Guest Post from our friend Rob Garcia, Director of Product Strategy at Lending Club.

SXSW Interactive has quickly become the conference where attendees and presenters explore the latest trends, technologies and products that are changing how we interact, communicate and transact.

This year, Lending Club will sit with SmartyPig, Mint and CreditKarma to talk money and innovation in the banking industry. Jennifer Openshaw, CEO of Family Financial Network will moderate a conversation that promises to be interesting and thought provoking.

In the midst of a financial crisis, people are compelled to save, budget and lower their dependency on traditional financial services. Stock picking communities, person-to-person lending, personal finance management and even credit score management tools, have emerged to serve the changing needs of customers exclusively served by traditional banks and credit unions.

In this panel, we will discuss key trends, emerging technologies, and financial products that are changing the way people interact with the banking and financial services industries.

Banking 2.0: Financial Services Driven by People & Emerging Technologies

• Saturday March 13 at 12:30pm at the Hilton Hotel, downtown Austin, Room G
• Moderated by Jennifer Openshaw, CEO of Family Financial Network
• Attend >>

Panelists:

• Rob Garcia, Sr Director Product Strategy, LendingClub.com
• Aaron Forth, VP of Product, Mint.com
• Kenneth Lin, CEO, CreditKarma.com
• Bob Weinschenk, CEO, SmartyPig.com

Can't attend in person? Don't miss out on this stellar line-up! Follow @SXSWfinance for live updates and questions to the panelists during the panel.

The following was a guest post by our friend Rob Garcia, Director of Product Strategy at Lending Club.

The new videos do a great job of highlighting the many unique benefits of SmartyPig, like how to create a new goal, share your goal and redeem your goal. The videos are also located in the "Features and Video Tutorials" page and on our new YouTube Channel.

We also included a new field in the goal creation process, that if you choose to share your goal with friends and family, you can include a goal description as shown below. For more information on how to share a goal on SmartyPig, click here.

And here is how it will look on your sharing page. Remember, friends can find your sharing page by entering your email address on the "Find Friends" page located here.

Thanks and don't hesitate to reach out to us anytime.
Mike Ferrari, SmartyPig co-founder
@mferrari

In this hilarious piece on how the industry works, comedian Jon Stewart explains why we at SmartyPig feel the way we do about young people getting on the wrong track with plastic. Writes Gawker TV: "Stewart first explained that the problem with American consumers is that they not only desire a Champagne lifestyle on a Busch Light budget, but will take any opportunity to act on that appetite - even when painfully aware of the consequences of doing so. If you let them, they will spend, whether they have the money or not."

SmartyPig's stance on fiscal responsibility and the overall evil tactics used by big banks in the form of credit cards has not changed since day one. And we truly feel that Americans are waking up. In a recent blog, we shared some encouraging numbers regarding younger people turning away from credit cards, saving up first, using products that won't get them in a near-impossible hole to dig out of. Building up good credit is certainly a must at some point. But getting paid a great rate to save and then paid even more to spend that money when you've reached your goal is the best way to get started as you begin your financial journey.

Mike Ferrari, SmartyPig co-founder
@mferrari

Call them old fashioned if you wish, but the number of people who just say "no" to credit cards has taken off, leaving in its wake new credit card data that suggests people are either smarter, more afraid or banks are still shying away from extending credit. Whatever the case, whatever is happening is working.

In a recent article about the slowing of credit card usage, USA Today shows us that "Revolving credit - largely made up of credit card debt - fell by nearly 20% in November, and that through October, the number of new credit card accounts was down 46% from the same period in 2008. Those numbers are staggeringly strong. What gives? People simply aren't up for the abuse at the hands of big banks anymore who will jack up rates at customers' most vulnerable points.

Sandra Block, the reporter for USA Today spoke to young people who are anti-credit card. What they had to say was as educated as it was eye opening. Why the drop in card usage: It's a "hassle." It leads to "huge debt." It's not a "rite of passage into adulthood." It's "not worth it." And what do they get in return for keeping the faith and staying true to themselves: "Fewer bills, headaches and fears."

We here at SmartyPig believe credit cards should be avoided for now, that people should save up of the things they want, take the same route their grandparents did and sock money away - especially in such a troubling economy, and not just for a rainy day. Vacations, electronics, new clothes, necessities, all can be done smartly and without risk.

While credit cards can be useful to build credit, we think people, especially younger people, should probably wait. After all, the difference between bad credit now and good credit later might be as easy as saying no to credit cards until you're ready. Or as the young Block interviewee Emily Maddox says: "I've known people who have had credit cards, and I've seen what can happen if you get behind and how hard it is to get out of debt. I don't like owing people money."

Mike Ferrari, SmartyPig co-founder
@mferrari

One of the things we most aspire to do here at SmartyPig is to completely and utterly inspire our customers to improve themselves through our program of saving smartly and spending smartly. There is, after all, nothing more rewarding than setting a goal, working toward that goal and finally reaching that goal. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook and you'll find out pretty quickly that the word is out: There is a financial service motivated to helping its customers become better! There is a financial service that greatly rewards people for doing the right thing with their money rather than focusing on getting fat off of people who do the wrong thing! Go figure.

A few weeks back Chris Brumfield, a customer who teaches a Financial Peace University class at his church sent this email to us:

SmartyPig: I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate that you show the interest that I earn each day. I am not sure how many people actually look at that, but I love when I go onto the site each day so I can see my new accrued interest amount calculated into it. By your company having that feature it has truly opened my eyes to how much we are giving to the credit card companies each and every day. It has motivated me to pay down debt and to save money so I can watch the daily interest grow. Thanks for all you do and for assisting in the changing of my family tree. -Chris

Is Chris getting rich off the interest? No. Has he changed the way he is looking at and treating money and will that change his life? You bet - one day at a time, one penny at a time. Chris and others like him, you see, tell us often they are buried under a mountain of debt. But we think mountains are for climbing, and the only way to the top is by taking that first step.

Congratulations, Chris. And thank you for everyone who is spreading the word that it truly pays to save with SmartyPig!

Mike Ferrari
@mferrari

We had over 170 players, randomized our list to 20 and picked the 3 $100 SmartyPig gift card winners:

The top 20 were: leslieberg, ChrisSnider, Shawk63, TeenOnDaRise, lisa4321, 44ounce, j_hollender, Samwar, twigglesMG, tcita, PsycDragon, joshbyers, janedane7, amandamorrow, dyanysus1116, jkeeney and jonconley.

Congrats to our winners: BriefThis (love the name), richharms, q2mobile - enjoy your $100!

The format:

1. After 15 minutes, we will be picking 20 random people with a number generator from the pool of correct answers.
2. We'll use an old favorite to help in selecting three gift card winners.
3. We'll post the process here on our blog, so everyone can follow along!

Make sure:

1. You're following us on Twitter.
2. We'll ask the $100 question on Thursday, January 28 at 11am CST.
3. Answer the question correctly for your chance to win!

Remember: if you don't already have a SmartyPig account, it's free to set one up! Winner must be in the US.

Good Luck!

Envision opening your monthly statement from your credit card company and seeing they just charged you $50 because you didn't use the card to spend $2,400 over the course of the year, or, even worse, being charged for paying off your balance every month? Credit card companies are preying on people at the worst possible time. And even with the Credit Card Act going into effect next month, credit card companies continue to slap you with additional fees and charges. "Since fees represent such a cash cow for issuers, expect aggressive increases in existing fees, as well as some brand new fees on your credit cards in 2010," says Bill Hardekopf, CEO of lowcards.com (Wall Street Journal, Banks Roll Out New Check, Card Fees).

Credit card issuers collected $22.9 billion in penalty fees in 2009. You got nickeled. You got dimed. You got the screws put to you in a variety of new and painful ways. We all did. And sadly enough, Beltway "bulldogs" seem to be little match to bailed-out bankers hungry for a cash infusion now that the game has changed. "Issuers are trying to find ways to change the dynamic of the credit card market. They want to 'mainstream' annual fees," says Hardekopf. Put another way: they want to give you the shaft in a more acceptable manner to you, the shaftee. Make sense? Didn't think so. And the only way to combat it is to break up with your credit cards, save up for the things you want and buy only what you can afford (LowCards.com, Credir Card Predictions for 2010).

As credit card companies continue to exploit this so-called relationship with you by increasing fees and watering down perks, we here at SmartyPig offer real cash boosts of up to 12% from best-in-class retailers like Amazon.com, Macy's and Travelocity, and one of the highest interest rates in the country at 2.01% for the dollars you are saving for your goals. We pay you to save your money then we pay you even more when it's time to spend it. Your credit card company, on the other hand, enables you to buy more than you need, charges you an arm and leg for doing so, and then hammers you with outlandish fees when times get hardest.

Would you take this abuse from anyone else?

The SmartyPig Team
@smartypig
facebook/SmartyPig

Each year begins with lofty goals. But if you are anything like us, resolutions can be hard to keep. We've learned over the past few years that rather than attempting a lifestyle change overnight, people seem to be more successful when they set small, attainable goals. Often times, just thinking about how to approach your family's finances can really stress you out. So this year, we wanted to share five super easy resolutions that anyone can use to put finances on track. (A couple of them can be accomplished in five or ten minutes!)

• Know your credit score. Good credit is the foundation for achieving your financial goals. It's crucial to stay on top of your score. Services such as Equifax can tell you where you stand. (A good score is anything north of 700.) If outstanding debt has lowered your score, start paying it down, prioritizing high-interest debt first. A word of caution: While it may be tempting to go all out in your crusade to eliminate debt, it's more important to leave some cushion. Don't wipe out your savings to pay off your credit cards, if it means that you have nothing to fall back on in an emergency.

• Define specific savings goals. General savings accounts are great, but experts say that saving is easier with specific goals because you visualize the prize rather than the process. Whether saving for a wedding, a vacation, a flat-screen TV or home improvements, SmartyPig makes it easy to set up several savings accounts and track progress. With a competitive interest rate (2.01% APY), cash boosts of up to 12%, and the option to invite friends and family to contribute to goals, you can end up with significantly more money for your money.

• Cut up credit cards. According to Experian, the average consumer carries 4.5 pieces of plastic - 4.5 potential paths into debt! By eliminating extra cards, you limit opportunities to spend money you don't have. Start with cards that have high rates, low limits or punitive fees. But use scissors! Cancelling cards can impact your credit score. Cutting them up makes them just as inaccessible.

• Increase your 401K by 3%. You already know that you should contribute as much as possible to your 401K retirement savings plan - especially if your employer matches. An easy way to boost that savings is by increasing your contributions by a minimum of 3% each year. As your career progresses and your salary increases, it's unlikely you'll miss the money.

• Make a date with your finances. Most of us are too busy to tackle anything but the most necessary financial assignments. Bu you should really set aside time for crossing items off your financial To-Do list. Do what works for you whether it's annual, quarterly or monthly appointments, though it helps most to schedule this time when banks and other institutions are open. Time spent finding high-yield savings accounts, better insurance plans, and no-fee cards results in more money in your pocket.

The SmartyPig Team
@smartypig
facebook/SmartyPig

To all our SmartyPig friends and family we would like to wish you and your loved ones Happy Holidays and offer our sincere thanks for your support. Since launching SmartyPig in Spring of 2008, we've had the pleasure of getting to know many of you. We've heard your stories. We've shared your successes. We've watched you set goals and put yourselves on a path to achieve them. And we cannot thank you enough for letting us be part of that process. Your reaching for a better way using SmartyPig is truly inspiring.

We're really looking forward to an exciting 2010 and a host of new initiatives we cannot wait to share with you.

Until then, warm wishes for the holidays and a happy new year!

The SmartyPig Team
@smartypig
facebook/SmartyPig

As December gives way to January, our thoughts turn from holiday indulgence to New Year's resolutions. Typically, a list always begins with something weight or fitness related, but this year finances are top of mind. We guess we're not alone.

This year, more than any other, Americans are more focused on their financial health more than their physical health with "saving more" named as the top New Year's resolution for 2010 (cited by 36%) according to a recent survey by Putnam Investments. Old standbys such as "exercise more" (34%) and "lose weight" (34%) trail closely behind. All in all, people know 2010 is finally the year to finally get their act together. Not because, as in years past, they wanted to, but because they simply have to. To make ends meet. To dig out from under their debt. To get away from plastic once and for all. To simply start over or start off right.

We're behind you 100%, and we're very interested in your resolutions. What are you hoping to accomplish in 2010, and how can SmartyPig help you get there? We'd love to know what's on your mind.

Thanks, Team SmartyPig

@SmartyPig
facebook/SmartyPig

Here is a full list of our retail/travel partners (we've added many).

We had over 130 players, randomized our list to 20 and picked the 3 $100 SmartyPig gift card winners by throwing snowballs:

The top 20 were: Clarabela, wmharp, snooptoddd, LadiiRomance, jbrowning, centrachad, RendaInDSM, stevecramer, LynnKB24, violetnell, acousticdryad, CaseyG2782, yestismedoug, flysupes, 3L4Iowa, veddemeg, jessc098. Thank you for playing and good luck next time!

Congrats to our winners: @who8myMnMs, @Etnalla and @rcooper - enjoy your $100!

Tweet! Tweet! Let the savings begin! SmartyPig will be giving away three $100 gift cards through our monthly Twitter contest - Tuesday, December 22nd at 11 CST. We will tweet a question and give our followers 15 minutes to reply to us.

The format:

1. After 15 minutes, we will be picking 20 random people with a number generator from the pool of correct answers.
2. We'll use an old favorite to help in selecting three gift card winners.
3. We'll post the process here on our blog, so everyone can follow along!

Make sure:

1. You're following us on Twitter.
2. We'll ask the $100 question on Tuesday, December 22nd at 11am CST.
3. Answer the question correctly for your chance to win!

Remember: if you don't already have a SmartyPig account, it's free to set one up! Winner must be in the US.

Good Luck!

On her CNBC show she encouraged viewers to join her, "Let's go back to the good old days," she said. "Let's go back to the times when you literally paid cash for everything. That's right. Cash. Stop using your credit cards altogether."

Ms. Orman was inspired to jump on the "Cash Only" bandwagon in response to predatory credit card companies, a topic we recently covered in our blog. Moving away from credit cards en masse would send a powerful message to credit card companies that have resorted to extreme tactics such as sharply raising rates and closing accounts after brief periods of inactivity, targeting even those who use credit cards responsibly by paying bills on time and not carrying balances. If credit card companies are going to treat us as if they don't value our business, maybe they don't deserve our business.

A shift to cash only requires some initial planning. SmartyPig can be a helpful tool for saving up for specific goals. General savings accounts are great, but experts say that saving is easier with defined goals because you can visualize how the money will be spent. Simply put: you focus on the prize rather than the process. And SmartyPig makes saving easy, social and rewarding: With a competitive interest rate of 2.01% APY (currently the highest no catch rate), cash boosts of up to 12%, and the option to invite friends and family to contribute to goals, you can end up with significantly more than you personally contributed.

If you are going on a cash-only diet, we recommend that you cut rather than cancel your cards. Cancelling cards can impact your credit score, cutting them up makes them just as inaccessible. Recent stats from Experian indicate that the average consumer carries 4.5 pieces of plastic - 4.5 potential paths into debt! (Not to mention that now they can lead to sudden hikes in interest, and hidden fees.) By eliminating extra cards, you limit opportunities to spend money you don't have. It goes without saying that you should aim your scissors first at the cards that have the highest rates, lowest balances or most punitive fees.

We'd love to hear your thoughts on whether or not you already have or will be moving away from credit cards, and any tips you have for SmartyPig customers who might be considering a cash-only diet.

For additional reading on this topic, check out this post on GetRichSlowly. Staff writer Adam Baker talks about how he and his wife decided to make the move away from credit, sharing the list of pros and cons that helped them ditch the plastic.

Thanks, The SmartyPig Team
@smartypig
facebook/smartypig

A new customer recently shared her plot to beat the SmartyPig system. It was so genius, we had to share it.

I had heard about SmartyPig before, but when I read about the new redemption program recently I decided to check it out for myself. Holiday bills were already piling up, so I signed on for a SmartyPig savings goal to cover next year's gifts. But it was while tooling around the site, I realized I could actually "game" the system THIS CHRISTMAS by depositing money into a goal and taking it out on gift cards a few days later.

So I started a goal, deposited $500, waited for the money to clear and then loaded up on cards.

My gift list:

• Mom and Sister-$100 Macy's gift cards - I get $24 back in cash for getting them through SmartyPig
• Brother-$100 GameStop card - I get $3 back
• Dad-$100 at Sears - I get $4 back
• Niece-Baby Gap $100 Gift Card - $5 for me!

I "earned" $36 in free money and finished shopping for my family all at once! Plus, I've still got the account set up for next year's gifts, so no headaches there. I'm also opening up a spend account for the ordinary stuff I have to buy, like socks and underwear. Since I already shop at Macy's I might as well buy them there and make a profit.

We applaud the creativity! After all, our goal is to wean customers off plastic and stoke their love of saving by making the process easy, social and rewarding. If you can also get some real cash in the process, why not do that too? It sure beats paying 18% in credit card interest. Whether it's gifts this holiday, next summer's vacation, a down payment for your dream house, or regular purchases of underwear and socks, we're here to help you make it happen, and rewarding you with cash incentives for the things you want and need most.

It's the SmartyPig difference. And we always love to hear from you! Thanks!

- The SmartyPig Team

As you know, SmartyPig is the place to get the most money for your money with cash boosts of up to 12% by using some of the best retail and travel companies in the country. And today we welcome Amazon.com back to SmartyPig with a cash boost of 4% and announce our partnership with Bass Pro Shops for our outdoorsy customers who are looking to reel in a great APY plus an additional 6% in cold, hard cash!

Click here for our complete list of retailers.

- The SmartyPig Team

Early next year, the new Credit Card Act will keep banks from a variety of unfair practices. Just one problem: what this act does not do is keep the card companies from jacking up your interest rate. "The credit card reforms outlawed some seriously abusive practices," Harvard University professor Elizabeth Warren, an advocate for consumer financial protections told CNN Money. "But the cards will still be loaded with other tricks and traps."

And just in time for the holidays. Gee, Merry Christmas.

So with credit card companies determined to keep you way down while hiking your interest rates way up, is there anything you can do to avoid these tricks and traps? To fight back? To get even, or maybe even (gasp!) get ahead? Well, taking on the big card companies is a toughie. This sniveling, swindling group of greedy power mongers forces even the most powerful Washington "leaders" to cower - as you can tell from the aforementioned watered-down legislation. Like the old joke goes: "Many banks have a new kind of Christmas club in operation. The new club helps you save money to pay for last year's gifts."

Your best bet to sidestep the fiasco: Don't mess with plastic in the first place. With interest rates averaging 14%+, and it taking years upon years to pay off a few days of shopping while making minimum monthly payments, one can only wonder: "Can I be nice without being fiscally naughty?" The answer is "yes." You just need to save up first and buy only that which you can afford - like a real Christmas club. And with SmartyPig and our cash boosts of up to 12% at your favorite retailers, there's never been a better time to shy away from credit cards and fatten up your coffers, not the card companies'.

SVB from Wisebread posted an article on that site recently regarding why using cash is king. He writes, "I understand the need to wait on big purchases. Because I can no longer run out and get anything I want with a swipe of the plastic, I have to wait and save up the cash. This waiting period, highly recommended by many credit experts, has really worked for me. In most cases, the stuff I really wanted and didn't really want because of a case of out-of-sight/out-of-mind for me after the waiting period."

Buying stuff with plastic you don't really need that you cannot really afford? Your credit card company is counting on it. But you're smarter than that.

Since it's almost Thanksgiving, we decided to hunt some turkeys for our 3 $100 gift card winners:

Congratulations TheOneTruePax, wigstheone, and stlcolleen! Please DM us your address via Twitter, so we may send your $100 SmartyPig gift cards!

Thanks for everyone who played and good luck next month. Here are those that made it into the top 20: animeclubmusic, parterburn, brianf80, Debonair1, RealBernieAdams, molliesc, markevaul, artificialrobot, schippers, rcooper, sweetjean, veddebra, ericos, d_skaggs, twigglesMG, jamsmac and ronymirzaians76.

Tweet! Tweet! Let the savings begin! SmartyPig will be giving away three $100 gift cards through our monthly Twitter contest - Friday, November 20th at 11 CST. We will tweet a question and give our followers 15 minutes to reply to us.

The format:

1. After 15 minutes, we will be picking 20 random people with a number generator from the pool of correct answers.
2. We'll use a delicious summertime favorite to help in selecting three gift card winners.
3. We'll post the process here on our blog, so everyone can follow along!

Make sure:

1. You're following us on Twitter.
2. We'll ask the $100 question on Friday, November 20th at 11am CST.
3. Answer the question correctly for your chance to win!

Remember: if you don't already have a SmartyPig account, it's free to set one up! Winner must be in the US.

Good Luck!

#1 - Enhanced retailers; cash boosts of up to 12%
Let's say you need a new living room set, you've made an initial deposit of $25 and are putting away $300 a month over twelve months. One year after creating your goal, you'll have $3,625 and will have earned approximately $25 in interest over the course of that year, bringing the goal balance to $3,650. Now, if you take your savings out on a Macy's gift card, SmartyPig will give you a cash boost of 12% (nearly $440), bringing your goal plus interest plus boost to $4,090 − some $465 more than the $3,625 you put away. Big bucks are that easy with SmartyPig!

For a complete list of retailers, cash boosts and terms, click here. We will continue to add to this list in the upcoming weeks.

#2 - Split your savings up
Before today, when you closed your goal, you could only redeem all of your funds to one redemption option. But our new redemption program offers more flexibility, allowing you to parse out your savings goal among all three options! Do you need gifts from Barnes & Noble Booksellers and GameStop, as well as a ticket on American Airlines for the holidays and want FREE cash in your pocket? No sweat. Want to put the rest on your SmartyPig MasterCard debit card for added flexibility? We've got you covered. You may also transfer all or portions of your goal electronically back to your checking or savings account. Here are screenshots from the new redemption process:

> Step 1: Overview

> Step 2: Select Retail Cards

>Step 3: Transfer to Debit Card

>Step 4: Transfer to Bank Account (ACH)

>Step 5: Confirmation

#3 - Additional recurring contribution options
The date that scheduled transactions occur has been moved from the funding source to the goal itself. In addition, we have added three new recurring contribution options. We still have the monthly option, but we've gone ahead and added "twice a month," "every 14 days," and "none." What's that all about? Well, if you want to contribute monthly for a baby on the way and every payday for an upcoming vacation, you can do it. Or if you want to use SmartyPig simply as a gift registry for your honeymoon, so you can get a cash boost for a great trip but don't want to contribute at all, just set up your goal, skip putting your own money in, drop a widget on your wedding Website and let your friends and family members carry the day!

In addition, you are free to set your own recurring amount or let SmartyPig recommend one for you.

#4 - Transfer funds from one goal to another
Have your goals changed? Have you found out that new washer and dryer set is on sale for $850 instead of a thousand? (Not including the cash boost from SmartyPig!) Have a few friends put you over the top of your goal, and you have something left over? Now you can simply move money from one goal to another without stopping and starting over again.

We hope you'll share in our excitement as we continue to strive to be the leader in smart saving and smart spending. Over the next few months we'll make even more announcements regarding further improvements and partnerships. In the meantime, though, please keep letting us know how to make SmartyPig better. And please tell your friends.

Thank you!

