Learning the Ins and Outs of Credit with NWNY
Graduates of NWNY’s LEAD Program join the organization’s founder Arielle Kandel and vice president and manager of Cathay Bank Grace Law at the most recent Meetup.
On January 28, 10 young immigrant women, including several graduates of New Women New Yorker’s LEAD program (a free eight-week workforce development program), joined NWNY director Arielle Kandel at the NYPL Chatham Square library for the organization’s fifth Meetup.
Each of the women attending got a crash course in how to start building credit and keep a handle on her credit score. While it may not be a glamorous topic, it’s a necessary education for anyone who plans to take out a loan to buy a car or house, or to open a business in the future.
So as to offer the most up-to-date presentation on the topic, NWNY enlisted the help of Grace Law, Regional Vice President and Manager of the Chatham Square branch of the Cathay Bank, whose foundation has been a supporter of New Women New Yorkers and the LEAD program for the past 2 years.
Meetup participants practice their personal pitches.
First, Law hit all the basics, explaining what “credit” is, why it is important, how banks determine your credit score, and how you can monitor it. (You can find a helpful explanation of all of these points here.) Then, she explained how to build up your credit score if you have no credit history and have never had a credit card before. (Here’s a good place to start.)
Then, the Meetup switched gears. Participants paired off to focus on networking, and each woman practiced her personal “pitch” — how to introduce yourself and catch the interest of the person you’re speaking with. Anyone looking for a job or seeking to grow her professional network knows how important (and uncomfortable) these introductions can be, which is why practicing with friends and others in similar situations only helps it to get easier and easier.
Interested in joining the LEAD program to practice and get better at networking, public speaking, and teamwork? Find out more and sign up for the next series here.
