FinCon Connection {Vol. 1, September 2012}

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As I write this, Jessica and I are scrambling to get this magazine finished so we'll have time to mail them out to you prior to #FinCon12. We're cutting it close.

I'm having serious doubts about our ability to get it done, and I'm even questioning what we're doing this for. Is it too soon? Will it even matter or be taken seriously? Some of you may have doubts and questions as well.

"Why the heck did I try to produce a magazine for the conference?"

Stepping back to think about it, I do think there are some practical reasons for putting the conference guide into magazine form.

Conference attendees need a physical guide to navigate the weekend. Not everyone has a smart phone or tablet with access to the online schedule. So at a minimum, I have a responsibility to produce a physical copy of the schedule and general conference information so that attendees aren't lost. Since I'm already having to produce something, why not make it more valuable?

We are writers, first and foremost. Even though some in our ranks have proven to be excellent oral communicators as well, as a group we are not really speakers. We write. It only makes sense to couple the conference with a written resource - thus, the inclusion of articles from conference session leaders (and others like you in future issues). This will allow more of us to participate - those of you with something to "say" but who tend to shy away from the stage.

Further, since we can mail this to anyone who wants it for free, the message of the conference can be extended to those who can't attend a FinCon annual conference in person.

Then there are the "thinking big" reasons for putting this publication together. Last year's conference was a great opportunity for the entire financial blogging community to come together, strengthen relationships, learn, and have some fun.

But I think it did something else.

It helped to validate our blogs, businesses, and overall, our little growing industry - an industry that is helping millions of consumers deal with their financial issues responsibly on a daily basis.

Photo by Andrea Thompson

My hope is that this magazine will help to further validate what you are building, and what we are all doing as a group.

My hope is that this magazine will become an invaluable resource for us as we continue to take our blogs, businesses, and financial advice to greater heights.

My hope is that like the conference, this magazine will be well worth the effort.

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7 Tips for Would-Be Bloggers More than a Blogger: 4 “Bloggers”Who Have Gone Beyond the Blog An Interview with Liz Weston, #FinCon12 Keynote Speaker 6 Ways to Treat Your Blog as a Business 4 Rules for Writing and Editing The Value of Having a Blogging Buddy No Excuses: How to Finish that eBook Technology: Is It Good or Bad for Our Finances?

The 3rd Annual Plutus Awards The Single Biggest Mistake Writers Can Make (and How to Avoid It) Who Is FinCon? One Blogger’s Take How to Find and Hire a Staff Writer Get Hired as a Freelance Writer in 10 Easy Steps FinCon Local Meetups Score a Sponsorship to Attend Your Next Conference Make the Most of Your FinCon Experience Traditional Retirement Planning Is Dead

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#FinCon12 Information General Information Schedule Community Service Project Session Details Speakers #FinCon11 Recap Hotel Map

Publisher – Philip Taylor Editor – Jessica Bufkin Connection is the official magazine of FinCon. www.finconnection.com PT Money Conferences LLC 8992 Preston Road, Suite 110-214 Frisco, TX 75034

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Contributing Writers – Donna Freedman, Kelly Whalen, Greg Go, Ryan Guina, Paula Pant, Jim Wang, Crystal Stemberger, Jon Stein, Matt Schulz, Kylie Ofiu, Todd Tressider, Lynn Truong, Jason Steele, Jason Price, Ben Edwards.

Back Cover Photos – Jake Stichler, Jesse Michelsen, and Peter Anderson.

Articles in the FinCon Connection magazine are the opinions of the individual authors and may not be the opinion of the magazine or its owners.

Magazine Artwork – Libby Gifford libbygifford@gmail.com

Copyright 2012 PT Money Conferences LLC and individual authors

Interested in advertising? Email sponsor@financialbloggerconference.co m for pricing.

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So you want to start a site or improve your existing site? As a five-year veteran of the “blog wars,” here’s what I suggest.

1. Read what's already out there.

Look for blogs that address the issues you’re interested in and figure out what they're NOT providing. Then provide it.

2. Link to what's already out there.

We all want to be read, so we comment on similar blogs in the hope that people will come find us. These should be REAL comments, not just, “Great site! PT@PTsblog.com.” It’s bad form just to piggyback on other people's hard work.

3. Make your posts substantive.

Don't drone on for five paragraphs about how you sure wish you’d contributed more to your 401(k) when you were younger. Make that experience useful and relevant to other people, e.g., “Ten years ago I used to think I’d contribute to retirement ‘later.’ If I’d invested even $10 a week, I'd have X thousand dollars by now.” There’s a book called “No One Cares What You Had for Lunch: 100 Ideas for Your Blog.” I find that hilariously apt: Nobody DOES care what you had for lunch, unless you can tell us how to make the same delicious food quickly and cheaply. I’ve read blogs that were so selfindulgent and pointless I was embarrassed on behalf of the writer.

4. Base at least some of your entries on current events.

That could be hard financial news or the latest social science surveys. Be sure to provide a link to your sources, but also tell us what this might mean to our finances.

5. Get out of your head.

While it's important for you to know what's going on out there in the financial blogosphere, you need to know what's happening in the real world. Find out what real people are doing and saying. Eavesdrop, strike up conversations in the checkout line or at happy hour, and create an impromptu focus group of friends to talk about how the world affects them.

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6. But remember that not everybody looks like you.

A 30-year-old guy who is sole breadwinner for a family of three is not the same as a 30-year-old single dude. A 26-yearold woman with college loan payments and a mid-range salary doesn’t have the same options as a 26-year-old scholarship student who graduated into an accounting job. A 35-year-old divorced nurse’s aide with two kids has a very different set of financial concerns than a never-married 35-year-old attorney.

Talk to people whose lives are different than your own.

7. Please don’t say “everybody knows.”

I often see glib statements like, “We’ve all been there…” or “Who hasn’t made the mistake of spending half his paycheck on rounds for the bar/those really cute shoes?” Everybody doesn’t know, not everybody has been there and some people need every damn dime just to keep the lights on and their student loans current. Again: Don’t assume everybody looks like you. Instead, tell us how you felt when you goofed financially, explain what you learned from it and – here’s the important part – invite us to share our own stories and solutions. You want to build dialogue with readers, not bore them with an endless, LOL-strewn monologue.

Donna Freedman writes the Frugal Cool daily blog for MSN Money, is a staff writer at www.GetRichSlowly.com and started www.DonnaFreedman.com for all the stuff she can’t publish in those other two places.

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Being a blogger today means more than publishing 500-word posts on a website. Many financial “bloggers” have stretched the definition and have gone beyond their site. Here are four inspiring examples.

1. Filmmaker: Adam Baker (www.ManVsDebt.com) Adam loves talking to people about their lives. His featurelength documentary, I’m Fine, Thanks!, premiered in July at the World Domination Summit. The film crew spent months travelling the country and collecting stories about complacency, life choices, and the paths we ultimately decide to follow. Adam used Kickstarter.com to raise over $100,000 for the project.

Kickstarter is a pretty novel way to raise money. Do you think Kickstarter would work for other types of blogging projects, like starting a new blog, launching an e-book, or developing an online course?

“It certainly could, but the far majority of backers will come directly from your existing network. Kickstarter's platform makes it easy and convenient for many bloggers and artists to create and sell something online. Creating your own shopping carts, merchant accounts, and webpages is a bit harder. So it could work, but I'd recommend it only to people with existing networks.”

2. Advertising Rep: Crystal Stemberger (www.BudgetingInTheFunStuff.com)

3. Movement Leader: Jeff Rose (www.GoodFinancialCents.com) The Roth IRA Movement was a personal mission for Jeff. He wanted “young people to not have to worry about if they can ever retire by taking action now.” Jeff rounded up over 140 financial bloggers to write about Roth IRAs on the same day.

How has going beyond your blog changed your outlook on being a blogger?

“Doing the Roth IRA Movement and working on other movements has given me another passion to do just more than write a 500 word blog post. Being able to connect with other bloggers and bring awareness to financial topics that need it is what blogging is all about -- helping our readers. Having just received a random email from someone to let me know that they opened a Roth IRA because of what I did is an incredible feeling. I knew the personal finance community was a strong one; I just didn't realize how strong. It was so cool to see so many jump on board to support what I initially thought was just a crazy idea.”

4. Book Author: Todd Tresidder (www.FinancialMentor.com) In order to expand his mission of teaching people about good money management, Todd took advantage of the Amazon Kindle platform to self-publish a series of books.

How does publishing with Amazon help your blog?

When Crystal realized most bloggers didn’t have as much fun haggling with advertisers as she did, she had “a light bulb moment” and her blog advertising business was born. She now handles ad inquiries and sales for hundreds of bloggers.

What have you learned since you started your new business?

“When I was just blogging, it was all about me. My posts, my readers, etc. Now it is much more about the community as a whole. At the end of the day, if I have been able to help at least a handful of people, it has been a great day. I now really understand the benefit of true relationships and helping others succeed. Being able to help others while finally finding a job that I love to do has ended up being the perfect reason ever to go beyond blogging.”

“I see blogging really as a hub and spoke model with the blog at the hub. The spokes are everything beyond the blog that feed new readers into the blog. The idea is these are all different ways people find you – like micro-internets with separate followers. The goal is to reach your market in the way they most prefer to consume your content. If you don’t, you are missing out and so are all those potential followers who will never benefit from your message.”

Greg Go is the co-founder and CTO of Wise Bread.com and its industry-leading Top Personal Finance Blog Chart. His team develops and implements technical solutions in support of Wise Bread’s mission.

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Liz Weston is the most-read personal finance columnist on the Internet, according to Nielsen//NetRatings.

She’s an award-winning, nationallysyndicated personal finance columnist who can make the most complex money topics understandable to the average reader.

She’s authored several books, including The 10 Commandments of Money: Survive and Thrive in the New Economy and “Your Credit Score,” a national best-seller.

Liz’s columns run twice a week on MSN Money while her question-and-answer column “Money Talk” appears in newspapers throughout the country, including the Los Angeles Times, the Palm Beach Post, the Portland Oregonian, Stars & Stripes and others.

She also writes a money column, “My Two Cents,” for AARP the Magazine, the largest-circulation magazine in the world with 22 million subscribers.

You started your career in print. What motivated the switch to online writing over print?

I started writing for the Los Angeles Times in 1998. But it’s hard to be a daily newspaper journalist and have a family. I wanted the option to have a kid and work full time at home.

When I left the Times, most of my colleagues thought I was making an incredibly risky move.

Between leaving the Times and starting for MSN, my husband and I took a celebratory trip to Paris, and I discovered there that I was pregnant. Pretty amazing timing.

You have become a powerhouse of all media platforms including print, online, television, radio, and have penned books! How do you keep up with all the various formats you work in?

I don’t!! Something is always suffering. Lately it’s been my poor little blog, but I’m determined to give it more attention this year. Sometimes the only way to get everything done is to drag myself back to the computer after my daughter goes to bed.

I also try to repurpose stuff I’ve already written—after all, the basics of good money management don’t change that much. I just completed my fifth book, for example, and it’s a collection of my newspaper Q&A columns that I expanded, updated and organized by category. It’s titled “There Are No Dumb Questions About Money.”

When it comes to balancing your time, what makes you choose one project or platform over another?

Money.

MSN Money editor Richard Jenkins approached me shortly after 9/11, when a lot of us were reviewing our lives and priorities, and suggested I write for them.

OK, that’s not the only criterion, but I’ve learned from some terrific women in my life that I need to put an appropriate price tag on my time. My experience has been that women are often reluctant to ask for raises or appropriate fees for their work. We lowball ourselves.

It took another six months or so to negotiate all the details, but then I gave my notice. I can’t say that I was prescient in predicting the collapse of newspapers; I thought it might happen eventually, but not as rapidly as it did.

That’s not to say I do everything for money. I volunteer, but I’ve stopped volunteering my professional services, because I discovered that the people who pay the bills value what they

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have to pay for—and they don’t value what comes cheap.

What would you say to someone who is just starting out in journalism or blogging/writing?

What should they NOT do?

My favorite writers are typically the ones who are also good reporters. They don’t necessarily have a journalism degree, but they know how to research and really dig into a topic. They seek out expert advice and opinion. They’re a little skeptical.

They don’t buy the conventional wisdom.

Interview conducted by Kelly Whalen, the author of TheCentsibleLife.com, a blog designed to help people live the life of their dreams on a budget. She started her blog 4 years ago, and has since become both a well-known mom blogger and a respected voice in the personal finance realm. Kelly and her blog have been featured on The Today Show, local networks in Philadelphia, and she has been featured in magazines and print in both national and local publications including Money magazine, Kiplinger’s, and Women’s Day.

What I don’t like to see: writers who assume that their experience is somehow universal. This is a big old country and an even bigger world, filled with people whose lives and opinions may be very different from our own. There usually isn’t one “right” way to view things or do things.

Understanding that can make you a better journalist, writer and human being.

You give great advice, but have you ever NOT listened to your own good financial advice?

I’m cheap. My husband Will laughs when I say that, because I’ve grown really fond of flying first class (when someone else pays) and carrying Coach bags (when hubby buys them).

I’m getting better, but sometimes it actually causes me anxiety to spend money. My whole message is about balance— enjoying life now while saving appropriately for the future.

But I still need Will to remind me occasionally that it’s okay to cut loose now and then.

Can you give readers a peek into what you'll be sharing at FinCon? My talk is about “How to give good money advice.” See, we write about numbers, but too many of us are secretly scared of them. I’m going to help you conquer that fear in about five minutes by giving the most interesting (and fastest) lesson on statistics ever. For those who think I can’t possibly make statistics sexy: I can’t wait to prove you wrong.

Then I’m going to open up my contacts list and share my very best sources, including email addresses and phone numbers.

Finally, I’ll point the way for people to become real money experts in record time.

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Like most first time bloggers, I made a lot of mistakes when I started out. But there is one thing I did in my early days that has paid dividends -- I took my blog seriously. And as soon as I started making money with it, I treated it like a business. This was an important distinction for me. Even though I was having fun, blogging wasn't just a hobby to me. I knew that if I treated my blog as a business, I could earn decent money with it.

business type can offer you legal protections, allow you to open a business bank account and/or business credit card, and it can offer certain tax advantages (and disadvantages). There is no one-size-fits-all solution to which business type is best. Take some time to look at the different types of small businesses and speak with a small business advisor or accountant for advice on which entity is the most beneficial for your business.

Three years after I started blogging, I quit my full-time day job to pursue my online business full-time. This was a dream come true, and it never would have happened if I didn't have the right mindset. Here are 6 ways to treat your blog like a business:

Keep your funds separate.

If you are a sole proprietor, your business income is treated as personal income. You still need to account for profits, losses, and expenses, but you don't need to separate anything. If you have incorporated your business, however, you will need to maintain separate business and personal accounts. It's a good idea to open a business checking and/or savings account, and a business credit card and only use those accounts for business related expenses.

Let others know you are serious about your business.

If treat your blog like a business, so will your family and friends. If you treat it like a hobby, so will others. This is especially important around family members and close friends who may not understand your sudden desire to give up your "free time" with them so you can work on a business they may not understand. Communication is essential during this transitional time.

How you present your business matters.

Like it or not, first impressions can have a lasting impact. This doesn't mean you need to go out right away and spend a lot of money on a professional design and a stack of 500 business cards. But you should take care of the little things - a presentable design, a contact page, professional e-mail account (yourname@yourdomain.com or yourdomain@gmail.com is perfect), and some professional social media accounts to fill things out.

Maintain separation.

With Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and the never-ending stream of social media, it's easy for the line between blogging and your real life to blur into one. But it's important to draw the line somewhere. Keep your personal social media accounts separate from your business accounts whenever possible. If "you" are your business, then keep things clean at all times - you never know who is watching and listening.

Consider incorporating.

I formed an LLC for my business shortly after I started earning money with it. Part of me just wanted to "make things official," but I'm glad I made the decision. Forming an LLC or other 7 | FinCon Connection

Put money back into your business.

Blogging is a popular business model because there is virtually no barrier to entry. Anyone can get started with a free account on Blogger, WordPress.com, or a host of other platforms. $60 can get you a unique domain and a year of hosting. Even though you can get started on a shoestring, it's a good idea to start reinvesting some of your income back into your business once you start earning revenue. One of the first places I would look to upgrade is your web host. Cheap shared hosting can cause slow websites and crash if you receive a large burst of traffic - potentially costing you a lot of money. I also recommend buying a good computer and monitor. You spend a lot of time online, so make sure the experience is efficient and enjoyable. Other worthwhile business investments include things such as software, hardware, subscriptions to online tools, traveling to conferences, or just meeting a fellow blogger for coffee. In short, if something makes your job as a blogger faster, easier, or more fun, then you should consider it.

Ryan Guina is a veteran of the US Air Force and is the founder of www.CashMoneyLife.com and www.TheMilitaryWallet.com.

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Remember those boring grammar classes in fourth grade? You shot spitwads at girls in the back of the classroom while the teacher droned endlessly about gerunds and infinitives.

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“When will I ever use this?” you wondered.

Fast-forward to today: You write articles read by thousands of people. Yet you can’t remember jack squat about grammar, syntax or usage. “I don’t need to remember that stuff. I just write like I talk.” Yeah, I know. That’s the problem.

I’m giving a 45-minute #FinCon12 presentation on how to “write right.”* I’ll also tell you how to edit writing sent to you by freelancers. As a teaser, here are a few tips you can take home: 1. Use killer verbs.

Writers are famous for their verbs. Bestselling author Gary Vaynerchuk wants us to “crush it!” Author Tim Ferriss tells us to “escape 9-to-5.” A finance blogger by the pseudonym Ninja says he’ll “punch debt in the face.”

Vivid verbs bring a story to life. Do you “worry” about debt or do you “agonize” over it? Do you plan to “pay it off” or will you “attack” it?

Not every verb needs to be as vivid as crush, punch, escape and attack. Sometimes the strongest verb is the shortest and most common choice. “Use” is a common word, but “use killer verbs” makes a snappier soundbyte than “exploit killer verbs,” “publish killer verbs” or “employ killer verbs.”

What crafts a killer verb? Look for the following characteristics: • • •

One to two syllables. (Three syllable verbs like “utilize” don’t create tight copy).

Vivid or common, depending on the context.

Active voice

2. Make every word count.

The shorter you can make a phrase, the better. Killer verbs help you write tight copy.

“Stay away from debt” = “Avoid debt.”

“Look online and in the newspaper for coupons” = “Clip coupons.”

Cut “filler” words and phrases from your copy. Search for triggers like “it,” “to,” “be” and “that,” which often surround filler phrases: • •

“Rather than trying to do everything myself” = “Rather than doing everything myself.”

“This way, it allows her to have extra money” = “This allows her to have extra money.”

3. Maintain the same tense.

Avoid tense-hopping in your stories. “I was happy to see the balance in my Roth IRA. It is great.” The first sentence speaks in past tense; the second is in present.

Try this instead: “I’m happy to see my Roth IRA balance. It’s great!” (P.S. Notice how we also cut the first sentence from 11 words to eight?)

4. Write awesome adjectives.

Don’t use “good” adjectives. Don’t use “wonderful” adjectives.

I can’t visualize “wonderful.”

Give me an adjective I don’t hear in everyday conversation.

Give me a kick-ass adjective. Are prices “high” or “exorbitant”? Is debt “bad” or “repulsive”?

Don’t miss more examples at my FinCon talk, “Write Right (and Edit!)”

Paula Pant is the founder of the website Afford Anything, a site dedicated to the idea that smart money moves can fuel your wildest dreams. She is also the Guide to Budgeting and Personal Finance for About.com, a site owned by the New York Times. *Trivia: The wordplay is called a “heterograph.”

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Blogging is a very solitary business, especially at the beginning. When you're just starting your site, it's typically just you. Sometimes you might partner up with a friend or a relative, but most bloggers start their site part time and on their own. It can be exciting work but it's independent work.

That's why it's so important to build up a good support network, and the most logical candidates are other bloggers.

But, when you think about it, these other blogs are technically your competition. In what other business would you look to your competitors for support, advice or perspective? It's rare but it also shows how partnering with "competitors" can be good for your business.

Let me use a real life example to illustrate this. I don't know when it happened, but early on in my "blogging career" I became friends with Nickel, of the blog Five Cent Nickel. We were both working day jobs, and we'd discuss strategies when we were both working on our sites at night. Over the years we built up a friendship and a partnership that benefited each of our sites. We bounced ideas off each other, shared different strategies we read or saw in our competitors, and solved problems together. We'd share our affiliate payouts, conversion rates, and other hard numbers that took a lot of the guesswork out of our respective processes.

As is the case in any business, relationships matter and when much of a blog's revenue is driven through affiliate revenue, better relationships result in better rates. Affiliate managers have discretion when it comes to the commission they're able to offer an affiliate and the easiest way to get a bump in the payout is by delivering customers. The second easiest way is to meet the affiliate manager in person or be introduced by someone they trust. Managers hate bumping up a payout only to see no additional leads or poor quality leads, but sometimes it doesn't pay to run the program unless the payout is higher.

It's a classic chicken and egg problem. On numerous occasions, we would introduce the other to an affiliate manager and the other would be able to get a payout higher than what was listed publicly. It cost nothing and was made possible because we each understood that we'd benefit more than we'd lose in our informal partnership.

I wouldn't share everything with Nickel, as he wouldn't share everything with me. We didn't share what pages on our sites drove the most traffic or what keywords were our most 9 | FinCon Connection

profitable. We didn't do it because we thought the other would steal it, we did so because we both knew that something needed to be held back just in case. In the end it was still a business and while we never actively competed with each another in any category, we knew that we were still in competition on some level.

And it wasn't all about money. How many times have you heard of a site being hacked? How difficult is it to understand the instructions of some of those tech bloggers when you explain the solution? It's easier when you have two people talking it through together, as I remember us doing on, fortunately, just one occasion. How many times has your site gone down but you were away from the computer? I can remember a few occasions when Nickel texted me that something wasn't right about my blog, Bargaineering, and I could call my host to fix it. At times he even had suggestions as to what was wrong!

As you consider a support network, be careful with whom you decide to become close friends. I was fortunate; Nickel was pragmatic, understood what we were trying to do, and jealousy didn't enter in the picture. Not all blogs grow at the same rates and sometimes jealousy can creep in and sabotage a relationship. It's like childhood friends who experience different levels of success and it can have ugly results.

In the end, your site's success is a product of your effort and innovation. It's facilitated by good friendships and an open sharing of ideas but built on a foundation of long hours and lots of study. A support network can help as long as very natural human emotions don't turn ugly.

Consider this: Other bloggers may look like your competitors, but they're not. Your competitors are professional Internet marketers entering the space to earn advertising revenue. Your competitors are Google and its "Advisor" product.

Bloggers aren't really your competitors; they're actually your brethren.

Jim Wang is the creator of www.Bargaineering.com, a personal finance site that he created in 2005 to help him navigate the confusing and complex world of personal finance.

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When I first started blogging, I was amazed by the amount of work necessary to keep a blog growing. Then I noticed eBook banners on many of the sites that I visited each week. I always wondered who the heck had the time to pull off publishing an eBook on top of everything else?

Now I know. It’s not that they had extra time; they just decided not to sleep much.

Imposing a Deadline I started thinking about writing an eBook more than a year ago, but I kept procrastinating. I would tell myself I was too busy. I also did not know where to start. I made one excuse after another until more than a year had passed and #FinCon12 started looming on the horizon. So at the beginning of June 2012, I decided to actually write my darn eBook before speaking at the conference. I reached out to my blogging buddies for some moral support and they got my butt in gear.

Getting Started on an eBook Martin from the blog Studenomics actually started it all with the best advice ever. Instead of staring at a blank screen and trying to tackle a whole book, he suggested that I cut and paste posts that have something to do with the eBook I had in mind.

If nothing else, at least I would feel like I had something written. Then I expanded it from there.

The second step for me was to edit and update those posts and then add sections to flesh out what was missing. A few pages turned into more than 5000 words…and then 6000…and then…I hit a wall.

Find a Great Editor I had no idea where to go from that point, so I reached out to a commenter I had just “met” who seemed interested in the fact I was trying to write an eBook. Nell from the blog Housewife Empire ended up being the best teammate.

She literally read through everything I had, edited it like a pro as she went, and gave me ideas about other information to include. She even wrote a section for me, and in return, I included a link back to her in the book. I don’t know how much time she devoted to me, but I am truly thankful.

By the end of her review, I was on track again. A few more sections were added, changes made, ideas expanded on, and I had the book I wanted to publish! But then what?

Publishing Steps I was working on a tight budget, so I figured out how to add a clickable table of contents, art, and a border myself thanks to some pointers from Geoff at the blog Don’t Do It Yourself.

(Oh, the irony!) He also explained how easy it is to use “Save As” with a Word document to save it as a PDF. It literally took seconds. I was also pointed towards Fiverr.com to find someone to work up my cover art. Three days and $5 later, I had fantastic cover art.

The End Results After hours of extra writing every night for three weeks, I launched my eBook. I announced it on my sites, How I Make Money Blogging and Budgeting in the Fun Stuff, created landing pages for more info, sent out an announcement to my newsletter subscribers, and reached out to my blogging buddies to sign up affiliates and spread the word.

Nell reminded me to get it listed on ejunkie.com so other bloggers could sign up as affiliates very easily and sell it. EJunkie, starting at $5 a month, keeps up with commissions owed and sales stats.

Costs and Benefits I ended up spending about 50-60 hours and $10 total to get my eBook out in the world by July 5, 2012. My blogging buddies like Nell contributed their time too. As of July 9, 2012, I sold 22 copies and was looking forward to a fabulous, full first week of sales. My goal is to sell 100 copies by #FinCon12.

Launching Your Own Product The moral of this story is actually very simple: If you have an idea for a product of your own, do it. Don’t just talk about it and make excuses like I did for more than a year. Do whatever it takes to make it a reality because life is too short for regrets.

Set your deadline, hit the ground running, and get it done.

You can catch up on your sleep when you are finally finished.

Crystal Stemberger blogs at www.BudgetingintheFunStuff.com and is author of the eBook, “How I Make Money Blogging: The Beginner’s Guide to Building a Money-Making Blog.”

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From an entire new community of financial experts (bloggers), to the products we use to manage our finances, to how we interact with our financial institutions, technology has irrevocably changed the way we manage our money. But is it all for the better?

Technology has changed personal finance.

Technology can be thanked for making us more financially savvy. It’s hard to imagine now, but at one point in time smart financial advice only came from books or by the hour. Now we’re spoiled for choice when it comes to expert financial advice. Whether it’s paying down debt, investing options, or impartial reviews of new products, there’s an expert blogger on every topic.

Technology has improved options for consumers too. It has lowered the cost universally across all investing platforms – index fund costs are lower, liquid funds help to minimize spread of stocks, and commission and trading costs have significantly dropped. Technology has allowed entrepreneurs like me to build efficient, smart products at a lower cost, which is a win-win for the company and the consumer.

Financial companies are coming up with new tactics to service clients and grow their share of wallet. An article in SmartMoney earlier this year described how brokers use technology to encourage individuals to “act less like nervous Main Street investors and more like confident pros.” New apps allow users to scan a barcode to find a product’s ticker and execute a trade on the spot, and brokers text message their clients (often with a nudge to trade).

Change comes with problems.

Free advice, accessibility, ease, confidence, and lower costs sound like good things. I’m all for retail investors profiting off of the stock market. After all, it’s efficient technology that allowed me to create my startup, Betterment.com, to help individuals save for the important things in life.

While technology has created a wealth of opportunity, it’s 11 | FinCon Connection

costing us too.

As investing costs have dropped, the “big deal” factor has lessened. It’s easier to make the decision to trade, which just hurts performance over the long term. Higher trading costs eat into returns, while frequent activity causes investors to make mistakes (the average investor underperforms the fund they invest in by half, according to research by DALBAR).

As costs go down, so too do broker commissions. Encouraging excessive trading is one of the few ways brokers can still make money, which can be a costly trap for the unwitting investor.

The investing gap.

Technology has not only assisted opportunities for the regular guy, big banks and hedge funds use complicated algorithms to execute high frequency trades – anticipating retail investor interest in specific stocks. These big institutions buy then sell those same stocks back to you at an inflated price before you’ve even had a chance to execute your trade.

Even if toxic practices like this were outlawed (and they should be), it’s not realistic to expect individuals to invest like institutions.

Individuals are rarely privy to the detailed information that institutions have, nor are they present at the board meetings where important decisions are made. Many institutions recruit information from insiders and use it to make executive decisions.

Even in the instance where information is supposedly accessible to all, the deck is stacked against the little guy. We hear about “big data” all the time, and how this information is free and public, but most individuals do not have the time or resources to make sense of it.

As a result, the majority of retails investors make uninformed choices when buying individual company stocks.

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Technology for good.

As respected writers in personal finance, you have the influence to guide your readers to make the right decisions.

Educate them on biases of which they may not be aware, like how their broker or financial institution makes money, the risks of active trading, and products that have their best interests at heart. Help your readers use technology in the right way to achieve their goals.

I’m a huge proponent of technological advances in financial services, but I believe they should be utilized to help people make smart financial decisions.

Jon Stein is the founder and CEO of Betterment.

Passionate about helping people make smart decisions with their money, he founded the online investment product in 2008. Jon is a graduate of Harvard University and Columbia Business School. His interests lie at the intersection of behavior, psychology, and economics.

What excites him most about his work is making everyday activities and products more efficient, accessible, and easy to use.

The Plutus Awards are returning to the FinCon this year. The Planning Committee is planning a revitalized event that's sure to be hit among the bloggers in attendance.

The Plutus Awards are designed to celebrate the best in personal finance and to feature independent the best independent bloggers who write about personal finance and money management.

In addition to Plutus Awards recipients in the blog-focused categories, banks, software companies, and published authors that create the best products will receive Plutus Awards.

Photo by Jesse Michelsen The Plutus Awards season will culminate in an awards ceremony at #FinCon12, Thursday, September 6. Kevin McKee from Thousandaire.com will be the host, bringing multimedia and live entertainment to the first night of the conference. If you've seen Kevin's videos, you may have an idea of what to expect. Winners of the Plutus Awards will be presented with trophies and prize packages with gifts from sponsors.

This season the voting process has been streamlined and simplified, and there will be more opportunities for independent bloggers to be recognized. While there is less of a focus on a popular vote this year, a new category, the People's Choice Plutus Award, is sure to be a tight race. The Planning Committee has assembled a larger Blogger Panel to assist with the selection of finalists from among the top vote-getters and winners from among those finalists.

Vol 1, September 2012 | 12

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My son is the love of my life. He fills my day with love, joy and wonder -- and, of course, frustration, annoyance and even anger from time to time. He also fills it with questions.

That's true no matter your audience. Whether you’re writing for someone who is new to personal finance or someone with an advanced degree in economics, be clear and remember who is reading.

"Can giraffes swim?"

"How much does the sun weigh?"

"What time is it in Germany?"

I love his questions because I learn with him. When I was a kid, we might have opened an encyclopedia or gone to the library to find such answers. Now, I just grab my iPad, type the question into Google and learn something. Question answered.

When should you explain more?

That can be much easier said than done. It can even be hard to know what needs explanation. How do you figure it out?

Here are three solutions: •

Ask someone. Ask a friend or family member, assuming that they'd match your audience fairly well.

For example, if you ask your significant other what a HELOC is and they look at you dumbfounded, it requires further explanation.

•

Google it. You're probably not the first person to write about a given topic. Check out how writers you respect have explained what you're describing. Just don't take their words -- that's called plagiarism.

•

Trust yourself. In the end, you probably know your readers best, simply because you've interacted with them the most. You know which types of articles they prefer. You’ve read their comments. You’ve emailed or even spoken with them. That doesn't mean you'll always keep your audience in mind when you're writing. Nor does it mean that you'll be right in the assumptions you make about them. However, if, as you're writing, you wonder if you need to explain something better, you probably do. Err on the side of explaining more than not.

Sometimes his questions are random. Other times, they're not, such as when he interrupts me as I try to explain something to him.

"What does that mean?" he'll ask.

It happens all the time. I'll explain something and use a term that goes over his head. Again, I love that he asks me. It shows that he's listening, which doesn't always happen. It also forces me to step back and reconsider how to convey what I'm trying to tell him. After all, if he doesn't understand some of what I tell him, the entire point of our conversation could be lost on him.

The same thing is true in financial writing.

The biggest mistake you can make.

The worst mistake that you can make in writing your financial blog is to assume your readers have more knowledge than they actually do.

Readers can't interrupt you to ask a word's meaning the way my son can when I talk to him. They can't ask you to clarify a point you're trying to make. They'll simply get frustrated, click away from the page and never come back.

13 | FinCon Connection

So what's the best way to explain?

Take the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. At Investing Answers, our reporter Christian Hudspeth recently wrote about consumer complaints the agency had received about credit card companies in its first year of operation. We received a list of those complaints through a Freedom of Information Act

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request, analyzed them and wrote up what we found.

Problem is, most readers of InvestingAnswers.com don’t know much, if anything, about the CFPB. Here’s what we wrote: “The bureau is meant to be a one-stop shop for consumer complaints about banks. Prior to its formation, a consumer wanting to file an official complaint about a bank with the government had to determine which one of an alphabet soup of agencies (FRB, FDIC, OCC, etc.) regulated their particular bank.”

Matt Schulz is Vice President of Content at www.InvestingAnswers.com, an investing and personal finance website devoted to helping people build and protect their wealth. Previously, he served as a Managing Editor for www.CreditCards.com, where he was part of a team that won a Society of American Business Editors and Writers award for coverage of the Credit CARD Act. He has also led online news teams at www.KXAN.com, www.Austin360.com and elsewhere.

We didn't need to mention the political wrangling surrounding the new agency. We didn't need to talk about who was leading it. What mattered in the context of that article was that the bureau was now the place in the government that collected complaints about card issuers.

Of course, explanations don't all have to be that long.

Sometimes a brief parenthetical is all that’s needed.

For example, I wrote this in a story for Investing Answers about credit card application fees: “The Credit CARD Act of 2009 -- the most sweeping, proconsumer regulatory change in the history of the credit card business -- took direct aim at companies that charged excessive fees.”

Again, the reader didn’t need a page-long history lesson. They needed to know why it was significant to the story they were reading.

Finally, nothing helps explain a concept like a real world example.

This comes from a story at www.CreditCards.com, about a credit card rate decrease: “These lower rates mean real money to consumers. For example, a typical cardholder who borrowed $5,000 on a credit card today and paid $150 monthly at today's average APR would have to spend $45 less to pay off the balance than they would have just two months ago, when rates were at their alltime peak.”

It may be wordy, but better to be wordy and clear than concise and confusing.

And that’s true whether you’re talking to an elementary school kid or an economics professor. After all, no one ever complains about a story being a bit too long if it’s compelling and easy to understand.

Vol 1, September 2012 | 14

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I am thrilled to be attending and speaking at #FinCon12 in my hometown of Denver, Colorado. Last year when #FinCon11 was held in Chicago, I only found out about it a few weeks beforehand and was unable to attend. When I looked at the list of speakers, it seemed as if all of my industry friends were invited to a party…and I was not.

June. Just like me, the attendees were online writers with a passion for travel. And while I came away impressed with their enthusiasm for adventure, I found few who were serious enough about monetization that they were able to devote themselves to writing full time.

But when it gets down to it, who are we?

Yet even as my freelance writing career was starting to blossom, it hadn’t occurred to me that there was an entire community of financial bloggers out there. As I spent my days writing about credit cards and ways to save money on travel, I wasn’t even sure if I was a “financial blogger.”

To illustrate my confusion, consider the following exchange at an event where writers heard presentations from several magazine editors: Each editor talked about how he/she was looking for polished pieces from published authors. Meekly, I raised my hand and asked if any of them would consider submissions from writers whose work primarily appears online. The response I received was along the lines of “No.” They really weren’t interested in submissions from writers whose only experience was “posting to their own personal blog in their pajamas in the middle of the night.”

What I took away from that exchange was that “blog” was a four-letter word within much of the mainstream print world. I have since begun referring to my clients as “Personal Finance Web Sites.” Among the sites I currently contribute to, nearly all have a full-time staff, professional editors, and many regular contributors.

In short, I would gladly compare my web-based clients to their counterparts at the print publications I also occasionally contribute to. In my experience, financial online publishers are hard working, professional, and they get to know their readers in almost real time.

Yet even within the world of online publishing, the community of financial writers stands out. I attended the Travel Bloggers Exchange (T-BEX) convention in Keystone, Colorado, this

15 | FinCon Connection

We are writers, bloggers, editors, site owners, and perhaps even a few advertisers. Our goal is to make money and to help our readers save money at the same time. We always strive to do more with less, and we can’t wait to share our tips and tricks with everyone.

Over the last year, since I learned of this community’s existence, I have exchanged countless emails, organized #FinCon local events, and even flew around the country to visit many of you. Yet we won’t really know who we are until we have all met each other, shared our latest insights, and had some fun on the town.

When most of you leave Denver to return home, go with the knowledge that you were here at the birth of new form of publishing that is already rivaling centuries of experience in print. And if you’ve had the opportunity to enjoy a few of our local micro-brews, so much the better.

Jason Steele is a regular contributor to many of the top personal finance sites, including www.MoneyTalksNews.com, www.WiseBread.com, www.MoneyCrashers.com and his work is carried at mainstream sites such as MSN, Yahoo, and The Consumerist.

He will be speaking about “The Opportunities and Challenges of Full-time Freelance Blogging” at #FinCon12.

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One of the best ways to grow your blog content and share new experience and insights with readers is to hire a few staff writer gems. Staff writers can also provide a nice break for bloggers.

We all know that it can be difficult to get top-notch posts published on a consistent basis, even if you’re only trying to do so 2 – 3 times per week. Life is busy and most of us aren’t running our blogs full-time!

So, how do you find good staff writers? It requires a little bit of work, but you can definitely find them. However, before you go looking, know what you’re looking for in a writer who can complement your blog. You need to find someone that is willing to write to your needs and obviously has good writing skills so you don’t turn into a full-time editor.

I found my writers using some different approaches. You’ll probably have other tips and ideas, but hopefully these will give you a good place to start.

two other writers this way. One submitted 2-3 awesome guest posts (not the paid kind) and readers responded very well in the comments. A few emails later and she was a new staff writer.

The other person left great comments on my own blog through a particular series I was writing. I then visited his blog and knew he would be a great addition to the team based on his values and excellent writing style and the fact that he had also published a book!

Look for up-and-coming blogs.

Okay, so I haven’t used this idea, but I think it’s the way I would go if I were to add another writer today. The WiseBread blog list is full of gem blogs. You can find a lot of great content that isn’t necessarily top 100. Spend some time following blogs that are getting updated often by bloggers.

This is easy enough to do by subscribing to their feeds. They may be interested in getting more readers for their blog and staff writing on your blog may just be a great way to do this.

Look for blog commenters.

I found my first writer via the comments section on a number of popular blogs. She was an active commenter who left engaging and insightful comments. At the time, she didn’t have her own personal finance blog, but later started one. She was a natural blogger, basically because her comments were good blog posts themselves.

Find writers who can be bloggers.

Another writer I found was a published author. I heard him interviewed on a personal finance Podcast, looked up his book and new he would be a great writer for my blog given the content and his perspective on personal finance. How did I get him onboard? I simply sent him an email and then followed up with a phone conversation.

My parting thoughts on finding staff writers is that you’ll find having a writing team to be a great benefit, if you’re comfortable with more than one voice on your blog. If you already have a large readership you might consider seeking readers’ opinions or even holding a writing contest to let the readers help you recruit. Personally, I never wanted to go from blogger to full-time editor, so make sure you find the right people. If not, you’ll find yourself up late at night editing articles and making revisions versus writing about your next personal finance tip.

Jason Price started blogging in 2009 when he created his personal finance blog, OneMoneyDesign.com to share practical financial tips and his perspective on money management with others.

Consider guest writers and commenters on your own blog.

Sometimes you’ll find great staff writers by them coming to you via a guest post or comment on your own blog. I found

Vol 1, September 2012 | 16

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Over the past five years, I have hired over 150 freelance writers. In addition to Wise Bread, we have content partnerships with various clients that involve producing articles for sites such as OPEN Forum, My Life Scoop, US News, and more. We don't do much training; we expect our writers to hit the ground running. To find these writers, I've had to wade through hundreds and hundreds of applications and even more writing samples.

Here is how to get your application noticed, your samples reviewed, and you hired as a freelance writer.

Step 1: Create your portfolio.

You're going to need writing samples. If you don't have any, write some. They don't have to be published; they just need to be written. If you are applying for publications in a variety of topic areas, have writing samples in all of those topics. Don't show your portfolio consisting of ten parenting articles if you're applying for Forbes. The editor wants to know if you can write for their audience.

Step 4: Write a bio.

Have a few different bios ready. Some publications allow longer ones while others are strict with a word limit. Some will not allow links while others encourage it. Always include a way for readers to find you (e.g. Twitter handle, company name, website).

Step 5: Make contact.

Do your homework. If you send your application to the wrong person, you might as well not have bothered to send it at all.

Find out who does the hiring. Writers are also great contacts to have. It doesn't hurt to ask if they can introduce you to their editor, or simply the contact information for them. I have hired many writers based on a quick referral from one of our writers.

A great place to make some contacts is HARO (free) and Profnet (expensive). Editors, journalists, and freelance writers are always looking for experts. Be helpful and professional, and they'll think of you the next time they need a quote or an article. Be sure to let them know that you're available.

Step 2: Build your influence.

Step 6: Stand out.

Editors are always looking for writers with a built-in audience, and who are ready and willing to promote their work in their circles. Have some social media cred to show. But don't try to pad your stats by doing shady things to get followers just to make it look like you've got lots of fans. It's the quality that matters.

Step 3: Take a picture.

Make sure you have a good high quality headshot ready. Please don't submit an image that looks like it was a group picture you cropped someone else out of. Take the time (and if need be, money) to get a professional looking, clear, and preferably color headshot. I know some of you prefer those black and white shots, but most places use color. You can always have a black and white photo for places that don't care, but have a back-up color one for clients that do.

17 | FinCon Connection

First of all, look for information or instructions on how to send in a query or what to include in the application. At Wise Bread, we have a write for us page that details what to include in the writing application. Yet I frequently get emails like "Hi! I love your site and would like to be a writer. Check out my site for writing samples."

In your application, don't just send a link to your portfolio and assume the editor will look through everything. Point out your best work. If you have specific articles that you are especially proud of and display you at your best (though everything on your portfolio should be top notch stuff), list them out. Frankly, the only time I go through a comprehensive portfolio is when I'm on the fence about a writer and I need some more information. Usually the three writing samples and five article ideas we request are all I need to make a decision. For writers, I never even glance at a resume.

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Lastly (and most important), when submitting article ideas, do some research. Don't submit ideas that have already been done on that site or magazine. You can't rest on your awesome writing skills alone. The only way you'll stand out is with fresh new ideas.

Step 7: Read the fine print.

Once you are offered a gig, review the terms. Read the contract! It has important information like how they are going to use your article (rights), name and likeness, etc. If they don't tell you, ask about a style guide and be clear on your deliverables.

draft. If the editor asks for edits, do it, and do it quickly.

Step 9: Time to get paid.

Don't assume that once you deliver the article, you'll get a check. Find out if you need to submit an invoice, and if you do, the appropriate person to send it to. (It's not always the editor.)

Include details in the invoice, such as the title of the article and date. The accounting person most likely deals with a lot of different writers and articles. Make it easy to pay you.

Step 10: Rinse and repeat.

Lynn Truong is Editor-In-Chief of www.Wisebread.com.

Step 8: Deliver the goods.

Make your deadlines. Do not be late. Even better -- be early. If the world is ending unannounced, and your story will be late, communicate. Your editor won’t be happy, but at least she will be able to make other plans.

