ABClatino Magazine Year 9 Issue 3 | Page 19

Por /By Diane M Nickerson, MS Ed.

School Founder and Director,

Castle Island Bilingual Montessori

53 Bradford St,

Albany, NY 12206

(518) 533-9838 

[email protected]

Mrs. Romer, my third-grade teacher, gave a brief description of the parts of speech: noun, verb, adjective; then asked us to list as many examples as we could for each category which she wrote in brightly colored markers, a different color for each part of speech, on large chart paper. I do remember the colors which pleased my eye.

What makes me remember this entire lesson, however, was when she had the class stand up from our seats to perform the actions of the words we had listed on the “Verbs” poster: jump, skip, walk, stand, dance… Together we 

moved. The children of the class jumped. We skipped. We walked in a circle around the classroom. We stopped and stood. We danced!

The whole article HERE

Por / By Maria Alejandra Rojas, Community Liaison

Ulster Savings  Bank 

(845) 338-6322 ext. 3311

Master your credit score

unlock opportunities:

A key step towards your

financial empowerment

Your credit score is a number that reflects your financial behavior and the likelihood of paying your debts on time. With good credit management you can save money and improve your financial stability. Credit scores are used in many situations, such as applying for a loan, renting a home, and even during some hiring processes.

One of the most commonly used models, the FICO Score, ranges from 300 to 850. A higher score means better credit terms. Generally, banks offer their best conditions to those with a score above 750-770, so there’s no need to obsess over reaching 850.

For example, if two people apply for the same car loan, but  A has a score of 580 and B has 750,  A  might receive an interest rate of 14%, while  B  could get a rate closer to 5%. This means  A will end up paying significantly more in interest than  B.

Key Factors That Affect Your Credit Score

1. Payment history (35%): Paying on time is the most important factor.

2. Credit utilization (30%):  It’s recommended to use no more than 30% of your available credit limit.

3. Credit history length (15%): The longer you have open and active accounts, the better. Avoid closing old accounts unnecessarily.

4. Credit mix (10%): Having a mix of

credit types shows responsible credit management.

5. New credit inquiries (10%): Avoid applying for too many accounts at once.

To monitor your credit, you can get one free report per year from each bureau

at  annualcreditreport.com.  If you find errors, it's important to dispute them to avoid a negative impact on your score. Taking care of your credit score will help you access better financial opportunities and save money in the long run.

 

Understanding Credit Scores: