It was great meeting you finally. You've always been so generous with your insights and recommendations for the Top 100 (now Wise 1000). We really appreciate your contribution.
"My wife is still giving me a hard time about it, I was going non-stop and only called her 2 times, oops."
Dear Mrs. Edwards, there was actually a ton of downtime. I don't know what he's talking about.
OK, in all seriousness the conference was indeed a whirlwind. We had the perfect size of attendees--you can actually get to meet almost everyone. It was very tempting to not sleep at all.
Thank you for your kind words. We loved your tips as well.
I loved all the sessions I attended, loved the vibe of FINCON11 but most of all, enjoyed meeting everyone. Will, it was a treat to see you on stage with lots of energy - your presentation was very witty and engaging. Then I got to meet you in person just after which was lovely! It was absolutely fabulous to meet Farnoosh, Kelly Whalen and Amanda Steinberg in person and many, many thanks to PTMoney and team for putting this together so well! Ciao and be well!
You shook JD's hand, but do you have one of his special edition cards with his cat on the back? You have to collect them all!
The long chats are definitely the best parts. I don't know how you guys were able to party it up, talk until 4, and still wake up for sessions. Gosh I feel old.
I keep up to date on CreditKarma about three times a month (different loans have different update days). Its probably a bit over the top... but their tracking software makes it easy to see how things are changing (and what may have the most impact).
Yeah, its not FICO - but I do get my three annual credit reports as well to check for major issues. With those two things I think I'm pretty on top of where my credit score is at any point in time. I was able to say with confidence what I thought my score was when applying for an auto loan, and even got (pleasantly) surprised by their numbers!
I had so much fun just being around so many like minded bloggers. I got to meet so many wonderful bloggers including Ramit who autographed his book for me! I also thought Lynn was funny when she said she was pregnant and it wasn't just a big gut that she had LOL!!! PT did an amazing job and I'm looking forward to next year.
My favorite part was...all of it. But here are some highlights:
1. That until-4-a.m.-chat that Miranda mentioned. Proud to say that I was one of the last men standing (well, sitting) at 4 in the morning even though I am at least 20 years older than the rest of you ducklings. Remember: Youth and vigor will always be overcome by age and treachery.
2. Meeting Will and being able to apologize in advance for this year's jam gift package -- I've been traveling almost nonstop and thus unable to glean much fruit. Two flavors only this year, instead of three or four or five. Life goes on. (And thanks for the template idea -- I made three of them last night.)
3. A long dinner chat with the lovely and talented Gregory Po, during which he made me feel better about my lack of SEO dexterity. He told me that a strong voice makes for a unique brand, and that if I spoke at a few more conferences I would develop a bigger following.
4. The fact that I was able to hear Gregory use the word "brand" without flinching. A couple of years ago I thought it sounded silly to refer to one's brand. Now I've accepted it, even though it makes me think of cattle ranching ("the Old Lazy D").
5. Meeting so many people whom I've read. I thought all of you would be taller. I also had this mental picture of Gia from The Digerati Life as a 30-something blond. (Note: She isn't.)
6. Being able to hector folks about comma splicing and starting blog posts with dictionary definitions. Don't do that, please.
7. Having Dr. Dean refer to that speech as "like pouring alcohol on a cut -- a little pain for a lot of gain." Next time I'll try to be the speechifying equivalent of Bactine.
8. The Plutus Award that I won. They like me! They really like me! Even though I called them splicers of commas!
9. Hanging out with J. Money again. He and my daughter and I were drinking at the BlogHer 2011 party. (I was the one wearing earplugs and sipping Diet Coke.)
10. Taking a phone call in the middle of the conference and having it be one of the pastors of my church, who wants me to give a sermon with him about immigration. I'm going to give you a moment to develop that mental picture: Trashmouth in the pulpit.
Least favorite part: Getting mugged in downtown Seattle on the way to the airport, and having to cancel cards/freeze accounts on the fly, as it were. But I can't tell you how many people came up to me and said, "I heard what happened to you. I'm so sorry! Do you need any cash?" Their kindness to a total stranger was greatly appreciated. And damn, I should have said "yes." ;-)
Another one is joined cell-phone plans. Couples who both have a cell phone from the same company can get fantastic bonuses in costs. It also gives you more leverage in a situation wherein there is a dispute.
