Big Announcement: I’m Going to FinCon with Upstart

So if you subscribe to my newsletter, you’ve already heard my announcement! If you haven’t yet, here it is:

I am heading to Washington D.C. for FinCon 2019 with Upstart! 

What is FinCon, you ask? Well it’s a conference for financial influencers and brands to create better content, reach their audience, and make more money. 

Are you looking at your computer confused right now wondering when I became a financial influencer? Don’t worry, you didn’t miss anything. I’m definitely a lifestyle blogger, but here is the thing about money: everyone needs it. So I’m excited to bring back applicable information that can help both you and me!

Here are some of the sessions I’m particularly excited about:

• How to Tackle Debt and Financial Anxiety
• Leaning into retirement: How Women Are Taking Charge of Their Money
• Demystifying the Conversation about Wills and Life Insurance

Then of course I’m also interested in the sessions about growing a business, expanding your brand, and handling the financial side of a business.

In addition to the sessions, there are fun events, keynote speakers, and meet-ups. I’m really looking forward to checking out FinCon Central which is the conference “hub” where attendees can connect with sponsors, record live video and podcasts, attend Quick Money talks, collaborate with other attendees, network at the niche meetups, hang out in the lounge, and more.

I’m also incredibly excited to be in Washington D.C.! I haven’t been since high school so I will definitely be sneaking in some time to see the sights and attend a Nationals baseball game.

I’m also very fortunate to be sponsored by Upstart for this trip! 

Upstart is an online lending platform that partners with banks to provide personal loans from $1,000-$50,000.* Upstart goes beyond traditional lending metrics to help you find financing that considers your education and experience.

A few years ago, I took out a personal loan with Upstart to help me relieve some of my credit card debt. I was concerned about my debt affecting my credit score and wanted to transition it from “bad debt” to “good debt.” 

The application process was incredibly simple. Upstart takes into consideration your education and experience so it was a little deeper than just looking up your credit score, but very simple. The funds were in my account the next day!

I took out a 3-year loan, but Upstart also offers 5-year loans.** So every month, I log in to my user-friendly dashboard and pay my monthly payment towards my loan. You can set up automatic payments, but I’m old school and like to physically schedule my payments. Plus I like to do it on the day my paycheck comes in and get it out of the way early. 

I love the Upstart dashboard and Financial Fitness feature. The dashboard allows you to schedule payments, see how many months you have left to pay off your loan, look at past payments, and have an overall summary of your loan. The Financial Fitness feature allows you to stay on top of your credit card debt. It provides your Equifax credit score, calculates how much you will pay in interest, and gives you a snapshot of your debt and breaks it down in digestible terms. By using this combination, I was able to plan and pay my loan off early!

Credit card debt is crippling, and I am very thankful to Upstart for helping me consolidate my debt quickly, so attending FinCon with this company is really special to me. Be sure to follow along during my trip to Washington from Sept. 3-8! I’ll be active on all social media and will plan lots of recap content when I return.

What information do you want me to bring back from FinCon?

**“The full range of available rates varies by state. The average 3-year loan offered across all lenders using the Upstart Platform will have an APR of 20% and 36 monthly payments of $35 per $1,000 borrowed. There is no down payment and no prepayment penalty. Average APR is calculated based on 3-year rates offered in the last 1 month. Your APR will be determined based on your credit, income, and certain other information provided in your loan application. Not all applicants will be approved.”