Michael Ferrari, co-founder
mferrari@smartypig.com
@mferrari

We hear from our smart saving customers all the time. Undoubtedly, many of the calls are questions, complaints or concerns. That's the nature of the beast. Satisfaction is not shared as much as dissatisfaction in consumer America because the former is expected. We don't think that should ever change. We need the complaints and concerns and the questions, for sure. And we won't ever cover our warts. It's the only way we'll reach our goal of being the best at what we do.

Still, parents do thank us often for giving them a tool to "finally" teach their kids about money, and looking "cool" doing it. And Twitter, Facebook and the blogosphere are alive with people excited about having goals, striving for goals and reaching goals. Reading it, hearing about it, and communicating with these folks are the best part of what we do. People tell us we've helped them back on the right path, helped them get out of the habit of using plastic they can no longer afford, and helped them basically dig out from under. It's usually a quick pat on the back. It's what we absolutely live for.

However, when SmartyPig customer Keith Grimes emailed me the other day, I immediately forwarded it to our entire staff with a note that read: "This is what it's all about." Then we reached out to Keith and asked if we could put it on our blog in its entirety. He agreed. Here goes:

"I had an interesting reaction to my SmartyPig update this morning. For nearly two years now I've had a series of ongoing goals that I've eagerly contributed to and watched grow to fruition. Today, when I received my notification about this month's deposit, I realized that it was time to close out this goal.

The reaction I had to that, however, was one of, 'Well, what am I going to save for now?' Since I was closing out my only goal, I suddenly realized that I've grown quite fond (addicted?) of saving money and watching it grow in anticipation of the purchase - rather than buying something I couldn't afford only to have its perceived 'fun-factor' diminish steadily and rapidly with every payment and accrual of interest.

In other words, you guys have got me hooked on saving. Wow - great job and great thanks. You have no idea what a big change your site has brought to me and my family."

Best Regards as always,

Keith

With all the bad news running rampant about the economy, and especially banks, having a customer like Keith confessing to being hooked on making a positive change with regard to how he treats money because of what we do is indeed "what it's all about." But we will only ever be successful as a company, and as a country, if people like Keith become the rule again, not the exception. Reversing the "buy now, pay later" mindset, and making smart saving and smart saving less foreign, are the primary sentiments on which we built SmartyPig. Watching the process used to the point that it is life changing provides near indescribable satisfaction. Thanks, Keith. And thanks, too, to everyone who reaches out. We want to hear from all of you.

Mike Ferrari, Co-Founder
@mferrari
mferrari@smartypig.com

No matter if the relationship is in good standing or even if you pay your entire bill off every month, it's a cash grab for Wall Street at the expense of Main Street, as congress moves to speed legislation to protect those who need it most. And with the holidays coming, and recent statistics from Consumer Reports indicating that 13.5 million Americans are still carrying debt incurred from last year's holiday season, our leaders in Washington cannot move fast enough.

Watch video

Financial expert and "Today Show" contributor Jean Chatzky has recommended socking away $100 each week starting now until December to ease the eventual pain caused by seasonal spending. Chatzky smartly points out that, by setting a goal like this and sticking to it, by the time the holidays roll around, credit cards might not be the necessary evil they have been in the past.

We could not agree more, and, in fact, this sentiment is exactly what we here at SmartyPig stand for. With expenses like gifts and travel piling up, there has never been a better time to take back control. Credit cards are doing more harm than good, even to the most loyal and responsible customers. Thus, there's no time like the present to stand up for yourself, get back to the basics and finally own the holidays. A little bit at a time can definitely make a whole lot of difference.

In the 18 months since we launched SmartyPig, we've made a dozen or so unique upgrades to our service. Why? Because you told us to. Sure it's cliché to insist a product is what its customers want it to be - unless you mean it. And we do. We heard almost immediately after we launched that we needed an ACH option at redemption, so we added it. Then we heard it needed to be faster. So we made it faster. Connect with sites like Mint. Launch a mobile site. Add additional sharing features like Twitter and Facebook connect. Enhance our widgets. Done. Done. Done. Done. Done. Done.

