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<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" media="screen" href="/~d/styles/rss2full.xsl"?><?xml-stylesheet type="text/css" media="screen" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~d/styles/itemcontent.css"?><rss xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:openSearch="http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearch/1.1/" xmlns:georss="http://www.georss.org/georss" xmlns:gd="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005" xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0" xmlns:feedburner="http://rssnamespace.org/feedburner/ext/1.0" version="2.0"><channel><atom:id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2008675846045748548</atom:id><lastBuildDate>Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:21:42 +0000</lastBuildDate><category>ESL</category><category>Women</category><category>Women's History Month</category><category>Uighur</category><category>Urumqi</category><title>Milpitas Chat</title><description>ESL Conversation Practice with Audio and Video resources.</description><link>http://www.milpitaschat.com/</link><managingEditor>noreply@blogger.com (Teacher Jennifer)</managingEditor><generator>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>860</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>25</openSearch:itemsPerPage><atom10:link xmlns:atom10="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/MilpitasChat" /><feedburner:info uri="milpitaschat" /><atom10:link xmlns:atom10="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" rel="hub" href="http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/" /><feedburner:browserFriendly></feedburner:browserFriendly><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2008675846045748548.post-1069566890518035207</guid><pubDate>Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:11:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-02-23T10:21:42.469-08:00</atom:updated><title>Resume Writing 6: Employment History</title><description>&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.gcflearnfree.org/resumewriting/6"&gt;GCFLearnFree: Resume Writing 6: Employment History&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In this lesson, you will learn which format is best for listing your employment history. You will learn how to market your resume by focusing your history on accomplishments and measures rather then simply listing duties. Then you will craft an employment history for your own resume. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note--there are 3 web pages--click at the bottom of each page.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;You can see all of the Resume Writing lessons at &lt;a href="http://www.gcflearnfree.org/resumewriting"&gt;GCFLearnFree: Resume Writing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2008675846045748548-1069566890518035207?l=www.milpitaschat.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://www.milpitaschat.com/2012/02/resume-writing-6-employment-history.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Teacher Jennifer)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2008675846045748548.post-7983352988645051832</guid><pubDate>Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:14:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-02-22T08:16:48.720-08:00</atom:updated><title>Resume Writing 5: Objectives, Summaries or Professional Profiles</title><description>&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.gcflearnfree.org/resumewriting/5"&gt;GCFLearnFree: Resume Writing 5: Objectives, Summaries or Professional Profiles&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In this lesson, you will compare statements and understand their purpose. Then you will determine which one is best for you in order to create one for your own resume..&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note--there are 4 web pages--click at the bottom of each page.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;You can see all of the Resume Writing lessons at &lt;a href="http://www.gcflearnfree.org/resumewriting"&gt;GCFLearnFree: Resume Writing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2008675846045748548-7983352988645051832?l=www.milpitaschat.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://www.milpitaschat.com/2012/02/resume-writing-5-objectives-summaries.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Teacher Jennifer)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2008675846045748548.post-953394066686276976</guid><pubDate>Tue, 21 Feb 2012 08:01:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-02-22T08:17:36.266-08:00</atom:updated><title>Resume Writing 4: Contact Information</title><description>&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.gcflearnfree.org/resumewriting/4"&gt;GCFLearnFree: Resume Writing 4: Contact Information&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It all starts with your name and other contact information. In this lesson, you learn what contact to include and how to place it on your resume.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note--there are 3 web pages--click at the bottom of each page.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;You can see all of the Resume Writing lessons at &lt;a href="http://www.gcflearnfree.org/resumewriting"&gt;GCFLearnFree: Resume Writing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2008675846045748548-953394066686276976?l=www.milpitaschat.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://www.milpitaschat.com/2012/02/resume-writing-4-contact-information.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Teacher Jennifer)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2008675846045748548.post-7061481581555615414</guid><pubDate>Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:08:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-02-22T08:18:26.511-08:00</atom:updated><title>Resume Writing 3: Resume Tips and Strategies</title><description>&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.gcflearnfree.org/resumewriting/3"&gt;GCFLearnFree: Resume Writing 3: Resume Tips and Strategies&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;during this lesson, you will review tips and strategies for creating a winning resume and identify common mistakes to avoid in the process. You will also learn about considerations for including links to online profiles and personal web pages.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note--there are 5 web pages--click at the bottom of each page.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;You can see all of the Resume Writing lessons at &lt;a href="http://www.gcflearnfree.org/resumewriting"&gt;GCFLearnFree: Resume Writing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2008675846045748548-7061481581555615414?l=www.milpitaschat.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://www.milpitaschat.com/2012/02/resume-writing-3-resume-tips-and.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Teacher Jennifer)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2008675846045748548.post-748307190395047040</guid><pubDate>Sun, 19 Feb 2012 20:05:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-02-22T08:19:03.530-08:00</atom:updated><title>Resume Writing 2: Resume Formats - Choosing the Right One</title><description>&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.gcflearnfree.org/resumewriting/2"&gt;GCFLearnFree: Resume Writing 2: Resume Formats - Choosing the Right One&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In this lesson, we will explore the various ways key information is presented on a chronological, functional and combination resume.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note--there are 5 web pages--click at the bottom of each page.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;You can see all of the Resume Writing lessons at &lt;a href="http://www.gcflearnfree.org/resumewriting"&gt;GCFLearnFree: Resume Writing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2008675846045748548-748307190395047040?l=www.milpitaschat.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://www.milpitaschat.com/2012/02/resume-writing-2-resume-formats.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Teacher Jennifer)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2008675846045748548.post-5258705864049081886</guid><pubDate>Sat, 18 Feb 2012 19:59:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-02-22T08:19:42.215-08:00</atom:updated><title>Resume Writing 1: Why You Need a Resume</title><description>&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.gcflearnfree.org/resumewriting/1"&gt;GCFLearnFree: Resume Writing 1: Why You Need a Resume&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In this lesson, you will understand what a resume is and the various ways in which it is used. We will also explore what information is contained in a resume.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note--there are 7 web pages--click at the bottom of each page.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;You can see all of the Resume Writing lessons at &lt;a href="http://www.gcflearnfree.org/resumewriting"&gt;GCFLearnFree: Resume Writing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2008675846045748548-5258705864049081886?l=www.milpitaschat.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://www.milpitaschat.com/2012/02/resume-writing-1-why-you-need-resume.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Teacher Jennifer)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2008675846045748548.post-4780264407939982482</guid><pubDate>Fri, 17 Feb 2012 23:16:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-02-17T15:22:35.704-08:00</atom:updated><title>How To Write a Resume</title><description>&lt;div align="left"&gt;&lt;iframe height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zE-NQAu_qRU" frameborder="0" width="420"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;HowCast: &lt;a href="http://youtu.be/zE-NQAu_qRU"&gt;How To Write a Resume&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Expand the description and view the text of the steps for this how-to video.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Check out Howcast for other do-it-yourself videos from bender and more videos in the Resumes &amp;amp; Cover Letters category.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Want to get yourself out of a bad situation and into a better one? A solid resume is the first step.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;To complete this How-To you will need:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A computer&lt;br /&gt;A printer&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 1: Write name in bold w/ info&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Write your name in bold at the top of the page, followed by your address, phone numbers, and email address. Then center the whole thing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tip: It also helps to make your heading slightly bigger than the rest of your resume so it stands out at the top of the page.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 2: List work history&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;List your work history, starting with your most recent position. Include the place of employment, the dates you were employed there, and the type of job you performed.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tip: If it's your job titles that are impressive, lead with them in bold. If the places you worked are more impressive than what you actually did there, bold them instead.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 3: Summarize positions&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Give a brief summary of what you did at each position.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 4: Adjust to job description&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Look closely at the description of the job you're applying for, and adjust what you've written to emphasize your most relevant skills and experience.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tip: If you're not applying for a specific job, use an "Objective" line to describe what kind of work you're looking for and why you want it.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 5: Leave spaces&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Leave at last three spaces between job summations so your resume is easy to read—even if that means shortening some sections.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 6: List education&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When you're done listing former jobs, list your education, including the school you graduated from and the degree you earned there.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 7: List personal information&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;After your education, list any personal information—like hobbies, interests, or skills—that pertain to the job you're seeking. But leave out the stupid stuff—if you're applying for a job as a mortician, nobody cares if you can juggle.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tip: The most relevant skills to include are proficiency in a foreign language and knowledge of a specific computer application or platform.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 8: Offer references&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Always offer to make "references available upon request" at the end of your resume. It's classy—and if you actually have them, it's even better.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 9: Spell-check your work&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Be sure to spell-check your work, and ask a friend to look it over before you print it out.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 10: Print resume&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When your resume is letter-perfect, print it out on the special paper of your choice.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Thanks for watching How To Write a Resume! If you enjoyed this video subscribe to the Howcast YouTube channel! &lt;a href="http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=howcast"&gt;http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=howcast&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2008675846045748548-4780264407939982482?l=www.milpitaschat.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://www.milpitaschat.com/2012/02/how-to-write-resume.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Teacher Jennifer)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://img.youtube.com/vi/zE-NQAu_qRU/default.jpg" height="72" width="72" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2008675846045748548.post-5648144682815517940</guid><pubDate>Thu, 16 Feb 2012 08:01:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-02-17T15:25:17.266-08:00</atom:updated><title>ESLPodcast 44 - Making a Good Impression</title><description>&lt;a class="l" href="http://www.eslpod.com/website/show_podcast.php?issue_id=1531424"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ESLPodcast 44 - Making a Good Impression&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I have my resume, my transcript, and the address of the office where I'm going for the interview. Now, all I need are my shoes. (&lt;a href="http://media.libsyn.com/media/eslpod/ESLPod44n.mp3"&gt;download podcast&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2008675846045748548-5648144682815517940?l=www.milpitaschat.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://www.milpitaschat.com/2012/02/eslpodcast-44-making-good-impression.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Teacher Jennifer)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2008675846045748548.post-5255905837496504016</guid><pubDate>Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:28:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-02-17T15:30:44.377-08:00</atom:updated><title>ESLPodcast 56 - Hiring for a Job</title><description>&lt;a class="l" href="http://www.eslpod.com/website/show_podcast.php?issue_id=1412108"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ESLPodcast 56 - Hiring for a Job&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;From her resume , I knew that she had had four years of experience working at a telecommunications company. (&lt;a href="http://media.libsyn.com/media/eslpod/ESLPod56n.mp3"&gt;download podcast&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2008675846045748548-5255905837496504016?l=www.milpitaschat.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://www.milpitaschat.com/2012/02/eslpodcast-56-hiring-for-job.