Furthermore by combining internet and cable onto the same plan can lower costs further. 2 Cell phones, 1 Cable, 1 Internet, that's 1 package that any provider would drool over. Also adding home phone if you so choose (I don't believe it's necessary, but others may).
In Canada at least, the best cell phone plans come when you sign a 3-year commitment. Signing a three-year commitment is a big deal for me when I did last year at aged 18, but nothing compared to marriage! By having both of you sign a three year commitment, you've got a particularly good leveraging point over the cell phone company!
Love it! I love the beginning of every season, but fall is by far the best.
I celebrate fall by decorating and crafting with my family (#7). Of course there's always pumpkin spice latte's and warm sweaters too.
Yep. I actually got it a couple of weeks ago from the bank. Prior to that, it had been at least 18 months since I had checked Quizzle for my estimated score.
My husband and I checked our scores recently because we're applying for a mortgage. But usually I don't check it since I have to pay for that. I just use the annual credit report website to check my report for free without getting my score.
Approximately, yes. The last time it was officially checked was when I bought a house a couple of years ago and, since then, there shouldn't have been much change. I was very pleased with the number since it was a bit better than I thought it would be!
You have great content and a wonderful brand/design for your blog. The recent GRS guest post might just be your tipping point!
http://bit.ly/n4vlVS
It was great meeting you finally. You've always been so generous with your insights and recommendations for the Top 100 (now Wise 1000). We really appreciate your contribution.
Shenanigans!
"My wife is still giving me a hard time about it, I was going non-stop and only called her 2 times, oops."
Dear Mrs. Edwards, there was actually a ton of downtime. I don't know what he's talking about.
OK, in all seriousness the conference was indeed a whirlwind. We had the perfect size of attendees--you can actually get to meet almost everyone. It was very tempting to not sleep at all.
Thank you for your kind words. We loved your tips as well.
Added! Love your swag coverage. Wish I had won some chocolate covered cookie sandwiches from Australia. So jealous.
I loved all the sessions I attended, loved the vibe of FINCON11 but most of all, enjoyed meeting everyone. Will, it was a treat to see you on stage with lots of energy - your presentation was very witty and engaging. Then I got to meet you in person just after which was lovely! It was absolutely fabulous to meet Farnoosh, Kelly Whalen and Amanda Steinberg in person and many, many thanks to PTMoney and team for putting this together so well! Ciao and be well!
You shook JD's hand, but do you have one of his special edition cards with his cat on the back? You have to collect them all!
The long chats are definitely the best parts. I don't know how you guys were able to party it up, talk until 4, and still wake up for sessions. Gosh I feel old.
"conference will help me earn an extra $10k to $20k this next year"
PT should put that in his brochure for next year's conference.
FMF is the chillest guy in the world. In a conference filled with unbridled excitement and non-stop networking, you were an oasis of calm. =)
Last time I tried to check it (after finding a reputable credit score website) I didn't have any credit at all...which was somewhat depressing. :D
Peter wins the award for "Best use of Swag":
http://bit.ly/qY6jNH
Thanks for giving me permission to showcase your photos. They're great!
I keep up to date on CreditKarma about three times a month (different loans have different update days). Its probably a bit over the top... but their tracking software makes it easy to see how things are changing (and what may have the most impact).
Yeah, its not FICO - but I do get my three annual credit reports as well to check for major issues. With those two things I think I'm pretty on top of where my credit score is at any point in time. I was able to say with confidence what I thought my score was when applying for an auto loan, and even got (pleasantly) surprised by their numbers!
I had so much fun just being around so many like minded bloggers. I got to meet so many wonderful bloggers including Ramit who autographed his book for me! I also thought Lynn was funny when she said she was pregnant and it wasn't just a big gut that she had LOL!!! PT did an amazing job and I'm looking forward to next year.