We're not just tooting our own horn, but typically a financial services company would take 18 months to launch a single product - after a lot of focus groups and maybe a few pilot runs in test markets. It may work. It may not. The need for it may have changed or gone away completely. In the social world of Web 2.0, though, where you are right now, things move pretty fast. People want back and forth. People want more. People want a new kind of relationship where their ideas matter.

So within the next month or so we're going to unveil a few pretty dramatic upgrades and enhancements in our service. More will come in December, and then even more in January. We've been hearing what's important to you. And we're all set to take SmartyPig to the next level - faster, easier, better. As the leader in the Bank 2.0 space, we vow to continue to provide groundbreaking features, terrific technology, the best possible deals and top-notch customer service. What all of that looks like, however, is pretty much up to you. Just let me know.

Thanks,

Mike Ferrari, co-founder
@mferrari

The results are in! First, let me say thank you to those that shared their dreams with us. We hope you enjoyed creating and submitting your video. We sure enjoyed watching them!

Winners were determined based on the following:

• 33.3% - total number of views
• 33.3% - star ratings
• 33.3% - SmartyPig judging panel

And to those that did not win, we'd like to offer you a $100 SmartyPig gift card for your tremendous effort. After watching your work and hearing your stories, we all agreed we couldn't let you go home empty handed.

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for...

Drum roll please...

$2,500 Grand Prize winner!

marcu5aurelius
http://www.youtube.com/user/marcu5aurelius
"I recently moved to Napa, California to take a job at a vineyard. It is my dream to start my very own vineyard. This is a pricey dream to pursue, and I am hoping that this contest will help get me started. I'm not a cinematographer and may not have the fancy equipment other people entering this contest have, but I'm the only person willing to risk pneumonia to make my dreams a reality."

5 - $500 Runners-Up

Fizzlebearsbabygirl
http://www.youtube.com/user/Fizzlebearsbabygirl

brookenp
http://www.youtube.com/user/brookenp

boblotich
http://www.youtube.com/user/boblotich

PSJCS
http://www.youtube.com/user/PSJCS

thelehmonator
http://www.youtube.com/user/thelehmonator

To all winners and non-winners, please email us at support@smartypig.com with the link to your video and your shipping address and we will get your gift cards in the mail.

Thanks again. We had a blast!

The SmartyPig Team

Facebook and Twitter Integration

New features introduced today expand on SmartyPig's existing social media functionality and are a first in the banking industry! SmartyPig users now have the option to securely connect their existing Twitter and/or Facebook account to any goals that they have chosen to share with friends and family. When Twitter is connected to a shared SmartyPig goal, SmartyPig will automatically post to that Twitter account any time funds are added towards meeting a goal. The Facebook connect feature works similarly, posting to the Facebook user's wall every time funds are added towards meeting a goal that they have chosen to share. The best part about this connectivity is that the posts and tweets happen automatically. So even if you are not logged in to your SmartyPig, Twitter or Facebook account, SmartyPig will continue to post tweets and wall posts on your behalf when funds have been added to your goal. Again, this type of connectivity is a first in the banking space so we are really excited to get your feedback. Check out the screen shots below from my own personal account! Connecting to your Facebook or Twitter account is simple. Here's the Facebook and Twitter connect pages.

Once connected, the page expands and you can now select the goals you would like SmartyPig to post/tweet on your behalf. In addition, you can include a link to your SmartyPig sharing page, so friends and family can easily contribute to your goal!

And here is an example of what a tweet and wall post looks like to your friends and followers, anytime funds are added to your goal (via recurring monthly contribution, one-time adds of money and gifts from family and friends).

Enhanced Widget

Second, we heard loud and clear that you wanted more customizable options for the widget so we completely enhanced the widget creation process. As of today, we launched an entirely new customizable widget that allows you to include multiple goals, customize messaging and graphics, link to your SmartyPig sharing page and integrate with over 28 social destinations like Facebook, MySpace, blogger and more. Here is the widget creation page:

And here is a sample widget:

Setting and achieving a goal is a very empowering experience and many of you enjoy involving your friends and family in the process. Please test run the new Facebook and Twitter connect features and enhanced widget and let us know what you think.

Thanks!

Mike Ferrari, co-founder
@mferrari