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Teacher Jennifer)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2008675846045748548.post-4054000283358273472</guid><pubDate>Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:01:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-02-13T22:16:11.647-08:00</atom:updated><title>Lesson 19 - Valentine's Day - English Vocabulary</title><description>&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;iframe height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/D5ZsOcQzdRk" frameborder="0" width="420" allowfullscreen=""&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;JenniferESL: &lt;a href="http://youtu.be/D5ZsOcQzdRk"&gt;Lesson 19 - Valentine's Day - English Vocabulary&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2008675846045748548-4054000283358273472?l=www.milpitaschat.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://www.milpitaschat.com/2012/02/lesson-19-valentines-day-english.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Teacher Jennifer)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://img.youtube.com/vi/D5ZsOcQzdRk/default.jpg" height="72" width="72" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2008675846045748548.post-1404927527419387667</guid><pubDate>Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:53:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-02-02T13:34:54.236-08:00</atom:updated><title>#10 English Mini Lesson - Groundhog Day (with captions)</title><description>&lt;iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/teeQ0Hm1fZQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;JenniferESL: &lt;a href="http://youtu.be/teeQ0Hm1fZQ"&gt;#10 English Mini Lesson - Groundhog Day (with captions)&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;NOTE: A version of this video with NO CAPTIONS is available on my playlist "English Mini Lessons": &lt;a href="http://youtu.be/w_HS4M1tEr8"&gt;#10 English Mini Lesson - Groundhog Day (no captions) &lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Topic: Groundhog Day&lt;br /&gt;Learn about U.S. culture. Test your listening comprehension of fast speech.&lt;br /&gt;A popular tongue twister is also included for pronunciation practice.&lt;br /&gt;Enjoy!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Special thanks to Stacy Hagen for her contribution. For Stacy's lessons, please visit her channel &lt;a href="http://www.youtube.com/englishwithstacy"&gt;http://www.youtube.com/englishwithstacy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;NOTE: I'm very sorry to announce as of January 2012 links to EnglishCafe will no longer be active due to the site closing. I was very lucky to be a part of that online community while it lasted. I'm also sorry for the loss of additional materials for learners.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;TEACHERS:&lt;br /&gt;Related teaching ideas are available on my WordPress blog.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://englishwithjennifer.wordpress.com/2011/01/26/groundhog-day-activities/"&gt;http://englishwithjennifer.wordpress.com/2011/01/26/groundhog-day-activities/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;MUSIC CREDITS:&lt;br /&gt;"Guitar Hiphop Loop" by hasz retrieved from http://www.flashkit.com/loops/Techno-Dance/Hip_Hop/guitar_h-hasz-9222/ &lt;br /&gt;"Poppy Clip" by Who Else retrieved rom http://www.flashkit.com/loops/Pop-Rock/Pop/Poppy_cl-Who_Else-8472/&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2008675846045748548-1404927527419387667?l=www.milpitaschat.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://www.milpitaschat.com/2012/02/10-english-mini-lesson-groundhog-day.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Teacher Jennifer)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://img.youtube.com/vi/teeQ0Hm1fZQ/default.jpg" height="72" width="72" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2008675846045748548.post-4070029383082096976</guid><pubDate>Sat, 24 Dec 2011 21:16:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2011-12-24T13:16:57.510-08:00</atom:updated><title>Mom</title><description>&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-61daSc6Y1Mw/TvZAoySabSI/AAAAAAAAB7Y/Zd9fNDs9lRc/s1600/mom%2Band%2Bdad.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-61daSc6Y1Mw/TvZAoySabSI/AAAAAAAAB7Y/Zd9fNDs9lRc/s400/mom%2Band%2Bdad.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689806248667147554" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-style:italic;"&gt;On Tuesday, December 20, 2011, my mother passed away after a long illness.  MilpitasChat will resume its regular schedule in the new year.  Thank you.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2008675846045748548-4070029383082096976?l=www.milpitaschat.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://www.milpitaschat.com/2011/12/mom.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Teacher Jennifer)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-61daSc6Y1Mw/TvZAoySabSI/AAAAAAAAB7Y/Zd9fNDs9lRc/s72-c/mom%2Band%2Bdad.jpg" height="72" width="72" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2008675846045748548.post-8050563528657555585</guid><pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:01:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2011-10-01T22:32:23.157-07:00</atom:updated><title>New Series: Banking and Finance</title><description>&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;During Oct and Nov 2011, we will be studying Banking and Finance.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2008675846045748548-8050563528657555585?l=www.milpitaschat.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://www.milpitaschat.com/2011/09/new-series-banking-and-finance.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Teacher Jennifer)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2008675846045748548.post-7499602348760796120</guid><pubDate>Sat, 26 Nov 2011 08:01:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2011-11-26T00:01:01.879-08:00</atom:updated><title>The Difference between Banks and Credit Unions: Part 1</title><description>&lt;iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cawzTSVTP2M" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;larissawalkiw: &lt;a href="http://youtu.be/cawzTSVTP2M"&gt;The Difference between Banks and Credit Unions: Part 1&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Part one of a very two-dimensional financial mini-series.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SimpleWiki &lt;a href="http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credit_union"&gt;Credit Union&lt;/a&gt; definition&lt;/strong&gt;: A &lt;strong&gt;credit union&lt;/strong&gt; is a cooperative financial institution that is owned and controlled by its members. &lt;strong&gt;Credit unions differ from banks and other financial institutions in that the members who have accounts in the credit union are the owners of the credit union - there are no external shareholders.&lt;/strong&gt; Profits from the operations of a credit union are distributed to members in the form of dividends.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The basic services of a credit union are to offer savings accounts and loans to members.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2008675846045748548-7499602348760796120?l=www.milpitaschat.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://www.milpitaschat.com/2011/10/difference-between-banks-and-credit.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Teacher Jennifer)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://img.youtube.com/vi/cawzTSVTP2M/default.jpg" height="72" width="72" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2008675846045748548.post-6372580852204961782</guid><pubDate>Sat, 26 Nov 2011 08:01:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2011-11-26T00:01:01.460-08:00</atom:updated><title>The Difference between Banks and Credit Unions: Part 2</title><description>&lt;iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-rEW6ff3Zao" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;larissawalkiw: &lt;a href="http://youtu.be/-rEW6ff3Zao"&gt;The Difference between Banks and Credit Unions: Part 2&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Part two of a very two-dimensional mini-series featuring the Young &amp; Free Chequing account.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2008675846045748548-6372580852204961782?l=www.milpitaschat.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://www.milpitaschat.com/2011/11/difference-between-banks-and-credit.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Teacher Jennifer)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://img.youtube.com/vi/-rEW6ff3Zao/default.jpg" height="72" width="72" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2008675846045748548.post-5036877787561024236</guid><pubDate>Fri, 18 Nov 2011 02:40:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2011-11-19T18:43:24.745-08:00</atom:updated><title>Microsavings Could Mean Big Gains for the World’s Poor</title><description>&lt;strong&gt;VOA Learning English: &lt;a href="http://www.voanews.com/learningenglish/home/agriculture/Microsavings-Could-Mean-Big-Gains-for-the-Worlds-Poor-134082198.html"&gt;Microsavings Could Mean Big Gains for the World’s Poor&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A conference gathers experts to find ways to bring services to those left out of the financial system ECONOMICS REPORT (&lt;a href="http://www.voanews.com/learningenglish/home/agriculture/Microsavings-Could-Mean-Big-Gains-for-the-Worlds-Poor-134082198.html"&gt;download mp3&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2008675846045748548-5036877787561024236?l=www.milpitaschat.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://www.milpitaschat.com/2011/11/microsavings-could-mean-big-gains-for.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Teacher Jennifer)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2008675846045748548.post-7012023308845193637</guid><pubDate>Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:28:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2011-11-16T10:28:30.589-08:00</atom:updated><title>Microsaving Programs</title><description>&lt;iframe width="480" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/O3jn_rkMOZ4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;VOAVideo: &lt;a href="http://youtu.be/O3jn_rkMOZ4"&gt;Microsaving Programs&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In a series of workshops and plenary sessions, microfinance industry experts from around the world are moving their focus toward some of their newest ideas to help the poor through microsaving programs.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2008675846045748548-7012023308845193637?l=www.milpitaschat.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://www.milpitaschat.com/2011/11/microsaving-programs.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Teacher Jennifer)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://img.youtube.com/vi/O3jn_rkMOZ4/default.jpg" height="72" width="72" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2008675846045748548.post-3180704105296444264</guid><pubDate>Tue, 08 Nov 2011 20:33:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2011-11-08T12:33:18.337-08:00</atom:updated><title>Moving</title><description>&lt;em&gt;I am moving to a new home.  