My favorite part was...all of it. But here are some highlights:
1. That until-4-a.m.-chat that Miranda mentioned. Proud to say that I was one of the last men standing (well, sitting) at 4 in the morning even though I am at least 20 years older than the rest of you ducklings. Remember: Youth and vigor will always be overcome by age and treachery.
2. Meeting Will and being able to apologize in advance for this year's jam gift package -- I've been traveling almost nonstop and thus unable to glean much fruit. Two flavors only this year, instead of three or four or five. Life goes on. (And thanks for the template idea -- I made three of them last night.)
3. A long dinner chat with the lovely and talented Gregory Po, during which he made me feel better about my lack of SEO dexterity. He told me that a strong voice makes for a unique brand, and that if I spoke at a few more conferences I would develop a bigger following.
4. The fact that I was able to hear Gregory use the word "brand" without flinching. A couple of years ago I thought it sounded silly to refer to one's brand. Now I've accepted it, even though it makes me think of cattle ranching ("the Old Lazy D").
5. Meeting so many people whom I've read. I thought all of you would be taller. I also had this mental picture of Gia from The Digerati Life as a 30-something blond. (Note: She isn't.)
6. Being able to hector folks about comma splicing and starting blog posts with dictionary definitions. Don't do that, please.
7. Having Dr. Dean refer to that speech as "like pouring alcohol on a cut -- a little pain for a lot of gain." Next time I'll try to be the speechifying equivalent of Bactine.
8. The Plutus Award that I won. They like me! They really like me! Even though I called them splicers of commas!
9. Hanging out with J. Money again. He and my daughter and I were drinking at the BlogHer 2011 party. (I was the one wearing earplugs and sipping Diet Coke.)
10. Taking a phone call in the middle of the conference and having it be one of the pastors of my church, who wants me to give a sermon with him about immigration. I'm going to give you a moment to develop that mental picture: Trashmouth in the pulpit.
Least favorite part: Getting mugged in downtown Seattle on the way to the airport, and having to cancel cards/freeze accounts on the fly, as it were. But I can't tell you how many people came up to me and said, "I heard what happened to you. I'm so sorry! Do you need any cash?" Their kindness to a total stranger was greatly appreciated. And damn, I should have said "yes." ;-)
Another one is joined cell-phone plans. Couples who both have a cell phone from the same company can get fantastic bonuses in costs. It also gives you more leverage in a situation wherein there is a dispute.
Furthermore by combining internet and cable onto the same plan can lower costs further. 2 Cell phones, 1 Cable, 1 Internet, that's 1 package that any provider would drool over. Also adding home phone if you so choose (I don't believe it's necessary, but others may).
In Canada at least, the best cell phone plans come when you sign a 3-year commitment. Signing a three-year commitment is a big deal for me when I did last year at aged 18, but nothing compared to marriage! By having both of you sign a three year commitment, you've got a particularly good leveraging point over the cell phone company!
Love it! I love the beginning of every season, but fall is by far the best.
I celebrate fall by decorating and crafting with my family (#7). Of course there's always pumpkin spice latte's and warm sweaters too.
My favorite part was blowing off the after-after party in favor of a Yakezie pizza party and getting kicked out of the lobby for it.
Participating in Friday's Love Drop!
Yep. I actually got it a couple of weeks ago from the bank. Prior to that, it had been at least 18 months since I had checked Quizzle for my estimated score.
My husband and I checked our scores recently because we're applying for a mortgage. But usually I don't check it since I have to pay for that. I just use the annual credit report website to check my report for free without getting my score.
Yes and I also look at the report three times a year.
Yes, I know my credit score. When I moved my accounts to a local credit union from a major bank, I found out from the C.U. what my credit score was.
I went to the government website and checked it earlier this year.
I check my credit score fairly regularly through CreditKarma and Quizzle.
Approximately, yes. The last time it was officially checked was when I bought a house a couple of years ago and, since then, there shouldn't have been much change. I was very pleased with the number since it was a bit better than I thought it would be!
We are re-financing our mortgage and just got our scores (both over 800!) as a result of the bank checking our credit.
I know mine. I used Credit Karma, which I really liked since they don't charge you or ask for your CC info like FreeCreditReport.com