Your job is not over the minute you send over your draft. Yes,

FinCon Local Meetups The FinCon annual conference is a wonderful experience. But wouldn't it be great if you could keep the FinCon spirit and energy alive throughout the rest of your year?

Join (or form) a FinCon Local meetup.

FinCon Local is a once a month (or once a quarter) informal gathering of FinCon attendees in your area.

For example, there are active FinCon Local meetups in Denver, St. Louis, and Los Angeles. Other cities/regions include Atlanta, the Bay Area, and the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.

If there isn't a meetup in your area already, consider becoming a FinCon Local leader. Leaders receive discounts on future annual conferences, and other perks.

Photo by Azra Panjwani

Meetups usually center around a happy hour or dinner, and conversation can range from completely unstructured to a formal workshop. Drinks are always free and the connections are priceless.

For more information about FinCon Local meetups, or to learn how to become a local leader, visit www.financialbloggerconference.com/local.

Vol 1, September 2012 | 18

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Getting sponsorship to attend a blog conference is a financially savvy way to attend the events you want to attend. I have gotten sponsorships for a few events, most recently #FinCon12.

• •

conference A sidebar banner ad A set number of mentions across your social media outlets

I pitched #FinCon12 sponsorship to a well-known brand, but they were more interested in getting recognition for an Australian conference I spoke at earlier this year. I didn’t need sponsorship for that conference, so they agreed to pay the full amount for me to attend #FinCon12 from Australia, provided I gave them exposure for the earlier conference. Furthermore, they still allowed me to seek other sponsorship for #FinCon12, if I wanted.

You could offer a full sponsorship, which means they would be your exclusive sponsor for the event, or a partial sponsorship and seek out a few sponsors instead of just one. If you are a smaller blogger, a partial sponsorship with four businesses is easier to get than a full sponsorship due to marketing budgets and businesses wanting the best exposure.

Does this sound too good to be true? It wasn’t just luck; I was smart in who I approached and how I did it. Here’s what I did so you can do it, too.

Time to pitch it.

Find out who is in charge of marketing instead of contacting their public relations representatives. Marketing departments have a larger budget, whereas public relations are usually trying to get free publicity.

Start your search early.

Once you know you are going to a conference, start seeking sponsorship immediately. Some companies plan their budgets for the upcoming year by September, so the sooner you get your pitch in the better.

When emailing include who you are, your desire to work with them, and a request to discuss things further. Stick to one or two paragraphs. If they are interested, they will get back to you.

Get prepared.

Have your blog looking its best. You will be judged on looks as well as your metrics, so get it all in order. Also prepare a media kit, which is basically a few pages covering your metrics, why you are fantastic and why brands should work with you, plus what you can offer them and your rates.

Here’s who to ask.

Don’t just go for the big brands like banks and insurance companies. Talk to smaller businesses, other bloggers and even local businesses when seeking sponsorship. Realize many bloggers pitch 50 or more businesses and brands before they actually get sponsorship, so it is a good idea to make a list of brands you want to pitch to.

What to offer.

You can offer pre-priced packages or a range of options sponsors can choose from to create their own package. You could offer: • •

A post announcing them as your sponsor, the great things they offer, giveaway their product, etc.

A link to their site in every post you write about the

19 | FinCon Connection

Sign the contract.

When negotiating, make sure you get everything in writing and clearly outline the following: what you will do for the sponsorship, what happens if you are unable to attend the conference, and what happens if either party is unhappy with the sponsorship.

Take time to follow-up.

Make sure you follow-up with a thank you email and regular reports, if the company requests them. Towards the end of the sponsorship, send another follow-up email offering to continue working together.

Be confident when you go for sponsorship. You don’t need a large following, although it helps. Engaged and actively sharing readers can be as beneficial to an advertiser as a high amount of page views. Know what you are worth, what you need, and really drum home the benefits of working with you.

Kylie Ofiu is an author, freelance writer, public speaker and blogger. She shares real ways to make and save money, including what she is doing in her journey to be a millionaire by 30 on her blog, www.kylieofiu.com.

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You’ll invest both time and money to attend #FinCon12, so since we’re financial bloggers, let’s look at ways you can maximize your return on this investment.

The third and final part of the formula is critical to achieving a return on your conference investment: Define and commit to your takeaways.

As my head hit the pillow on the first night of FinCon11 last year, I knew I would need something to focus this flood of information and harness this wave of inspired motivation that would be forthcoming. I didn’t think of it as a formula for “return on conference investment” at the time, but that’s pretty much what I followed.

In my mind, the effectiveness of a conference isn’t measured by what you learn or do when you’re there, but what happens when you get home.

Everyone’s formula will be a little different but it begins with the same step: Define what you want to get out of the conference.

I would suggest focusing on just 2 or 3 core takeaways. There is a ton of information to absorb and relationships to make at any conference, and FinCon12 is no exception. Trying to capture them all is kind of like trying to drink from a fire hose.

Instead, it is more effective to pick out the top 2 or 3 core reasons you came to the conference. What was it that made you pull out your credit card (or your Suze Orman prepaid debit card) and book a trip to Denver?

I actually started off with only 1 main reason and added another as the conference progressed. For me, the main reason was all about face time—strengthening and creating relationships with people I had either known or wanted to know for years.

Now that you’ve defined why you’re here, build your schedule around those few important goals. Don’t limit yourself to simply choosing the conference sessions that cover your key area(s) of interest.

Go deeper by setting up situations where you can talk beforehand or afterwards with the speaker or panelist. Make note of the other attendees in the session and the questions they ask and follow up with them about what they’re doing. Don’t talk to the sponsors simply because they have cool swag.

Instead, spend time at the booths of companies you’re interested in and whose products and services align with your conference goals.

On your trip home from Denver, choose the top 2-3 takeaways that you absolutely commit to making happen and write out an action plan before you leave the hotel or while you are traveling home.

Of course, you can (and probably will) adjust your priorities over the course of the conference. I did a decent job of hitting my main goal by connecting at FinCon last year, but I’m sorry to say that my takeaway of staying engaged was a pretty big failure.

My failure was inspired by the presentations of two other speakers, Adam Baker & Ramit Sethi. Their messages challenged me to create something more than just personal finance content. I left wanting to create an insanely useful tool people would want to use to take action with their money. I didn’t see it coming but it became my main conference takeaway, and I’ve focused on it at the expense of relationships.

So my conference report card from 2011 is a mixed bag. I get a D- for maintaining the relationships from the conference. On the other hand, I’m extremely pleased that the afterglow of FinCon11 kept me sufficiently focused and motivated so I could launch the tool I was inspired to build: Only9Minutes.com. So I’d say I got my money’s worth.

My challenge to you is to follow this 3-step conference ROI formula. Hopefully, a year from now you’ll be able to say that the money you invested in FinCon was more than worth it.

Ben Edwards is obviously obsessed with formulas.

Years ago his wife stopped listening to him talk about formulas for maximizing money in life so he started writing about them on his site, Money Smart Life. You can judge for yourself if Ben’s FinCon11 investment was worth it, check out the resulting tool at Only9Minutes.com

Overall, this part of the formula is mainly about being intentional with your time while you’re here.

Vol 1, September 2012 | 20

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Planning for retirement is out. Financial independence at any age is in.

Your readers don’t want to work like a dog for 40 years scrimping and saving so they can retire and do nothing of substance for the remaining 30 years. That’s no prescription for happiness. It makes no sense.

Increasing longevity has changed every aspect of retirement planning – from asset allocation to life fulfillment and everything in between. People are retiring younger, adding encore careers, lifestyle businesses, and working into their 70s and 80s.

spending from assets.

In short, the old retirement model where you spend principal from savings becomes dangerous when retirement time horizons exceed 30 years. Your readers are already rethinking how they approach retirement planning.

Achieve financial independence at any age.

The New Retirement is about breaking the old “career” stage into two separate periods thus allowing you to achieve financial independence at any age. It is about pursuing fulfillment rather than leading a life of sacrifice.

It is time to retire the word “retirement” and redefine our lives toward fulfillment, which means financial independence at any age.

The first stage is about launching a traditional career just like the old model where you pursue income growth and financial security.

Retirement finances in a nutshell.

The financial purpose of this stage is to establish your foundation:

When Social Security was created, the average life expectancy was 65 years. Now 90% confidence intervals for a healthy couple at 65 are growing past the age 100 barrier. What this means in plain English is retirement life expectancies are exceeding 30 years.

The old retirement model where you built savings during your career and spent principal and interest under a simple amortization model during retirement worked for retirements less than 20 years. Your readers face a different reality: With post-career lifespans now exceeding 30+ years (and growing) there is no such thing as a “safe withdrawal rate” where you can spend principal from savings. Instead, your readers must now build a nest egg large enough to support post career lifestyle for a decade or more strictly from income.

Additionally, inflation becomes unwieldy when compounded over such long time horizons. Finally, asset allocations must include growth to offset inflation thus introducing new portfolio uncertainties about sequence of returns risk along with the negative consequences of volatility compounded by

21 | FinCon Connection

•

Buy a home.

•

Satisfy base lifestyle needs including furnishings, clothing, transportation, etc.

•

Build your nest egg including both tax-deferred and taxable savings.

The problem occurs when you get stuck at this stage repeating this foundational loop in an endless quest for more/better/ different without ever advancing to the next stage. You mistakenly pursue an ever-increasing lifestyle while engaging in a futile attempt to build enough savings only to realize late in life how the traditional retirement mountain is too tall to climb.

Introduction to the new retirement.

The New Retirement recognizes that traditional retirement planning was just a euphemism for elderly financial independence. But you don’t have to wait until an arbitrary age like 65. You can be financially independent far sooner than you

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might have previously believed.

Similarly, financial independence doesn’t have to mean doing nothing and never earning another dime like in the old world retirement model. You can redefine financial independence to include part time work, encore careers, and other income streams that take the pressure off your savings.

For example, you could: •

Work 6 months out of the year and do whatever you want the remaining 6 months. An accountant could prepare taxes from February through April 15 and again in September-October for late filers taking the rest of the year to pursue his passion for fly-fishing in the summer and snow skiing in the winter.

•

A weekend pilot could convert his expensive hobby into an additional income stream as a part-time flight instructor and occasional pilot-for-hire to corporate executives.

•

Or you could grow your passion for financial blogging using the insights gained from #FinCon12 into an income stream that supports a location independent lifestyle allowing you to work just 10 days out of each month.

Todd Tresidder launched www.FinancialMentor.com to provide a resource for quality financial advice that is separate from and unbiased by investment product sales. He is the author of several books including How Much Money Do I Need to Retire?, The Smart Consumer’s Guide to Variable Annuities, and The Smart Consumer’s Guide to Money Coaching and Financial Education. Todd’s work in retirement planning has brought attention from the media for breaking new ground including publication in the prestigious academic peer review journal “The Journal Of Personal Finance.”

The objective is to interject a new stage following a traditional career that isn’t about sacrificing your life to make a buck, but instead focuses on fulfillment and some income generation.

This gives several huge advantages: •

The additional income reduces the spending from savings so that your nest egg can continue to compound and grow.

•

You achieve financial independence at any age and lead your dream life much earlier because the total savings required to support a lifestyle when small amounts of earned income are included is dramatically lower.

•

You reduce the risk caused by long-term inflation since it is far easier for your savings to outgrow inflation when you are not spending from principal at the same time.

•

You reduce the negative impact caused by sequence of returns and volatility because spending principal isn’t magnifying these investment issues.

•

You gain the underrated benefits of productive work including a sense of contribution, community, mental stimulation, social connection, and much more.

Vol 1, September 2012 | 22

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How do I get to the hotel?

The Grand Hyatt Denver is located in Downtown Denver at 1750 Welton Street, Denver, CO, 80202.

We've arranged for a special rate with SuperShuttle ($22 one way, $38 round trip). Reservations can be made by calling 1-800-BLUEVAN (258-3826). Use the code FIN12. SuperShuttle runs from 5am to 5:15pm. Find the SuperShuttle counter across from the rental car agencies on Terminal Level 5. You can also take a Yellow Cab Taxi ($50-60 one way).

Tip: Tweet using the #FinCon12 hash tag and see if you can find someone to share a cab with.

I'm at the Grand Hyatt Denver. Where is the registration table?

Here are the registration table times and locations: • • • • •

Thursday 1pm - 6:45pm :: 2nd floor near the Imperial Ballroom Foyer Thursday 7pm - 10pm :: Capitol Peak Ballroom (Pinnacle Club 38th Floor) Friday 7am - 5pm :: 2nd floor near the Imperial Ballroom Foyer Saturday 7am - 5pm :: 2nd floor near the Imperial Ballroom Foyer Sunday 7am - Noon :: 2nd floor near the Imperial Ballroom Foyer

Where do I go if I have a question or if I lose something?

There will always be a conference staff member (look for the Ally Bank t-shirts) at the registration table. If you need help or lose something, just head to the registration table and talk to a staff member.

How do I connect to the Internet?

In-room Internet service is included in your room rate with the Grand Hyatt Denver. See the hotel information booklet or website for details about connecting.

There is also free Wi-Fi available throughout the conference meeting area starting on Friday morning. The Wi-Fi password will be heavily publicized throughout the conference. Ask a staff member if you cannot find it.

What should I wear?

There is no official dress code. Dress for success (or don't). Most will likely be wearing jeans throughout the weekend.

The average high temperature in Denver this time of year is between 75 and 80 degrees.

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How do I find out what's going on?

The live conference schedule can be found at fincon12.sched.org.

Be sure to add the schedule to your mobile device using the app feature.

Follow Twitter activity using the hash tag #FinCon12.

I'm hungry. Where can I eat?

The following meals will be provided: • • •

•

Thursday – Drinks and appetizers at the Welcome Reception.

Friday – Continental breakfast, juices, and coffee; Buffet lunch.

Saturday – Continental breakfast, juices, and coffee; Buffet lunch and afternoon snacks; Light meal after community service event.

Sunday – Continental breakfast, juices, and coffee.

The hotel has room service (available 24 hours a day), the Pub 17 on Welton Street, and the Fireside Terrace. There is also a Starbucks (located near the entrance to the Pinnacle Club) and a 711 on Welton Street across from the hotel.

In addition to the hotel options, Denver's 16th Street Mall is just a block away. There you will find a number of restaurants, cafes, bars, etc.

Can I take pictures and video?

With the exception of video during the keynote, yes, take all the video and photos you want. In fact, we will have a press backdrop for you to use for interviews and photo opportunities.

If you are sharing your photos online, please use the hash tag #FinCon12. Be considerate of “anonymous bloggers” who do not want their picture and names made public online. These bloggers will have a “no photos” sticker on their badge.

Do I need to wear my badge?