I have limited access to the internet, so my posts will be infrequent.  I hope to resume a regular daily posting schedule soon.  Thanks--Teacher Jennifer&lt;/em&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2008675846045748548-3180704105296444264?l=www.milpitaschat.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://www.milpitaschat.com/2011/11/moving.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Teacher Jennifer)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2008675846045748548.post-3020137354802747296</guid><pubDate>Tue, 01 Nov 2011 18:07:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2011-11-01T11:19:41.115-07:00</atom:updated><title>Día de los Muertos @ St Joseph Cathedral</title><description>&lt;p align="center"&gt;&lt;object width="400" height="300"&gt;&lt;param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&amp;amp;lang=en-us&amp;amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2F24918275%40N07%2Fsets%2F72157628029266684%2Fshow%2F&amp;amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2F24918275%40N07%2Fsets%2F72157628029266684%2F&amp;amp;set_id=72157628029266684&amp;amp;jump_to="&gt;&lt;param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=109615"&gt;&lt;param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"&gt;&lt;embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=109615" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2F24918275%40N07%2Fsets%2F72157628029266684%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2F24918275%40N07%2Fsets%2F72157628029266684%2F&amp;set_id=72157628029266684&amp;jump_to=" width="400" height="300"&gt;&lt;/embed&gt;&lt;/object&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com//photos/24918275@N07/sets/72157628029266684/show/"&gt;The Veterans Altar for Día de los Muertos Celebration @ St Joseph Cathedral &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;WikiHow: &lt;a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Celebrate-Day-of-the-Dead-(Dia-De-Los-Muertos)"&gt;How to Celebrate Day of the Dead (Dia De Los Muertos)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ESOLCourses.com: &lt;a href="http://www.esolcourses.com/topics/day-of-the-dead.html"&gt;Day of the Dead - Worksheets and Exercises on El Día de los Muertos&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2008675846045748548-3020137354802747296?l=www.milpitaschat.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://www.milpitaschat.com/2011/11/dia-de-los-muertos-st-joseph-cathedral.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Teacher Jennifer)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2008675846045748548.post-6899662798181968881</guid><pubDate>Mon, 31 Oct 2011 07:01:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2011-11-01T11:43:29.182-07:00</atom:updated><title>ESL Podcast 734 – Believing in Scary Things</title><description>&lt;a href="http://www.eslpod.com/website/show_podcast.php?issue_id=11046875"&gt;ESL Podcast 734 – Believing in Scary Things &lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.eslpod.com/website/show_podcast.php?issue_id=11046875"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.eslpod.com/website/index_new.html#"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.eslpod.com/eslpod_blog/become-an-esl-podcast-member-today/" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;Do you believe in ghosts? Listen to this episodes and find out if there is something scary waiting for you today. &lt;a href="http://libsyn.com/media/eslpod/ESLPod734.mp3" target="_blank"&gt;Download Podcast&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2008675846045748548-6899662798181968881?l=www.milpitaschat.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://www.milpitaschat.com/2011/11/esl-podcast-734-believing-in-scary.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Teacher Jennifer)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2008675846045748548.post-8688403581310630103</guid><pubDate>Thu, 27 Oct 2011 07:01:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2011-10-27T00:01:01.963-07:00</atom:updated><title>Students Play the Money Game</title><description>&lt;strong&gt;VOAnews: &lt;a href="http://www.voanews.com/english/news/usa/Students-Play-the-Money-Game-132158023.html"&gt;Students Play the Money Game&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Board game inventors want to get kids off on right financial foot (&lt;a href="http://www.voanews.com/MediaAssets2/english/2011_10/MILNE-TYTE_Financial_Literacy_is_a_Game.mp3"&gt;download mp3&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2008675846045748548-8688403581310630103?l=www.milpitaschat.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://www.milpitaschat.com/2011/10/students-play-money-game.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Teacher Jennifer)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2008675846045748548.post-5883494266553997430</guid><pubDate>Wed, 26 Oct 2011 07:01:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2011-10-26T00:01:00.397-07:00</atom:updated><title>Real World of Money Comes to Classroom</title><description>&lt;iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/JbkI3SPZjCo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;VOAVideo: &lt;a href="http://youtu.be/JbkI3SPZjCo"&gt;Real World of Money Comes to Classroom&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In the current economic downturn, many American schools are adding a new subject to the curriculum - financial literacy. One program in Virginia even gets students out of the classroom for a day to learn how far their money will go in the real world. &lt;strong&gt;(&lt;a href="http://www.voanews.com/english/news/usa/Schools-Teach-Real-World-Money-Skills-132148723.html"&gt;read the story&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2008675846045748548-5883494266553997430?l=www.milpitaschat.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://www.milpitaschat.com/2011/10/real-world-of-money-comes-to-classroom.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Teacher Jennifer)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://img.youtube.com/vi/JbkI3SPZjCo/default.jpg" height="72" width="72" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2008675846045748548.post-8869729999138616143</guid><pubDate>Mon, 24 Oct 2011 07:01:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2011-10-24T00:01:00.082-07:00</atom:updated><title>How To Save Money</title><description>&lt;iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ngzqgcPDlcU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Howcast: &lt;a href="http://youtu.be/ngzqgcPDlcU"&gt;How To Save Money&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;People who manage to sock away money -- even on a tight budget -- all live by this motto: Make it over, use it up, make do, or do without. Now you can learn from their secrets!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;To complete this How-To you will need:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Motto&lt;br /&gt;Due diligence&lt;br /&gt;Quality merchandise&lt;br /&gt;Price monitoring&lt;br /&gt;Self-sufficiency&lt;br /&gt;Priorities&lt;br /&gt;Promotion codes (optional)&lt;br /&gt;Coupons (optional)&lt;br /&gt;Free shipping (optional)&lt;br /&gt;Store policies (optional)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 1:&lt;/strong&gt; Do your homework&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Do your homework before buying anything, especially big-ticket items. With the internet, comparison shopping is easier than ever.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tip:&lt;/strong&gt; Once you've made a buying decision, search online for "promotion codes," "coupons," and "free shipping."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 2: Invest in quality&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Buy quality merchandise. It's cheaper in the long run because it won't need to be fixed as often or replaced as soon.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 3: Check every receipt&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Check every store receipt and restaurant bill to make sure you've been charged correctly. If you put a meal on a credit or debit card, keep the restaurant receipt to compare with your credit card or bank statement; some restaurants engage in so-called "tip-jacking," -- adding in a tip or increasing the one you gave them.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tip:&lt;/strong&gt; Know the store policy on price accuracy; some give away an item if it's scanned higher than the advertised cost.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 4: Ask yourself this question&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When buying a non-necessity, like clothing, ask yourself if you really, really love it. If not, put it back. Even if you do love it, wait a few days before buying it; by then, the urge may have completely passed.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 5: Become a do-it-yourselfer&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Become a devotee of do-it-yourself. Learn how to make simple home repairs, do basic sewing, and cook meals from scratch.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 6: Establish priorities&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Set priorities, such as home ownership or early retirement. Saving up is easier if you have savings goals.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Thanks for watching How To Save Money! If you enjoyed this video subscribe to the Howcast YouTube channel! &lt;a href="http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=howcast"&gt;http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=howcast&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2008675846045748548-8869729999138616143?l=www.milpitaschat.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://www.milpitaschat.com/2011/10/how-to-save-money.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Teacher Jennifer)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://img.youtube.com/vi/ngzqgcPDlcU/default.jpg" height="72" width="72" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2008675846045748548.post-5438831185926424334</guid><pubDate>Sun, 23 Oct 2011 05:06:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2011-10-22T22:06:00.950-07:00</atom:updated><title>How To Use Your Credit Card or Debit Card</title><description>&lt;iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fcjbIskie8c" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Howcast: &lt;a href="http://youtu.be/fcjbIskie8c"&gt;How To Use Your Credit Card or Debit Card&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There are times when it's to your advantage to use plastic.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;To complete this How-To you will need:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Information about your credit and debit cards&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 1: Read the fine print&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Read the fine print. Find out exactly what sort of fees you're being charged. Is there a per-transaction fee associated with your debit card? Does your credit card charge a very high Annual Percentage Rate, or APR?