Things to do in Madison this Summer

April 29th, 2008

Things to do in Madison this summer:

4/19-6/28- The Circus comes to the Chazen (Chazen Meseum of Art next to Humanities on campus): Two circus themed exhibitions: Ringmaster Judy Onofrio and the Art of the Circus Brittingham Galleries VI and VII and Harry A. Atwell, Circus photographer, in the Mayer Gallery. The Chazen will also host a special weekend of circus celebrations, featuring performers, music, and food, on May 9^th and 10^th.

5/21- Tunes at the Monona Terrace: It’s free except for the purchase of drinks, both alcoholic and non alcoholic.

6/5-6/8: Isthmus Jazz Festival (Memorial Union Terrace): It’s free and open to all ages. There are jazz performances that reflect a century’s worth of jazz styles. Dixieland, big band swing, bebop and Latin jazz and free jazz. Are all intermixed.

6/14- Taste of the Arts Fair (Sun Prairie): More than 100 artists gather to showcase antiques , specialty food vendors, entertainment, children’s play area and free parking.

6/25-7/30- Concerts on the Square (Capitol Square): Come and listen to the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, lead by Andrew Maestro Sewell, will perform six consecutive concerts on Wednesday evenings beginning at 7:00 pm. Bring a blanket, and a picnic to enjoy, but there are vendors on hand just incase!

6/26-7/6- Summerfest (Milwaukee): Summerfest needs no explanation, but incase you haven’t heard of it before, there is a mix on concerts; some free and some that charge admission. They have everything from country, to punk, to oldies like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. There are exhibits ad tons of things to buy while enjoying the weather on Milwaukee’s lakefront.

6/28- Rhythm and Booms (Warner Park on the east side): Midwest largest fireworks display set to music. Before the fireworks begin at dusk there are carnival rides for children, a midway, and a food court.

6/27-6/29- Badger State Games (Campus Area): Annual Olympic style games for Wisconsin amateur athletes of all ages and abilities. The competition is across 27 sports across 50 different sites around the city. Some of the sports include basketball, disc golf, archery, marathons, cycling, martial arts, rowing, soccer and ultimate Frisbee. It does cost money to participate but it isn’t more than $20 depending on the sport, and if you win a gold or silver medal you can advance to the national competition.

6/5-7/24- Concerts on the Rooftop (Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center): Concerts are open to the public at no charge, so bring your friends and families. The concerts styles are casual. Seating on the rooftop is limited so bring a blanket or a lawn chair. Concessions (sandwiches, snacks, beer, wine, cocktails, and soft drinks) are available for purchase beginning at 5:30 PM.

7/12-7/13- Art Fair On and Off the Square (off is at the Monona Terrace): Joi the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art for a special 50^th anniversary celebration of art fair on the square. It’s located at Madison’s Capitol Concourse and houses displays of nearly 500 artists from across the country, as well as live music and various kids’ activities.

7/18/-720- Maxwell Street Days: Biggest sale days in Madison downtown. Enjoy shows at the Overture Center for the arts, visit the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Monona Terrace and Convention Center, or just hang out by the lake!

7/31-8/10- Wisconsin State Fair: The Main Stage features performances by Boyz II Men, Vanessa Huggens, Blake Shelton, Josh Turner, and Pat Green, and Reo Speedwagon among others. There’s also agricultural exhibits, food, shopping, 30 free stages of local and national entertainment, and much more! Admission is $8 if you purchase tickets after June 30^th, and parking is $9 per vehicle.

8/1-8/22- Dane Dances (Monona Terrance Community and Convention Center): A community event created to help breakdown racial barriers and bring people of diverse backgrounds together for a night of free entertainment and dancing. There will be ethnic food and cocktails available for purchase.

8/6-9/3: Jazz at Five Concert Series (Library Mall, State Street): Free concert series, featuring some of the best jazz musicians, in the city at the top of State Street for five consecutive Wednesdays during August and September.

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What’s Up With FICO Scores

April 21st, 2008

I had the opportunity to sit down with Kimberlie Hooker from Andorra Credit Repair (www.andorracreditrepair.com) to talk about FICO scores and the common misconceptions about them. The interview was very informative and I learned a lot about what goes into a FICO score and how small things can have a big impact. A FICO score is what a lender looks at when you try to obtain credit, for example a mortgage lender will look at your FICO score to determine what type of interest rate you get. One thing to know is that a credit score, unless it says it is a FICO score, is not what lenders see and it can in fact be significantly different from your FICO score.

There are five different things that affect a credit score: payment history, capacity, credit history, types of credit and new credit. Paying attention to each of these is extremely important to maintaining good credit.

She also mentioned the opportunity given to consumers to check their credit reports once a year through each of the three agencies, Transunion, Equifax and Experian. By going to the site www.annualcreditreport.com you have access to your credit reports from these three agencies for free. But remember that these are only your credit REPORTS, not credit scores. The place to get your accurate credit score is myfico.com. BUT you will be charged to get your FICO score.

Check back for our next installment in our Credit Month series.

Post a comment if you have any questions about credit or suggestions for future shows.

-Kelsey Balcaitis, Talking Cents Team Member

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Credit 101

April 14th, 2008

I had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Kimberlie Hooker from Andorra Credit Repair (www.andorracreditrepair.com). We discussed the basics of credit including topics such as identity protection, credit scores, myths of credit and many other topics regarding credit.

One thing she made very clear was how important it is to know what impacts your credit score. Things like late payments can impact your credit score 50-100 points. She stresses the importance for college students to know what impacts your score and knowing how to build good credit. She also talks about the importance of protecting your identity. Websites such as www.optoutprescreen.com can stop the pre-approved offers from coming to your mailbox. Another important protection is the option to enact a security freeze on your credit report. The security freeze prevents anyone from pulling your credit score without a pin number that you are provided with once you use a security freeze.

Hooker suggests that a revolving credit card is a good way to build credit. But she stresses the importance of not maxing out your cards, only using up to 30% of the available credit and making your payments on time. Other forms of credit such as a car loan help to build credit as well. If someone has issues with their credit, they could also try a secured credit card.

It’s important to remember that credit impacts a lot of things in your life such as buying a home, getting a car, even getting a job.

Pay attention for the next credit installment, FICO Scores and Everything About Them with Kimberlie Hooker, which will be available next week.

Post a comment if you have any other questions about credit or suggestions for other shows.

- Kelsey Balcaitis, Talking Cents Team Member

Listen Now:

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