Yes! Please wear your badge throughout the conference, even the evening events. Anyone without a badge will not be allowed in the sessions, meals, parties, etc. The badges look pretty cool anyway. You’ll want to wear it.

Should I bring my laptop?

Laptops and tablets are encouraged. The Imperial Ballroom (main room) will have tables, power, and Wi-Fi that you can use throughout the weekend. The breakout rooms will not have tables, but will have Wi-Fi.

Vol 1, September 2012 | 24

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1:00 – 7:00 pm

Registration [Imperial Ballroom Foyer]

2:15 – 3:30 pm

Denver Mint Tour #1 Limit 40 people; free Philip Taylor @ptmoney [Departs from Imperial Ballroom Foyer]

2:30 – 3:30 pm

Great Divide Brewery Tour #1 Limit 30 people; free Sean Bryant @OneSmartDollar [Departs from Imperial Ballroom Foyer]

3:00 – 5:00 pm

Denver Art and Ice Cream Tour No limit to the number of people; Cost: $10/museum admission plus the cost of ice cream Anna Newell Jones @AndThenSheSaved [Departs from Imperial Ballroom Foyer]

3:00 – 5:15 pm

Retro Beer Brewery and Pub Tour No limit to the number of people; Cost: Beer (around $5/ea) and arcade games (25 cents/ea) Eric Rosenberg @DenverEric [Departs from Imperial Ballroom Foyer]

3:15 – 4:30 pm

Denver Mint Tour #2 Limit 40 people; free Philip Taylor @ptmoney [Departs from Imperial Ballroom Foyer]

3:30 – 4:30 pm

Great Divide Brewery Tour #2 Limit 30 people; free Lauren Burke @NEFE_Org [Departs from Imperial Ballroom Foyer]

4:00 – 5:00 pm

Denver’s Downtown Playground Tour No limit to the number of people; free Jason Steele @SteeleStreet [Departs from Imperial Ballroom Foyer]

7:00 – 8:30 pm

Ally Welcome Reception [Pinnacle Peak Room]

8:30 – 9:30 pm

3rd Annual Plutus Awards Emceed by Kevin McKee @Kevin_is_Money [Pinnacle Peak Room] Vol 1, September 2012 | 26

#FinCon12 Gold Sponsors

Chase Welcomes You to Denver Welcome to Denver! Chase is proud to be a market leader in the Mile High City. Across Colorado last year, we made more than 300,000 new loans and lines of credit to consumers and small businesses, provided more than $4.5 billion in home loans and raised more than $2 billion in financing for local governments and nonprofits. Our 2,100 local employees contributed thousands of volunteer hours, and Chase supported the community with $3.2 million in donations to Colorado non-profit organizations.

Chase is the U.S. consumer and commercial banking business of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), a leading global financial services firm with assets of $2.3 trillion and operations in more than 60 countries.

We serve more than 50 million consumers and small businesses through more than 5,500 bank branches, 17,500 ATMs, credit cards, mortgage offices, and online and mobile banking as well as through relationships with auto dealerships. In Colorado alone, Chase serves 1.5 million customers through 125 local branches and the largest ATM network in the state.

By listening to its customers, Chase is providing innovative products tailored to their unique financial needs, whether they are large or small business owners, on-the-go mobile users or consumers looking for smart financial products.

It is our pleasure to be a sponsor of FinCon12. We look forward to meeting all of you.

Fidelity Investments, a leader in helping individuals and businesses meet their financial goals, is a proud sponsor of FinCon12.

Since 1946, Fidelity has been working with individual investors, business owners and large institutions to plan for a more secure financial future. With $3.6 trillion assets under administration, Fidelity is a leading provider of investment management, retirement planning, portfolio guidance, brokerage, benefits outsourcing and many other financial products and services to more than 20 million individuals and institutions, as well as through 5,000 financial intermediary firms.

Each year, Fidelity works with millions of Americans to evaluate their specific savings goals and create plans for the future. Whether it’s planning for retirement, saving for college or building an investment portfolio, Fidelity strives to offer our customers industry leading tools and service, ongoing education and Fidelity’s signature one-on-one guidance with an investment professional – either online, by phone or in person at one of the firm’s Investor Centers.

And, as always, additional resources and educational information can be found on Fidelity.com, Twitter.com/fidelity or Facebook.com/fidelityinvestments. Enjoy this year’s conference.

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7:00 – 5:00 pm

Registration [Foyer]

7:00 – 8:30 am

Sallie Mae Continental Breakfast [Foyer]

8:30 – 10:00 am

Opening Keynote Adam Baker [Imperial Ballroom]

10:00 – 10:45 am

The Importance of Voice in Your Writing Donna Freedman [Mt. Columbia/3rd floor]

Get Your Name in Magazines: How to Get Media Attention for Your Blog Linsey Knerl [Imperial Ballroom]

The New Retirement and Achieving Financial Independence at Any Age Mike Piper, Rob Bennett, Todd Tresidder & Luke Landes [Maroon Peak]

10:45 – 11:30 am

Moving from Free to Paid Content: How to Turn Your Blog into a Paid Content Site Ben Edwards [Mt. Columbia/3rd floor]

Growing a Popular Blog Without Promotion: How to Create a Cult of Loyal Readers that Grows All by Itself Mr. Money Mustache [Imperial Ballroom]

The Secrets of Becoming an Elite Affiliate While Growing Reader Loyalty Jesse Mecham, Jon Stein, & Mitchel Harad [Maroon Peak]

Vol 1, September 2012 | 28

#FinCon12 Silver Sponsors

Sallie Mae is the nation’s No. 1 financial services company specializing in education. Whether college is a long way off or just around the corner, Sallie Mae turns education dreams into reality for its 25 million customers. With products and services that include college savings programs, scholarship search tools, education loans, tuition insurance, and online banking, Sallie Mae helps families save, plan, and pay for college. The company helps American families save money for college through 529 college savings plans, high-yield savings accounts and CDs as well as Upromise college savings rewards. Its innovative private student loans that help customers save money and offer shorter repayment terms. In addition, Sallie Mae provides financial services to hundreds of college campuses as well as to federal and state governments. Learn more at SallieMae.com.

At EverBank, giving our customers easy access to higher yields, lower fees and one-of-a-kind products is at the heart of everything we do. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, EverBank Financial Corp has $15.0 billion in assets and $10.8 billion in deposits as of the three months ended June 30, 2012. With an emphasis on value, innovation and service, EverBank offers a broad selection of banking, lending and investing products to consumers and businesses through websites, over the phone, through the mail and at its 14 Florida-based Financial Centers. EverBank makes banking simple with mobile banking, 24/7 access to knowledgeable, U.S.-based representatives and easy-to-use online and mobile check deposit services. Through a diverse business model, strong risk-management and a dedication to creating innovative opportunities, EverBank has an unwavering commitment to deliver exceptional value to our customers. That’s why we’ve earned a 4-star rating from BauerFinancial.

#FinCon12 Community Service Project On Friday, September 7th from 3:00-5:00pm we will be participating in a community service project. At 3 pm, Buses will begin shuttling #FinCon12 attendees to Lincoln Park (11th Avenue and Mariposa Street). We will return to the Grand Hyatt when finished. A light meal will be provided. Come help us leave Denver even better than we found it! Our afternoon project includes: • • •

Adding mulch to trees, shrub, and other areas Painting playground, tables, trash cans, benches Adding fibar to the North playground

You will need to bring the following: • • • • •

Liability waiver given to you at registration Work gloves Sunscreen or hat Clothes you don't mind getting sealant/paint on Sturdy footwear (no open-toe shoes)

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Photo by Jesse Michelsen

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11:30 – 12:15 pm

Take Your Blog Local and Profit Andrea Amir [Mt. Columbia/3rd floor]

The Art of Writing Great Headlines Len Penzo [Imperial Ballroom]

How to Build and Grow Your Blog through a Network Yakezie Network [Maroon Peak]

12:15 – 1:30 pm

Chase Bank Lunch Buffet [Pinnacle Peak Room]

1:30 – 2:15 pm

Lock It Down: WordPress Security Jesse Michelsen [Mt. Columbia/3rd floor]

Alternative Monetization Ideas: Practical Ways to Increase Your Income Kylie Ofiu [Imperial Ballroom]

Having It All: Balancing Blogging and Life Kelly Whalen [Maroon Peak]

2:15 – 3:00 pm

Balancing Family, Life, and Two Careers: Getting the Most Out of Being a Part-time Blogger Travis Pizel [Mt. Columbia/3rd floor]

Increasing Revenue with Your Current Traffic: An Affiliate Marketing Workshop Ryan Guina [Imperial Ballroom]

Going Beyond Text: How to Profit from Audio and Video Laura Adams [Maroon Peak]

3:00 – 5:00 pm

Community Service Project at Lincoln Park [Shuttle buses begin at 3:00 in front of the Hyatt. Wear comfortable clothes for working outside and bring signed waiver. Light meal is provided.]

6:00 – 8:00 pm

Happy Hour with GoBankingRates.com

9:00 – 10:30 pm

Ignite FinCon

[Tarantula Billiards, 1520 Stout Street (Corner of 15th & Stout), Denver, CO 80202]

[The Mercury Café, 2199 California Street, Denver, CO 80205]

Vol 1, September 2012 | 30

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7:00 – 5:00 pm

Registration [Foyer]

7:00 – 8:30 am

EverBank Continental Breakfast [Foyer]

8:30 – 10:00 am

The Official State of the Financial Blogosphere Greg Go [Imperial Ballroom]

10:00 – 10:45 am

Secrets of a 7-Figure Blogger: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Rise of I Will Teach You to Be Rich Ramit Sethi [Imperial Ballroom]

10:45 – 11:30 am

How to Use Video to Build Your Brand Jeff Rose [Mt. Columbia/3rd floor]

Rel=You: How to Take Advantage of Google’s New Emphasis on Quality Authors Matt Schulz [Imperial Ballroom]

Rockstar Blogger: How to Snag Free Stuff, Sponsorships, and Profitable Ads with your Blog Shannyn Allan [Maroon Peak]

11:30 – 12:15 pm

Turning Your Side Hustle into a Business Crystal Stemberger [Mt. Columbia/3rd floor]

Predicting Trends to Create Killer Content Kelly Whalen, Kelly Kinkaid, & Melanie Nelson [Imperial Ballroom]

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How to Land Big Corporate Campaigns and Keep Them Coming Back Will Chen [Maroon Peak]

12:15 – 1:30 pm

Fidelity Lunch Buffet [Grand Ballroom]

1:30 – 2:30 pm

How to Give Good Financial Advice Liz Weston [Imperial Ballroom]

2:45 – 3:30 pm

Social Media Strategies for Bloggers at Any Stage Janet Stauble [Mt. Columbia/3rd floor]

Affiliate Marketing for Financial Bloggers: Who’s Who, Contracts, Creating Links, Relationship Building Carrie Rocha [Imperial Ballroom]

News Jack City: Explore the Ways Bloggers Can Have Their Voices Heard by Traditional Publishers Alex Matjanec [Maroon Peak]

3:30 – 4:00 pm

Break

4:00 – 5:00 pm

How I Built My Million Dollar Blog and Other Questions We Can Legally Answer Jim Wang, Will Chen, & Luke Landes [Imperial Ballroom]

6:00 – 8:00 pm

Happy Hour with Bankrate.com

9:00 – 11:30 pm

Closing Party with Adam Baker

[Katie Mullens, 16th Street Mall at 1550 Court Place, Denver, CO 80202]

[Location TBA]

Vol 1, September 2012 | 32

#FinCon12 Bronze Sponsors

Adaptu is a free, online and mobile service that puts you in charge of your financial future. Adaptu gives you the tools and information you need to make sound financial decisions. See all your financial account information in one place, plan a budget and manage your cash flow. Whatever your financial goals, Adaptu helps you get started and stay on track. The Adaptu Wallet for Android and iPhone lets you manage your finances on the go. Learn more and sign up for a free Adaptu membership at http://www.welcome.adatpu.com and follow Adaptu on Twitter at www.twitter.com/adaptu CommissionSoup Affiliate Network, a division of Bulldog Media Group, was established in May of 2001. Specializing in the finance industry from credit cards, personal loans, auto loans, and other credit-related products, CommissionSoup has become a leading Cost per Action (CPA) affiliate network by providing qualified leads with transparent and scalable solutions from the promotion of exclusive offers with great commissions. We are dedicated to building relationships with our clients to understand their goals and help them achieve success. Our clients receive personalized service and support, creating a better online experience. Through our performancebased affiliate network and interactive advertising techniques, CommissionSoup provides an online connection for marketers and merchants to create mutually beneficial relationships. Stop by our booth to learn how to take your marketing to a new level!

Applicants with good-to-excellent credit can get a low rate personal loan for up to $35,000 through Lending Club for almost anything! Consolidate your debt, make home improvements, finance a major purchase, and more. Unlike a traditional bank loan, funds are provided by investors seeking steady returns who can purchase part of a note for as little as $25. The Lending Club platform has originated more than $750 million in personal loans, producing 20 consecutive quarters of positive returns for investors.

RetailMeNot.com (www.retailmenot.com) is the leading consumer destination for online coupon codes, deals and in-store offers. Our mission is to help consumers save money and enjoy a hassle-free discount shopping experience. Since November 2006, our users have shared hundreds of thousands of deals and offers from retailers from across the globe. Online coupons are rated and ranked by users, ensuring that quality deals rise to the top and expired coupons drop down the list. RetailMeNot.com is operated by WhaleShark Media, Inc., the world's leading marketplace for online coupons and deals.

PowerWallet is a free online money management tool that helps people take power over their personal finances. The Power To Plan – Evaluate your expenses and create a budget that fits your needs. See how much you can save by cutting back on a certain category, and find out how close you are to reaching your goals. The Power To Organize – Bill tracking & alerts reminders make late fees a thing of the past. You can also get alerts for large purchases, low balances or any strange activity on your account.

The Power Over Bills – Pull up all your bills and statements at just the click of a button. PowerWallet tracks all of your statements from different financial institutions and service providers so you don’t have to. More Powerful Deals – PowerWallet offers deals to the places you already shop or eat at. By analyzing the stores you visit, we give you PowerDeals that you’ll actually use.

The National Endowment for Financial Education® (NEFE®) is the leading private nonprofit 501(c)(3) national foundation dedicated to inspiring empowered financial decision making for individuals and families through every stage of life. Through increased understanding of personal financial issues, everyone can enjoy better, more secure and more satisfying lives. To learn more about NEFE, visit www.nefe.org.