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 2: Cover your charges&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Only use your debit card if you have enough money in your checking account to cover your charges. Your bank might have high penalties for dipping below your minimum balance.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 3: Pay off immediately&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Pay back money as soon as possible. If you do have to carry a balance, make sure you have a low APR. A small amount of debt can multiply into something large and unwieldy.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 4: Keep your cards safe&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;No matter which card you use, be sure to keep track of it and to keep the card number safe, and the PIN number for you debit card in a separate, safe place. Be sure to alert your financial institution immediately if your card is lost, stolen, or if you suspect it's being used fraudulently.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Tip: If you use your debit card to make a purchase, opt to use it as a credit card, allowing you to sign for a purchase rather than entering your PIN, which offers you more protection in case of theft.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 5: Use in place of cash&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Great times to use your debit card are when your bank isn't in the area, meaning you'd pay a hefty ATM fee to get cash, or when you simply don't feel like lugging cash around. Enjoy the freedom!&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2008675846045748548-5438831185926424334?l=www.milpitaschat.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://www.milpitaschat.com/2011/10/how-to-use-your-credit-card-or-debit.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Teacher Jennifer)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://img.youtube.com/vi/fcjbIskie8c/default.jpg" height="72" width="72" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2008675846045748548.post-3557661640456506629</guid><pubDate>Thu, 20 Oct 2011 07:01:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2011-10-20T00:01:02.638-07:00</atom:updated><title>How To Decide Between Getting a Credit or Debit Card</title><description>&lt;iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/89arXYBrehU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Howcast: &lt;a href="http://youtu.be/89arXYBrehU"&gt;How To Decide Between Getting a Credit or Debit Card&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In this day and age, people use less paper, and more plastic. But which kind of plastic is best for you?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;To complete this How-To you will need:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Awareness of your spending habits&lt;br /&gt;Knowledge of your credit history&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 1: Assess your finances&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Ask yourself a few questions. What you want to use your credit or debit card for? Is it for convenience? Do you want buyer's insurance? Do you want to improve your credit score?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tip:&lt;/strong&gt; Debit cards are easier to get approved for than credit cards.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 2: Gather information&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Gather all the information. Be sure to read about all charges and rules on both credit and debit cards.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 3: Choose a credit card&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If you think you can pay off the balance in full every month, choose a credit card. It helps you build a credit history, and there are more perks, like rewards, cash back, travel and buyer's insurance. You also get more protection if your information is stolen or lost.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 4: Get a no-fee card&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Choose a "no-fee" card with a zero percent interest introductory rate. Read any pamphlets and updates that the company sends, and pay your in full balance every single month.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 5: Assess your habits&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Be honest with yourself. If you are prone to accruing debt, a debit card is a good choice for debt deterrence, because they are directly linked to your checking account, and you will incur a penalty immediately if you overdraw.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Tip: Merchants will ask you if you'd like "credit" or "debit." Choose "credit" to avoid entering your PIN number, which will protect you from identity theft.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 6: Get a debit card&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If you think you want a debit card, read the bank's policies to see what penalties there are for exceeding your account balance. Remember -- you'll have to keep close track of how much money is in your checking account. Now plunk your plastic with impunity!&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2008675846045748548-3557661640456506629?l=www.milpitaschat.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://www.milpitaschat.com/2011/10/how-to-decide-between-getting-credit-or.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Teacher Jennifer)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://img.youtube.com/vi/89arXYBrehU/default.jpg" height="72" width="72" /></item></channel></rss>

