SMMC News & Events Blog

This blog highlights news, events, and informative articles on personal finance from University of Illinois System's Student Money Management Center. Feel free to navigate to different categories with the list of topics on the right or search for a specific topic next to the view all link below.

In episode 135 of Making Cents of Money, Andrea and Kimber discuss 13 ways to face financial fears, build better budgets, and protect your financial future from metaphorical black cats and broken mirrors.

In episode 134 of Making Cents of Money, IDFPR Deputy Director Kari Beyer joins us again to walk through the seven steps to ownership as well as details about down payments, PMI, and more to know as an aspiring homeowner.

In episode 133 of Making Cents of Money, IDFPR Deputy Director Kari Beyer joins us to break down the Illinois housing landscape, what your budget really includes, how equity works, and renting basics to answer the age-old question: "to rent or to buy?".

In episode 132 of Making Cents of Money, IDFPR Deputy General Counsel Greg Jones joins Andrea and Kimber to break down the warning signs of student loan scams and explain how enforcement actions by IDFPR help protect borrowers.

In episode 131 of Making Cents of Money, Andrea and Kimber wrap up the mini-series on how app design shapes financial behaviors by discussing dark patterns in design choices that can influence what you click, buy, or agree to without you even realizing it.