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7:00 – 12 noon

Registration [Foyer]

7:00 – 8:30 am

Power Wallet Continental Breakfast [Foyer]

8:30 – 9:15 am

Really, Really Basic SEO: An Interactive Workshop Greg Go [Mt. Columbia/3rd floor]

Email Campaign Tear-down: An Interactive Workshop Justin Premick [Imperial Ballroom]

The Six Principles of a Successful (Blog) Business Jim Yih [Maroon Peak]

9:15 – 10:00 am

Frugal/Coupon Blogging: Getting Your Audience to Return for More Tracie Fobes [Mt. Columbia/3rd floor]

Growing Your Facebook Fan Page Melanie Nelson [Imperial Ballroom]

How to Use the News to Your Advantage: Using Current Events to Drive Traffic, Create Viral Content, and Gain Attention Kasey Steinbrinck [Maroon Peak]

10:00 – 10:45 am

Write Right (and Edit)

Paula Pant [Mt. Columbia/3rd floor]

The Opportunities and Challenges of Full-time Freelance Blogging Jason Steele [Imperial Ballroom]

Making the Leap: How and When to Take Your Blog Full-time David Weliver [Maroon Peak]

11:00 – 12 noon

Closing Keynote JD Roth [Imperial Ballroom] Vol 1, September 2012 | 34

#FinCon12 Bronze Sponsors

Think Finance is a leading developer of next-generation financial products for underbanked consumers. The company's products provide increased convenience, transparency and value to the millions of consumers whose needs are not being met by traditional banking products. Think Finance is privately held, with offices in Fort Worth, Texas and the United Kingdom and is backed by some of Silicon Valley's most respected venture capital firms including Sequoia Capital and Technology Crossover Ventures.

TaxACT is a critically acclaimed leader of digital and download tax preparation software for consumers, business owners and tax professionals. A pioneer in the industry for more than 14 years, TaxACT was the first to offer free federal tax software and free e-file to all U.S. taxpayers. TaxACT has been the second most visited online destination for tax preparation services for the past seven consecutive years according to Hitwise reports for taxact.com and taxaonline.com. Learn more about TaxACT at www.taxact.com. Follow and subscribe to us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. TaxACT is a business of Blucora, Inc. (NASDAQ: BCOR).

At The Lifeline Program, we deeply respect and value those who have been on the forefront of change. The same way journalism has transformed using the cutting-edge innovations of new media to bring insights, analysis and opinions to more people in more ways than ever, we too have transformed every aspect of the life-settlement industry. We were founded by CEO Scott Page nearly a quarter century ago, in 1989, as quite literally a “lifeline” to help critically ill patients with life-insurance policies in need of immediate cash to help pay for their life-saving medical treatments when they had nowhere else to turn, And in the years that followed, we have built our reputation as the leader in lifesettlements for seniors by being the most innovative and reliable company in the business.

Every life-settlement we write is funded using our own capital and managed through our capital management company. Through traditional marketing and social media programs that include the most universally adored personality in America, Betty White, our friend and spokesperson; we have revolutionized how we get the word out to prospective clients.

For more information, visit www.thelifeline.com or call 1-800-252-5282.

Bankrate Credit Cards is a division of Bankrate, Inc., a trusted financial resource. In 2007, Bankrate acquired Nationwide Card Services, an affiliate network for credit cards. In 2010, Bankrate acquired CreditCards.com–the industry’s #1 aggregator in the credit card channel. Through these acquisitions, Bankrate has become the premier credit card marketplace.

Founded in 2011 by Ryan Bales in Boulder, Colorado, Budgetable is the first app that brings together daily deals and couponing with personal finance. By connecting to nearly 10,000 banks, Budgetable allows users to manage their finances, while providing the best deals, offers, and coupons from the stores they shop at the most.

USAA provides insurance, banking, investment and retirement products and services to 9.1 million members of the U.S. military and their families. Known for its legendary commitment to its members, USAA is consistently recognized for outstanding service, employee well-being and financial strength. USAA membership is open to all who are serving or have honorably served our nation in the U.S. military – and their eligible family members. For more information about USAA, or to learn more about membership, visit usaa.com

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Friday Sessions 10:00-10:45 am The Importance of Voice in Your Writing Donna Freedman [Mt. Columbia/3rd floor] • How do you find your voice? (Specific tips for doing this) • How to let go of the way you think you should write and instead produce something that’s not just readable and interesting, but uniquely you • Why you should write the way you talk (usually) • How to cover the five-W bases in the same narrative style – in other words, even background info needs voice • How to keep from overdressing your prose • Why journalists, professional storytellers and mystery writers can teach you a thing or two about voice Donna will also include some examples from blogs that she thinks contain genuine voice – some of it fairly straightforward (but compelling) stuff and some of it what she calls “stylistic backflip” writing (but only examples that actually work).

Get Your Name in Magazines: How to Get Media Attention for Your Blog Linsey Knerl [Imperial Ballroom] Media attention for your blog (or, how Linsey used HARO, Media Kitty, and online job postings to get her name into magazines like Reader's Digest, All You, TIME, Better Homes and Gardens, Shape, Woman's World, Family Circle, and Grit).

The New Retirement and Achieving Financial Independence at Any Age Mike Piper, Rob Bennett, & Todd Tresidder [Maroon Peak] Are you (or your readers) passionate about retirement planning?

Maybe not? Okay, now are you (or your readers) excited about becoming financially independent so you can do whatever you want for the rest of your life, with whomever you want, whenever you want, and never have to work for the man again? Thought so.

This panel will explore how those two things are the exact same thing from a financial standpoint. The only difference is the label. What this panel will discuss is the math and investment strategies behind your financial freedom.

10:45-11:30 am Moving from Free to Paid Content: How to Turn Your Blog into a Paid Content Site Ben Edwards [Mt. Columbia/3rd floor] A lot of people get hung up on the technology involved in packaging their expertise into a membership site. After last year's talks from Baker and Ramit many bloggers are interested in offering something of their own but often don't know where to start.

People have a lot of options, ranging from a simple service like Ruzuku to more flexible but complex self-hosted software like aMember. In between are alternatives like WishList and Digital Access Pass that require you to self-host but have a pretty simple user interface to get things setup.

This session will also cover the pros and cons of the different types of membership software options: how they integrate with tools for delivering email (AWeber, MailChimp) and publishing video (easy video player/flow player) since those are key parts of a membership site.

Growing a Popular Blog Without Promotion: How to Create a Cult of Loyal Readers that Grows All by Itself Mr. Money Mustache [Imperial Ballroom] This talk will compare some of the characteristics wildly popular social movements, celebrities, bands, TV shows, and yes, even blogs that seem to grow organically and almost accidentally, while the creator humbly goes about just doing what they love most.

By understanding the idea of building your blog as more than just a source of information - but as almost an entire identity for readers, you can create a more engaging reading experience for them (leading to more loyalty), and a more engaging writing experience for yourself (leading to more motivation). As a side effect, it can create runaway popularity with no need for self-promotion.

The Secrets of Becoming an Elite Affiliate While Growing Reader Loyalty Jesse Mecham, Jon Stein, and Mitchel Harad [Maroon Peak] 11:30-12:15pm Take Your Blog Local and Profit Andrea Amir [Mt. Columbia/3rd floor]

Vol 1, September 2012 | 36

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This session will cover how to take your blog offline and into the community, in the area of workshops, meetup groups, etc while helping your community and profiting.

Andrea ran one of the most successful meetup groups in the Atlanta area for the last four years. The success of this group has allowed her to hold a conference, speaking engagements for the FDIC, Aflac and various non-profits.

The Art of Writing Great Headlines Len Penzo [Imperial Ballroom] A great headline can generate thousands of clicks even for the most mundane of articles. More importantly, a lousy headline can torpedo an outstanding post and keep it from ever getting off the ground.

Check out these tips for writing great headlines, and real-life examples of good -- and bad -- headlines from the financial blogosphere and elsewhere. We'll have a little audience participation in headline writing.

Len Penzo will talk about the role SEO plays in writing headlines. He will also extend a little bit into how to grab eye-catching tweets -although that will be a small aside.

How to Build and Grow Your Blog through a Network Yakezie Network [Maroon Peak] The Yakezie network is the largest financial blogger network on the web. This session will explore: • Details about the Yakezie Network challenge and how you can participate • The values that helped create and maintain the strength of the Yakezie Network • Lessons learned from running such a big network of bloggers 1:30-2:15pm Lock It Down: WordPress Security Jesse Michelsen [Mt. Columbia/3rd floor] WordPresss security; hardening and best practices to help you secure your site.

Alternative Monetization Ideas: Practical Ways to Increase Your Income Kylie Ofiu [Imperial Ballroom] This session will cover securing sponsorship for attending blog conferences, as well as ways to make money outside your blog by using it to launch into different fields such as freelance writing, becoming an author, public speaking, creating products etc. Kylie will share links to sample letters, media kits and more.

Having It All: Balancing Blogging and Life Kelly Whalen [Maroon Peak] This keynote session will discuss how to balance life with blogging.

Whether you're working full-time, a student, or have a family you may find blogging is something that you do with the leftover time in your day. You may have a million ideas all day long only to sit down to write and produce nothing. This session will cover: • productivity tips • how to triage your email • follow the data for the best use of your time

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• • •

setting limits 'no screen' times making time for your passion

2:15 – 3:00 pm Balancing Family, Life, and Two Careers: Getting the Most Out of Being a Part-time Blogger Travis Pizel [Mt. Columbia/3rd floor] This will be an informative presentation on the subject of being an effective part-time blogger while balancing real life commitments of being a husband, father, and having a full time career. Topics covered will include: • Realistic goal setting - how much time are you willing/able to commit to, and what do you hope to accomplish?

• Income - Are you looking to make income off of blogging, or are you doing it just for the fun of it? How much income are you looking to earn? What are the ways to do so?

• Content - How to create great content in the time you are willing to commit to?

• Priorities / Life Balancing - Where do your blogging goals fit in with the other priorities of your life? How do you balance them?

• The focus would be on how to fit being a part time blogger within the framework of real life commitments by setting realistic goals - and how to accomplish those goals.

Increasing Revenue with Your Current Traffic: An Affiliate Marketing Workshop Ryan Guina [Imperial Ballroom] This presentation and workshop will cover methods for increasing revenue through legitimate means without having to increase website traffic -- or, a course in optimization.

Going Beyond Text: How to Profit from Audio and Video Laura Adams [Maroon Peak] This session will cover how to create, jazz up, and store audio and video for your blog posts, podcasts, free gifts, affiliate promotions, and paid products using free or low-cost software and services.

Saturday Sessions 10:00-10:45 am Secrets of a 7-Figure Blogger: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Rise of I Will Teach You to Be Rich Ramit Sethi [Imperial Ballroom] In this rare talk, Ramit will share actual strategies, techniques, and test results of how he went from writing a free blog to building a 7-figure business, including deep monetization techniques (never revealed before), strategies to secure national press/TV appearances, and actual numerical test results of what worked -- and what didn't. You'll learn: • •

How to monetize your blog 100x more effectively than other blogs Why some blogs stagnate and others explode in growth (including subtle positioning strategies that Ramit invisibly uses, which drove growth spikes)

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• • •

Ramit's dumbest mistakes How to truly help your readers achieve real behavioral change instead of writing yet another post on interest rates Time management: Avoiding time-wasters and using productivity techniques to focus on growing your blog

There will be lots of time for Q&A. Bring your toughest questions and Ramit will answer them.

10:45 – 11:30 am How to Use Video to Build Your Brand Jeff Rose [Mt. Columbia/3rd floor] Jeff Rose has been creating video for almost two years now, and he continues to master the craft. He's one of only a handful of financial bloggers that produces videos on a consistent basis.

A session on collaborating with brands so you don't go broke but don't lose your soul in the process!

Covering: • Points on how to reach out to major brands without getting ignored or taken advantage of. (Tips on how to find key contacts, what companies look for in blogger collaborations).

• How to write an effective pitch for reviews, giveaways & sponsorships.

• How to create a win-win situation for your readers & the companies you work with.

• How to leverage the stats you have (even if you're not a big name blogger!) and get noticed for promotions.

11:30 – 12:15 pm

His presentation will cover the basics of making videos, including overcoming your fear of being in front of the camera, as well as how to optimize your efforts.

Turning Your Side Hustle into a Business Crystal Stemberger [Mt. Columbia/3rd floor] Will cover the planning stages of turning a side hustle into a business such as: making your goals for an exit date based on your own financial data and circumstances.

Currently Jeff is using video to build his credibility as a financial planner on my Good Financial Cents channel, to help promote his book on my Soldier of Finance channel, and his credibility as an online marketer on his wife's Dollars and Roses channel.

This session will also cover some of the basics that need to be considered when tackling self-employment like: private insurance, remembering to set aside more than enough for taxes, and paying yourself a set salary instead of living month-to-month.

Rel=You: How to Take Advantage of Google’s New Emphasis on Quality Authors Matt Schulz [Imperial Ballroom] You might know about Google's Panda initiative, which attempts to reward quality content with higher search rankings.

But you may not know that Google has made other moves to promote quality content and quality writers -- in other words, your fellow #FinCon12 conference participants.

The "rel=author" tag and other parts of Google's new initiative are designed to help it sort out who the quality authors are, so that it can associate quality authors with quality websites, make sure original authors -- not copycats -- are recognized, and ranked them all accordingly.

Is it a big deal? Yeah. Google is looking for specific signals that you're high quality, and we'd like to help you create those signals. Whether you're a solo blogger or a contributor to multiple blogs or news websites, this presentation will break it down for you and give you tips on how you can make it all work to your advantage.

This talk be focused on the concept and why it's important. Matt Schulz will go light on the (modest) coding required, but for those who want to take the leap Matt will create a step-by-step how-to on creating author pages and Google profiles, using best practices, and make it available online in a location reserved exclusively for conference participants.

Rockstar Blogger: How to Snag Free Stuff, Sponsorships, and Profitable Ads with your Blog Shannyn Allan [Maroon Peak]

Predicting Trends to Create Killer Content Kelly Whalen, Kelly Kinkaid, & Melanie Nelson [Imperial Ballroom] Leaving this session, attendees will understand: • Who’s who in affiliate marketing. It’s important to understand the major players, the roles of each player and some affiliate schemes to avoid.

• Contracts. Affiliate relationships are contractual. Affiliates should understand how those terms impact them and which ones are most easily negotiated.

• How to create links. Easily creating links to the merchant’s site is how you generate revenue. We’ll move beyond the basic links in affiliate networks interfaces to discuss deep linking, bookmarklets and WordPress plug-ins that make that process easier.

• Relationship building in the affiliate space. Affiliate programs are run by people. We’ll talk about how to develop relationships with affiliate managers and what value those relationships can bring to your blog.

How to Land Big Corporate Campaigns and Keep Them Coming Back Will Chen [Maroon Peak] More than ever major brands are ready to pay blogs of all sizes serious money to run campaigns on their sites. The problem is due to inexperience, many of us are either missing these opportunities, taking less money than we deserve, or executing these ad campaigns incorrectly. Through a lot of trial and error, Wise Bread has successfully landed and executed lucrative ad campaigns from brands like American Express, TurboTax, Microsoft, etc.

