I’ll be able to share more details once the video series is released to the public.

With three other financial experts, I spent a day in a studio in Brooklyn. The production company, with experience with commercials and short films, did a great job of putting the series together. It was a pleasure working with the production company, the agency, the bank, and of course, the other “talent.” I’m looking forward to being able to share the results with the public.

Session highlights so far include Tim Armstrong, the CEO of AOL. As an early adopter of the internet, prior to the release of the World Wide Web, my view of America Online’s history as an internet service provider for the masses, disturbing the happy community of scientists and academics that comprised online new group discussions at the time, seems to be different than the general impression of AOL’s early brand.

Another highlight is David Barstow, the Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist at The New York Times.

I’m currently enjoying a session about the business of sports in the media, featuring owners or co-owners of the New York Yankees, Washington Nationals, and the Baltimore Ravens. Perhaps because the conference is located in D.C. this year, many of the discussions are centered around policy. I try to stay apolitical in my writing, but there’s certainly a case for acknowledging not only government issues but the partisanship in media.

I am not a journalist, but this conference will be helpful for improving my own writing. I’ll be coming away with great ideas and motivation, not only for writing, but for future phases of my professional life.

The segment on Wednesday focused on Christmas (and other holiday) spending. You can view the segment here.

This was my second appearance on HuffPost Live, and I expect to continue to participate in similar panels.

Since this is a website were I talk about my appearances, I’m going to start with that in this recap, but by the end of this post I hope you’ll see there’s so much more to the experience than that.

The Plutus Awards

The conference opened on Thursday with a welcome reception and a the ceremony for the Third Annual Plutus Awards, hosted by Kevin McKee of Thousandaire. Assisted by a planning committee consisting of a small number of bloggers and a group of volunteers, the ceremony, designed as a way to celebrate the bloggers who put their hearts and souls into the work they do, was a resounding success. Winners in attendance received backpacks full of gifts from the conference’s sponsors in addition to engraved trophies.

Thanks particularly to the planning committee, Kevin and the award presenters, Tom Drake from Canadian Finance Blog, and the volunteers who helped make the Plutus Awards a success and a significant improvement over last year’s ceremony.

The new retirement

Photo: marubozo

On Friday, I moderated a panel about “the new retirement” — defined by the members of the panel as putting “work work” behind as early as possible to focus on the things that really matter for as long as possible without the need for monetary motivation. The panel featured Todd Tresidder from Financial Mentor, Rob Bennett from Passion Saving, and Mike Piper from Oblivious Investor. These three individuals each have their own perspectives and experiences related to financial independence, and having them in one room together was a joy for those in attendance.

How I built my “million dollar blog”

Photo: marubozo

Let me be clear: I didn’t name this session. I appeared on a panel with Jim Wang from Bargaineering, J.D. Roth from Get Rich Slowly, and Will Chen from Wise Bread. The session was in the style of a question-and-answer panel, and we each fielded questions about our experiences and our opinions about building communities and taking websites to the next level.

Thank you to everyone who was brave enough to ask questions. Questions don’t need to be limited to sessions, however. I’m happy to answer questions, brainstorm, or just chat with anyone who’s interested. Reach out to me any time.

Closing keynote

During the closing keynote address, several writers with successful blogs to share their thoughts on how personal finance blogging has changed over the past few years and what we might expect in the future, and I was included among the group for this “fireside chat” despite my voice being practically non-existent by the end of the event. It’s impossible to foresee the future in specific detail, but I am convinced that personal finance blogging in some form will still be relevant for a long time to come.

Videos of all the above, in addition to all the other sessions, will soon be available for conference attendees.

Sessions comprise only a small piece of the conference experience

More important than the sessions in which I participated or attended are the opportunities to make personal connections. I had a great time getting to know more colleagues and new friends than I would have imagined. I brainstormed with other bloggers and financial professionals about possible future projects, and I enjoyed time off the clock dining, dancing, and extending discussions far beyond personal finance and blogging.

It was equally valuable and rewarding for me to make or deepen connections with my writing idols, as it was connecting with people I’ve talked to and worked with over the years, as it was getting to know company representatives who are fantastically — or fanatically — passionate about what they do (particularly to help the world), as it was getting to know wonderful people I must spend more time with. I couldn’t name everyone I was so happy to see; the list would number at least a hundred. Networking has never been my strength, but I plan to work hard to maintain as many connections as I can. I left the conference renewed and motivated to bring some new projects to life — not just related to finance.

More important than all of this, though, are real friendships. Sometimes it’s hard to tell when the public relations folks are nice because it’s their job or are genuinely nice, but I try to get past that. Making and maintaining a personal connection with people is what’s most exciting for me.

Sessions are good. But great people make great conferences, and the personal finance blogging world is full of fantastic people.

The schedule below is in Mountain Time.

Tess also spoke with J.D. Roth from Get Rich Slowly and Phil Taylor from PT Money. Phil also organized the conference. I’ve shared my experiences with the conference here.

Listen to or read the Marketplace Money story here. As a long time listener of Marketplace and the Marketplace Morning Report, I’m honored to have been a guest on the show.

Photo: jeroen_bennink

I expect to have a recording available for anyone who missed the broadcast.

Photo: drcornelius

You can view all three credit reports for free each year by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com.

It’s difficult not to be annoyed by traditional banks. Many financial institutions just don’t have incentives to provide better and less expensive services. Although some have begun to adapt to changing needs and desires in the industry, most brick-and-mortar banks still don’t feel threatened. Because banks aren’t meeting the needs of some consumers, more people are turning to credit unions as an alternative.

Read more at Wise Bread. I’ll have more articles from Wise Bread to share, and you can always find them by visiting my Wise Bread author page.

Photo: Howard Lake

I’m a fan of the eventual transition from bills to coins for money with lower denominations, but I understand the public, business, and political perspectives that do not favor such a change.

Discuss the issue at Consumerism Commentary.

Photo: lrargerich