how she's in virtually every news story that outlets like E! and Cosmopolitan put out. Taylor Swift, for her part, has earned the 2 spot. Her decision to break from country music and go into pop to appeal to a wider audience has paid huge dividends -- her popularity has soared to new heights, as has her net worth. Beyonce and Rihanna are always making the rounds for one reason or another -- whether it's a new so...