Takeaways: Will Chen will explain the step-by-step process of a big corporate media buy--from landing the client to the final report.

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Examples of what he'll cover:

• • • • • •

Learn where to network with the corporate ad buyers.

Learn the three key secrets to successful negotiations with a huge brand.

Learn to stop under pricing yourself.

Setting boundaries: The art of telling your clients "no" and get them to love you for it.

Propose metrics that will make your campaign look awesome, regardless of your traffic numbers.

End is only the beginning: If you didn't get a return client you have messed up somewhere.

emails to journalists you have no connection with. We will also explore what you should do once you gain coverage and ways to capitalize on it.

Questions Answered: 1. How to correctly formulate a point of view, journalists will want to use over and over 2. What is "news jacking" and why it's your best opportunity to gain coverage 3. Does video have a role and if so how so, what 4. Understanding what news best fits your mission and voice

Sunday Sessions 2:45 – 3:30 pm Social Media Strategies for Bloggers at Any Stage Janet Stauble [Mt. Columbia/3rd floor] What good is your content without community, consumption, and distribution? Enter social media. Will include information about: • Which social networks are worth your time.

• How to get more 'facetime' on Facebook.

• Three reasons you want Pinterest traffic.

• Plus, twitter tips and personal anecdotes.

Affiliate Marketing for Financial Bloggers: Who’s Who, Contracts, Creating Links, Relationship Building Carrie Rocha [Imperial Ballroom] • Leaving this session attendees will understand: • Who’s who in affiliate marketing. It’s important to understand the major players, the roles of each player and some affiliate schemes to avoid.

• Contracts. Affiliate relationships are contractual. Affiliates should understand how those terms impact them and which ones are most easily negotiated.

• How to create links. Easily creating links to the merchant’s site is how you generate revenue. We’ll move beyond the basic links in affiliate networks interfaces to discuss deep linking, bookmarklets and WordPress plug-ins that make that process easier.

• Relationship building in the affiliate space. Affiliate programs are run by people. We’ll talk about how to develop relationships with affiliate managers and what value those relationships can bring to your blog.

8:30 – 9:15 am Really, Really Basic SEO: An Interactive Workshop Greg Go [Mt. Columbia/3rd floor] Interactive workshop. The attendee will leave with a customized 12month SEO plan for their blog. The workshop will briefly cover basic SEO theory, and why we're using the relationship building strategy.

The bulk of the workshop will have attendees creating their own customized plan for the upcoming year (using a provided template).

Creating your plan will involve: • Identifying sites that are great backlink partners for your blog.

• Creating a plan to get backlinks from the identified sites.

The plan will be customized to your blog and your backlink targets.

• Scheduling the work to be done in the next year.

Email Campaign Tear-down: An Interactive Workshop Justin Premick [Imperial Ballroom]

The Six Principles of a Successful (Blog) Business Jim Yih [Maroon Peak] Some people blog as a hobby. Some people are testing the waters but if you want to get serious about blogging as a business, you need to think like a business person. The principles of business are universal whether you want to open a restaurant, hair salon, financial advisor practice or a financial blog. Learn the six principles of success.

9:15 – 10:00 am

News Jack City: Explore the Ways Bloggers Can Have Their Voices Heard by Traditional Publishers Alex Matjanec [Maroon Peak] This session will explore the ways today's bloggers can have their voice heard by traditional publishers.We will examine techniques and and steps needed to win over top tier reporters from the WSJ, New York Times, network television, major personal-finance portals and local TV stations.

We will examine using the power of Linkedin to connect with journalists, how to build a media list and the correct way of formatting

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Frugal/Coupon Blogging: Getting Your Audience to Return for More Tracie Fobes [Mt. Columbia/3rd floor] Discussion on frugal/couponing blogging and what to do to keep your audience coming back along with possible monetization details.

Growing Your Facebook Fan Page Melanie Nelson [Imperial Ballroom] Discover how setting the right goals and asking the right questions can boost your Facebook engagement and establish you as an authority in your niche. Melanie explains how to take your Facebook fan page

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from 'meh' to amazing with a few tweaks to your status updates and tracking efforts.

Key Takeaways: • Find out how to set goals that actually work • Learn how to craft status updates your fans engage with • Understand what metrics you need to track (and what they mean)

How to Use the News to Your Advantage: Using Current Events to Drive Traffic, Create Viral Content, and Gain Attention Kasey Steinbrinck [Maroon Peak] An explanation on how financial bloggers can use current events to create viral content, drive traffic to their sites and use both local and national media to gain valuable attention.

Topics will include: • How to stay on top of the game and monitor relevant current events.

• How to become part of the story and go viral.

• How to pitch your story to a reporter.

• How getting covered by the local news could bring you national attention.

Making the Leap: How and When to Take Your Blog Fulltime David Weliver [Maroon Peak] This talk will discuss a mix of business and personal finance factors that bloggers must consider before "quitting the day job" including: Business of Blogging • Is your blog a hobby or business?

• Blogging business models • The right and wrong reasons to go full time • Keeping your sanity as a solo blogger • Productivity and prioritization • Diversifying your income Personal • How much do you need in savings?

• What about the income you’ll give up from the day job?

• Things that are harder for the self-employed: health insurance, taxes, and getting credit • Self-employed retirement options • Self-employment and your spouse; special challenges

10:00 – 10:45 am Write Right (and Edit) Paula Pant [Mt. Columbia/3rd floor] Many bloggers have no professional training in how to write OR in how to edit a team of freelance writers. This session will show bloggers how to craft great stories, touching on both the technical (grammar, syntax, structure) as well as the art (theme, narrative arc).

It will also teach bloggers how to edit the work submitted by the freelance writers that they hire. Regardless of whether your freelancer is a top-notch writer or a beginner, the fundamentals in editing a story are the same. Blog owners need to know 1) how to give a clear, detailed freelance assignment; 2) how to quickly edit material; 3) how to give their freelancer writers feedback and direction.

The Opportunities and Challenges of Full-time Freelance Blogging Jason Steele [Imperial Ballroom] This session will show the steps Jason Steele took to become a successful freelancer, while addressing two distinct audiences: •

•

For the aspiring freelancer, Jason will discuss how to find your niche, market your services, and even make a living solely through online writing.

For the blog owners and managers who are working with freelancers or are looking to hire them, he will address issues regarding the hiring, compensation, and management of independent online content producers like myself. Jason will also offer his perspective on what these people are looking for, and how can you manage them most effectively.

Finally, Jason will consider the pros and cons of this business model as a career, and and its outlook for the future.

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Adam Baker – “Baker” is the creator of Man vs. Debt, a popular site dedicated to helping you sell your crap, pay off your debt, and do what you love. That’s not an empty tagline. Baker is living that life. On his blog, Man vs.

Debt, he’s chronicled his minimalist, travel-anywhere-you-want, financially free lifestyle. His travels have taken him and his family through Australia, New Zealand, and Thailand. Last year the Baker family went on an RV journey across North America. His last stop was, essentially, the Financial Blogger Conference. This year he’s traveling the U.S. again making a documentary.

Baker is the author of Unautomate Your Finances, Sell Your Crap, and You Vs. Debt.

J.D. Roth – J.D. Roth is an accidental personal-finance expert, a regular guy who found himself deep in debt. After deciding to turn his life around, he read everything he could about money and finance. In 2006, he started the awardwinning website Get Rich Slowly, which Money Magazine named the Web’s most inspiring personal-finance blog. Over the past four years, Get Rich Slowly has grown into an active community where 500,000 readers each month share ideas on how to improve their financial lives. He’s the author of Your Money: The Missing Manual.

Liz Weston – Liz Weston is the most read personal finance columnist on the Internet, according to Nielsen/NetRatings. She’s an award-winning, nationally-syndicated personal finance columnist who can make the most complex money topics understandable to the average reader. She’s authored several books, including The 10 Commandments of Money: Survive and Thrive in the New Economy and “Your Credit Score,” a national bestseller. Liz’s columns run twice a week on MSN Money while her question-and-answer column “Money Talk” appears in newspapers throughout the country, including the Los Angeles Times, the Portland Oregonian, and others. She also writes a money column, “My Two Cents,” for AARP the Magazine, the largestcirculation magazine in the world with 22 million subscribers.

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Laura Adams – Laura is host of the Money Girl podcast, a top10 business show on iTunes with over 500,000 downloads per month that she writes and produces each week. She is also the author of Money Girl’s Smart Moves to Grow Rich (St. Martin’s Press) which won the 2011 Excellence in Financial Literacy Education (EIFLE) Award. Laura is also a personal finance blogger, contributor, freelance writer, and MBA who is frequently quoted as an expert and featured in media like FOX News, HuffPost Money, USA Today, US News & World Report, Time, Consumer Reports, and All You Magazine.

Shannyn Allan – Shannyn started out blogging on Frugalbeautiful.com but has since expanded to TheFrugalPreneur.com and BeautifulGiveaways.com to capture her various interests. She has been notoriously dubbed “The Giveaway Queen,” and will be speaking this year on how to partner up with companies for sponsorships, reviews and giveaways without selling your soul (and have a lot of fun getting free stuff!).

Andrea Amir – Andrea is the President of SmartMoneyChicks.com, a financial coaching and education company teaching women and business owners how to make personal finance and small business rewarding, manageable, and profitable. She is also the Founder of Worth It! The Money Conference for Women and Organizer of the largest Meetup group on the topic of Women’s Personal Finance in the Region. Andrea has over 15 years of experience in the Financial Services Industry including positions as a Mortgage Banker and Certified Financial Educator.

Rob Bennett – Rob writes the “A Rich Life” blog. He developed the Valuation-Informed Indexing investing strategy, which updates the Buy-and-Hold strategy to reflect the research of Yale Economics Professor Robert Shiller. The new strategy calls for investors to increase their stock allocations when valuations are low and to decrease them when valuations are high. The academic research shows that Rob’s approach would permit millions of middle-class people to earn far higher returns while taking on dramatically reduced risk. Rob believes that the Personal Finance Blogosphere can repeat in the investing realm the huge success it has had promoting effective saving and frugality strategies.

Will Chen – Will is the co-founder and marketing director for the award-winning blog Wise Bread and the Top Personal Finance Blogs Chart—a leaderboard that showcases the best personal finance blogs. He has shared his blog marketing experience at conferences such as SXSW, Blog World EXPO, and the New York Times Small Business Summit; his blogging and business insights have also been featured and quoted by Forbes, USA Today, Nielsen’s Media, among others. In his free time Will enjoys sharing viral news on social media sites such as Reddit and Digg (where he was a top 30 contributor).

Ben Edwards – Ben has been addicted to personal finance since he was 12 years old. After asking for shares of Wal-Mart stock for birthday gifts as a kid, it was inevitable he’d end up running the

personal finance site Money Smart Life. Ben’s a software engineer by day and a money nut by night, so Money Smart Life turned out to be the perfect place to share his personal finance adventures and work his programming magic behind the scenes.

Tracie Fobes – Tracie, a mom to 3 kids (ages 3 – 8), is the Mom behind Penny Pinchin’ Mom. She and her husband began their journey to financial independence in November 2007. Together with her husband, they eradicated more than $37,000 in debt in 27 months. As she began paying down their debts, she found ways to save money and began to share her tips with family and friends.

After much encouragement, she branched out and started her website to help families save on everything from groceries to tires.

Not only does she share money saving tips, she helps her readers learn how they can eliminate their own debt through her annual Debt Free Challenge. In just 15 months, her readers have eliminated more than $350,000 in debt. Not only does she share her money saving tips on her site, but she is featured weekly on her local CBS affiliate in Kansas City.

Donna Freedman – Donna is an award-winning journalist who writes MSN Money’s frugality/intentional living site, Frugal Cool.

She is also a staff writer at Get Rich Slowly and has her own site, Surviving and Thriving. She has been a college dropout, a single mom, a newspaper reporter in Chicago and Alaska, and a late-inlife university student. She has also picked tomatoes, worked on a chicken farm, managed an apartment building, inspected and packed bottles in a glass factory, babysat, cleaned houses, mystery-shopped, set type, and sold doughnuts, movie tickets, fresh Jersey produce and, when things got bad, her own blood.

Donna has freelanced for numerous magazines and newspapers.

Her work has won awards from organizations such as the Society of Professional Journalists, the Women’s Sports Foundation, the Association for Women in Communications and the Society of American Travel Writers.

Greg Go – Greg is the co-founder and CTO of Wise Bread and its industry-leading Top Personal Finance Blog Chart. His team develops and implements technical solutions in support of Wise Bread’s mission. Greg served as the About.com Guide to Online Business in ‘07-08, covering e-commerce, SEM/SEO, and social media. US News and World Report, MSN, Web Pro News, and Blogworld Expo have featured his business insights. Prior to Wise Bread, Greg was a systems administrator for two-time AcademyAward winning visual effects firm Rhythm & Hues Studios (LOTR, X-Men, Narnia). For fun, Greg practices “financially responsible gambling”. Ask him what it’s like to make a World Series of Poker final table.

Ryan Guina – Ryan is an Air Force veteran and the founder of Cash Money Life and The Military Wallet. He has traveled to over 30 countries, served as a consultant to the Department of Defense, and loves helping people make better financial decisions. His writing has been featured in US News & World Report and Yahoo Finance, and his websites have been mentioned in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, MSN News, and more.

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Mitchel Harad – Mitchel is vice president of marketing for Lending Club, the leading platform for investing in and obtaining personal loans. Mitchel leads the borrower marketing efforts at Lending Club, which includes a multi-million-dollar partner marketing program and a substantial affiliate program on the Commission Junction network. Lending Club has experienced unprecedented growth, surpassing $600 million in cumulative loan originations and is issuing over $40 million in new loans each month. Prior to joining Lending Club, Mitchel was president of Broderick Street Partners LLC, a financial services marketing firm that was the #1 affiliate for Chase Student Loans, Intuit’s online business products, Experian Auto, and other major financial services companies.

Kelly Kinkaid — Kelly, who happens to come from a long line of penny pinchers, super savers, and frau frugals, is a professional blogger and freelance writer specializing in topics that explore personal finance, social media, diet and fitness, and generally living a life well lived. She is the founder and creator of Kellyology, created in 2006, and has written recently for The Centsible Life, Kidworth, and Blissfully Domestic. Kelly, married to her C.P.A. husband for forever and a day, is very active within her local community as a runner and as a soccer, swimming, basketball, band and piano parent. She especially enjoys talking about herself in third person.

Jeff from Sustainable Life Blog – Jeff started writing Sustainable Life Blog in 2009, and has been writing about helping readers improve their health, their finances and their earth ever since. Jeff has been a member of the Yakezie network since its inception and has learned a great deal about blogging, network building and finances from the Yakezie. Being one of the original members of the network has given Jeff a front row seat to many of the benefits and challenges of the Yakezie network, for both new and established bloggers. In the non-blogging world, Jeff enjoys spending time with his fiancee and their dog in the mountains.

Linsey Knerl – Linsey is a homeschooling mom of 5, the founder of Knerl Family Media, and a full-time freelance blogger, social media consultant, and writer. In addition to her work past work as the Community Manager for Wise Bread, she has had formal brand partnerships with companies like Walmart, ConAgra, MegaBloks, Energizer, and Sharpie. You can find her tips for creating work-at-home success for women at 1099Mom.com.

Luke Landes “Flexo” – After coming to the realization his own finances were on a dangerous path, Luke Landes embarked on a journey to improve his own life. With this goal, in 2003 he created Consumerism Commentary, a blog using the name Flexo to protect his identity, where he could share the intimate details of his bank accounts, engaging readers on a journey from debt to financial success. Today, Consumerism Commentary boasts an active community of hundreds of thousands of readers every month, the top-rated weekly financial podcast, and the Carnival of Personal Finance, a weekly traveling showcase identifying the best personal finance articles. Through the Carnival of Personal Finance and other efforts supporting personal finance bloggers,

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Luke encouraged the community to grow. From less than ten “personal finance blogs” in 2003, there are now thousands of web sites in this niche. In addition to Consumerism Commentary, he has written about money as Flexo or Luke Landes for US News, Currency from American Express, Yahoo Finance, TurboTax, and PC World Magazine.

Alex Matjanec – Alex’s mission is to help bridge the gap between financial institutions and the emerging needs of younger consumers. In 2008, Alex and his team developed MyBankTracker.com — a banking-information portal aimed at young adults. Combining a clutter-free, easy-to-read interface with social integration, including peer bank ratings, reviews and a community Q&A forum, MyBankTracker.com marries consumers’ desire for transparency with informative data and insightful writing. The core belief of MyBankTracker is that young consumers and entrepreneurs, empowered by information, can transform finance.

Jesse Mecham – In 2003, Jesse married his sweetheart, Julie.

With seven semesters to go in the Accountancy graduate program at Brigham Young University, Jesse knew their meager earnings would have to do some serious stretching. As a result, he created a unique money management system. It worked so well, he officially founded YouNeedaBudget.com in 2004, and began selling his program as a way to earn extra income for his growing family. After graduation, Jesse worked as a certified public accountant, but continued to sell YNAB on the side. Eventually he left the day job in order to focus on his business full-time. YNAB is used worldwide and can be found on Amazon.com, the Intel App-Up store, and the Apple store. In September 2010, Jesse wrote a companion book to the software, also titled “You Need a Budget.” The program was named winner for Best Windows Personal Finance Software in About.com’s Reader’s Choice Awards for 2011 and Best Desktop Personal Finance tool on Lifehacker.com. Jesse enjoys working from home, golfing, taking his wife on weekly dates, and keeping up with their five kids.

Jesse Michelsen – Jesse blogs at Personal Finance Firewall and is the Community Manager for Money Crashers. He’s a serial entrepreneurial with way too many interests to count. His online ventures include businesses in Technical Service, SaaS, Social Networks and blogging/copy writing to name a few. He approaches life like a kid does a candy store and just can’t get enough.

Mr. Money Mustache – Mr. Money Mustache is a new financial blogger who retired, financially independent, from an average engineering job shortly after turning 30 in order to start a family. With no punches pulled, he attacks the mindless consumerism that defines America’s middle-class today, while reteaching the traditional values of hard work and honesty as they apply to becoming wealthy in the modern world. His goal is nothing short of a complete revolution of society, although continuing to run his growing blog is an acceptable substitute for now.

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Melanie Nelson – If you want to know how to build community around your business using Facebook, Melanie’s your gal. She literally wrote the book on it: Facebook All-In-One for Dummies is available in stores now. Melanie has been working with business websites since 1995 (it’s true — she remembers Mosaic). And, although she wrote HTML in Notepad before CSS was a twinkle in your eye, now she focuses on social media strategy and implementation. Melanie also owns Blogging Basics 101, which was listed in Hubspot’s list of “10 Amazing Blogs About Blogging to Start Reading NOW.” Kylie Ofiu – Kylie set herself a goal to be a millionaire by 30 and decided to blog about what she was doing to make and save money at KylieOfiu.Com. This decision changed her life. She went from being a hairdressing mum of 2 to an author, blogger, freelance writer, international public speaker and creating a variety of income streams both online and off.

Paula Pant – Paula is an award-winning multimedia journalist and the founder of Afford Anything, a site dedicated to the idea that smart money moves can fuel your wildest dreams. She started the site after she traveled to 27 countries across the Middle East, Asia and Europe on a shoestring budget. She is the former deputy news editor of a daily newspaper in Colorado, where her work won awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, and her writing is now featured on personal finance websites such as MSN Money’s Smart Spending blog and the Motley Fool Blog Network.

She is also the Guide to Budgeting and Personal Finance for About.com, a site owned by the New York Times. She lives in Atlanta and owns three rental properties.

Len Penzo – At his eponymous, offbeat personal finance blog, Len Penzo definitely marches to the beat of his own drummer. Len covers a broad array of money topics in a uniquely irreverent and highly entertaining style, usually with a clever twist, and always with an emphasis on personal responsibility. Political Calculations remarked, “Reading Len is like reading what Dave Barry might be able to achieve if Dave Barry wrote about personal finance.”

Kiplinger has twice honored Len Penzo.com as a top money blog, and Len’s articles have been featured on MSN, Yahoo! and other major financial websites.

Mike Piper – Mike is a Missouri-licensed CPA and the author of 7 personal finance books. He also writes the popular blog Oblivious Investor, which was recommended by Money Magazine in their “100 Best Money Moves” series. At his blog, Mike writes brief, plain-English articles about tax planning, retirement planning, and low-maintenance investing.

Travis Pizel – In 2009, after 13 years of financial irresponsibility, Travis and his family found themselves with over $100,000 of credit card debt and on the brink of financial disaster.

He found blogging as an outlet to help cope with the stress of completely changing his family’s lifestyle while learning to live within their means. As a compensated customer blogger for CareOne Debt Relief ServicesSM, contributing to their Our Journey Out of Debt blog since 2010, he shares his family’s

experiences, struggles and successes as they fight their way to financial freedom. As a father and husband he also provides a unique perspective on balancing debt, finances, and family through his personal blog, Our Journey To Zero.

Justin Premick – Justin is an award-winning email and content marketer and Director of Education Marketing for AWeber, the leading small business email marketing software. Tens of thousands of businesses have learned how to increase sales, profits and retention by reading Justin’s articles or by watching his presentations. His advice on email marketing has been featured by INC, BtoB, Target Marketing and numerous other business and marketing publications. Justin’s strength lies in ensuring that his teachings “have practical relevancy to the busy marketer and go into the necessary detail that many information sources do not or will not cover,” according to Mark Brownlow of email-marketingreports.com. (source: LinkedIn) Carrie Rocha – In June 2006 Carrie Rocha and her husband, Marco, made a decision to get out of debt and to stay out of debt forever. In 2 ½ years they accomplished their first goal by paying off more than $50,000 in debts (they are still working on their mortgage, their only remaining debt). Radical change happened as they revamped their attitude toward money, organized their finances and reduced expenses in a million creative ways. Carrie launched PocketYourDollars.com in March 2009 to share money-saving tips with others. Ten months after launching her blog, Pocket Your Dollars became her full-time vocation with affiliate marketing, advertising and public speaking as her business model. She’s been featured on Wall Street Journal Radio, Yahoo! Finance, MSN.com, Ladies Home Journal and more. She’s currently working on her first book, which will be released in January 2013.

Jeff Rose – Jeff is a Certified Financial Planner™ recently founding his own investment advisory firm Alliance Wealth Management, LLC. He is the founder of Good Financial Cents (a top 25 finance blog, according to WiseBread) and Soldier of Finance – his upcoming book project that combines his military background with his financial planning knowledge. He currently writes for US News and Equifax and has been featured in major sites such as Huffington Post, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Kiplingers, and Fox Business. In his free time, he loves hanging with his family, tortures himself with Crossit workouts, and daydreams frequently when he can chow down on an In-N-Out Burger again.

Matt Schulz – Matt is an award-winning journalist who is the VP of Content for InvestingAnswers.com, a site devoted to helping readers build and protect wealth through education. Previously, he’s helped lead editorial teams at CreditCards.com (where he once worked on an online town hall with the White House and even blogged about Dr. Seuss), KXAN.com and Austin360.com. Many years ago, he was a sportswriter, covering NFL training camps, March Madness and college football, but now his work is focused on helping consumers make smart decisions with their money.

Ramit Sethi – Ramit Sethi is the author of the New York Times best-selling book, "I Will Teach You To Be Rich," which focuses on

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personal finance for people in their 20s and 30s by weaving together threads from health & fitness, social psychology, and personal finance. His blog, iwillteachyoutoberich.com, hosts over 300,000 readers per month. He occasionally writes for the New York Times and has appeared on The Today Show, ABC, PBS, NPR, and most major media. Previously, he co-founded PBwiki, a Silicon Valley collaboration company, where he helped drive the user acquisition of millions of users. Ramit was the keynote speaker at #FinCon11.

Janet Stauble — Janet is the Social Media Community Manager for Bankrate.com. She helped Bankrate tone down the broadcasting on social networks and turn up the conversation, collaboration and curation. She believes social media has done wonders for content discovery, community building—and even competing with search engines.

Jon Stein – Jon is the founder and CEO of Betterment.

Passionate about helping people make smart decisions with their money, he founded the online brokerage in 2008. Jon is a graduate of Harvard University and Columbia Business School. His interests lie at the intersection of behavior, psychology, and economics. What excites him most about his work is making everyday activities and products more efficient, accessible, and easy to use.

Jason Steele – Jason Steele read that you couldn’t make a living writing online about personal finance and said, “Yeah, we’ll see about that.” Since 2008, Jason has been breaking new ground as freelancer extraordinaire specializing in credit cards and loyalty travel programs. He is a regular contributor to many of the top personal finance sites, including Money Talks News, Wise Bread, Money Crashers and his work has been carried at mainstream sites such as MSN, Yahoo, and The Consumerist.

Kasey Steinbrinck – After seven years working as a TV news producer and newspaper reporter, Kasey left the world of daily deadlines behind and now enjoys the freedom of creating web content for CheckAdvantage. He blogs on personal finances, economic news and consumer tips at the CheckAdvantage Blog.

Featuring free content that people can use has helped CheckAdvantage sales grow more than 50% each year since Kasey joined the marketing team. He still uses the news to create compelling stories that drive traffic and boost rankings.

Crystal Stemberger – Crystal started blogging in February 2010 with Budgeting in the Fun Stuff. She thought she had simply found the perfect hobby for a personal finance geek like herself, but then it grew. A couple of hours a day turned into a second full time job. It only got busier in April 2011 when she started running the advertising for other bloggers along with her own sites. By July 2011, Crystal was able to make the leap to full time self employment. In January 2012, her husband made the leap too.

Crystal now spends her weekdays working on the ad business and her weekends catching up with the blog that started it all.

Todd Tresidder – Todd came from the financial side of the

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business as a former hedge fund manager who “retired” at age 35 (16 years ago). He launched FinancialMentor.com to provide a resource for quality financial advice that is separate from (and unbiased by) investment product sales. His unconventional writing on traditional financial topics is analytical, lengthy, detailed, infrequent, and basically violates every rule of traditional blogging. He is the author of several books including How Much Money Do I Need To Retire?, The Smart Consumer’s Guide To Variable Annuities, and The Smart Consumer’s Guide To Money Coaching and Financial Education. Todd’s work in retirement planning has brought attention from the media for breaking new ground including publication in the prestigious academic peer review journal “The Journal Of Personal Finance.”

David Weliver – David founded Money Under 30 in 2006 at the age of 25 as he struggled to conquer post-college debt on entrylevel paychecks. Today, Money Under 30 helps over 150,000 monthly readers jump start their financial lives with free resources like Richer By The Week, a five-day workbook designed to uncover users’ values and prioritize financial goals accordingly.

Kelly Whalen – Kelly is the author of The Centsible Life, a blog designed to help you live the life of your dreams on a budget. She started her blog 4 years ago, and has since become both a wellknown mom blogger and a respected voice in the personal finance realm. Kelly and her blog have been featured on The Today Show, local networks in Philadelphia, and she has been featured in magazines and print in both national and local publications including Money magazine, Kiplinger’s, and Women’s Day. Kelly is a mom to 4, and loves that she can stay at home with her kids, and still pursue her passions for writing, personal finance, and social media. Kelly is also a founding member of the Splash Creative Media team, a digital marketing agency.

Jim Wang – Jim is the creator of Bargaineering.com, a personal finance site that he created in 2005 to help him navigate the confusing and complex world of personal finance.

Jim Yih – Jim Yih is a successful entrepreneur that started in the financial industry 20 years ago as an investment marketing manager for one of the biggest insurance companies in Canada. He quickly realized he did not like the bureaucracy of a large company and followed his entrepreneurial spirit by starting a retirement planning practice. He grew this practice to over $100 million in assets in 10 years and sold the business in 2007 at the age of 37. Today Jim is busy applying his strong business principles by growing new businesses to new successes including his Retire Happy Blog, which was recently awarded the distinction of being the BEST Personal Finance Blog in Canada by the Globe and Mail. Jim believes that the principles of business success are universal to any business and is showing this to be true with his blogging endeavors. Jim is excited to share with you his insights on growing a business to success.

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FinCon11, the inaugural Financial Blogger Conference, was a great event for the blogging community. The conference was held last October (2011) just outside of Chicago in Schaumburg, Illinois. Roughly 275 financial bloggers, authors, columnists, professionals, and advertisers were in attendance. affee Brad Ch Photo by

The conference started on Friday afternoon, with many participating in a community service event led by Love Drop, benefiting cancer support organization Phil's Friends.

That night, attendees mixed and mingled and were finally able to meet friends they had only previously known virtually at a welcome reception, followed by a unique speed networking event.

The next day, Saturday, was packed with excellent speakers, interesting sessions and more networking opportunities, like the Ally Bank Happy Hour, the Second Annual Plutus Awards, and the unforgettable after party hosted by keynote speaker Ramit Sethi.

Photo by Jesse Michelsen

The conference ended on Sunday at Noon after a half day of more sessions and speakers.

Most were sorry to see the conference end, but all were thankful for the opportunity to connect and learn more about how to take their blog to the next level. se

by Jes Photo

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Vol 1, September 2012 | 46

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47| FinCon Connection