blog posts Podcast: Inflation Nov 17, 2021 12:00 pm32 views In episode 30 of Making Cents of Money, Inflation, Jake, Nikki, and Andrea discuss what inflation is as one of many metrics to gauge how an economy is doing and how it impacts our spending power as consumers. Podcast: Investing Basics Mar 9, 2021 12:00 pm38 views Episode 13 of Making Cents of Money, Investing Basics, covered common terms and concepts related to investing in the stock market in preparation for our Get Savvy: Grow Your Green Stuff webinar, Investing Basics, on 3/10. Podcast: Investing to Reach Financial Goals Feb 15, 2023 12:00 pm60 views In episode 57 of Making Cents of Money, Andrea and Nikki interviewed Alan Sorcher and Anne McKinley from the US Securities and Exchange Commission on strategic ways to approach investing to build wealth. Podcast: Is Crypto the Wild West? Feb 26, 2024 12:00 pm37 views In episode 78 of Making Cents of Money, Is Crypto the Wild West?, David DeCarlo and Jake Hamilton join us to discuss what regulation does and does not exist for consumers regarding crypto. Podcast: Lines of Injustice: What is Redlining? May 6, 2024 12:00 pm132 views In episode 83 of Making Cents of Money, Lines of Injustice: What is Redlining?, DFPR Secretary Mario Treto, Jr. discusses the topic of redlining and how it leads to disparities for generations. Podcast: Loan Payments Resumed in October Oct 31, 2023 12:00 pm29 views In episode 73 of Making Cents of Money, Loan Payments Resumed in October, we discussed the "on-ramp" to repayment being implemented by the U.S. Department of Education as millions of borrowers started making payments on their federal loans again in October. Podcast: Money and Relationships Feb 14, 2025 12:00 pm91 views In episode 104 of Making Cents of Money, Andrea & Kimber discuss considerations for navigating financial management when it comes to relationships, be them romantic, familial, or with friends and roommates. Podcast: Money & Happiness Dec 19, 2025 12:00 pm12 views Can money really buy happiness? On this episode of Making Cents of Money, we unwrap the science behind money and joy with Donovan Sanchez who returns to discuss his primary research interest. From hedonic adaptation to pro-social spending, learn ways to boost well-being without breaking the bank. Podcast: Money Personalities & Financial Well-being Aug 4, 2021 11:00 am111 views In episode 23 of Making Cents of Money, Money Personalities & Financial Well-being, Andrea, Jake, and Nikki discuss several financial personality inventories and the CFPB's financial well-being scale as tools to better understand financial values, habits, and internal feelings around money. Podcast: Mortgages Apr 14, 2022 12:00 pm36 views In episode 38 of Making Cents of Money, Renting!, Andrea, Jake, and Nikki interview IDFPR's Anti-Predatory Lending Database Director, Kari Beyer, about the ins and outs of mortgages. Podcast: National Financial Capability Month Apr 4, 2025 12:00 pm19 views In episode 107 of Making Cents of Money, Kimber and Andrea talk about National Financial Capability Month which runs the entirety of April every year. Podcast: Neurodiversity and Financial Strategies Mar 26, 2025 12:00 pm96 views In episode 106 of Making Cents of Money, Andrea and Kimber discuss the nuances of neurodiversity as it relates to navigating money management. Podcast: New Year, New Financial Resolutions Dec 28, 2024 12:00 pm46 views In episode 101 of Making Cents of Money, join Kimber and Andrea for pointers on pursuing your financial resolutions in the new year. Podcast: On Ramp to Repayment Ends 9/30 for Federal Loan Borrowers Sep 16, 2024 12:00 pm49 views In episode 93 of Making Cents of Money, Brad Fletcher joins us yet again to talk about the On Ramp to Repayment ending on September 30, 2024, and what that means for borrowers currently in repayment. Podcast Partnership Launching with Illinois Division of Financial & Professional Regulation! Aug 31, 2020 9:15 am147 views A new podcast launched today, Making Cents of Money, co-hosted by our very own Andrea Pellegrini and Illinois Division of Financial & Professional Regulation's Nikki Giancola-Shanks! Podcast: Password Managers Jul 28, 2023 12:00 pm51 views In episode 66 of Making Cents of Money, Password Managers, we explore what password managers are and how they can be leveraged to protect your important information. Podcast: Paying for College with Scholarships Nov 18, 2022 12:00 pm166 views In episode 52 of Making Cents of Money, Nikki and Andrea talk to special guest, Kara Holloway, Director of Scholarships at UIC, about paying for college with scholarships. Podcast: Preparing for Retirement Feb 24, 2021 12:00 pm78 views Episode 12 of Making Cents of Money, Preparing for Retirement, discussed the retirement savings crisis, the different types of retirement plans that exist, and the Secure Choice plan in Illinois. Listen to special guest, Courtney Eccles, from the Illinois Treasurer's Office to learn more about the Secure Choice program for small businesses in Illinois. Podcast: Preventing Identity Theft Oct 22, 2020 12:00 pm107 views Episode 4 of Making Cents of Money, Preventing Identity Theft, looks at identity theft and fraud statistics as well as how we can protect our money from potential theft. Podcast: Prioritizing Your Paid Time Off Nov 24, 2025 12:00 pm16 views In episode 119 of Making Cents of Money, Kimber & Andrea discuss the value and importance of using your paid time off benefits. Don't let the benefits you've earned slip away, especially during the season of spending time with family & friends. Podcast: Professional Licensure in Illinois May 19, 2021 12:00 pm35 views Episode 18 of Making Cents of Money, Professional Licensure in Illinois, helps us understand the scope of professional licensing in Illinois across many different industries and some protections in place for consumers. Podcast: Protecting Pets May 10, 2022 12:00 pm42 views In episode 39 of Making Cents of Money, Protecting Pets, Andrea, Jake, and Nikki discuss pet insurance and other ways to handle the financial risk of vet bills for our pets with Presley Fee, Digital Financial Planning Program Coordinator at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Podcast: PSLF Seekers in SAVE: Costs of Administrative Forbearance Sep 10, 2024 12:00 pm82 views In episode 92 of Making Cents of Money, Brad Fletcher joins us again to talk about the current state of student loans on the SAVE repayment plan and the PSLF Buyback program for borrowers nearing completion of their PSLF requirements. Podcast: PSLF Transition Update May 20, 2024 12:00 pm34 views In episode 84 of Making Cents of Money, Brad Fletcher from IDFPR joins to discuss the current state of transition for borrowers seeking Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). Podcast: Real Estate May 5, 2021 12:00 pm36 views Episode 17 of Making Cents of Money, Real Estate, explains the world of real estate professions and what to consider when hiring professionals to help you buy or manage a home or other real estate property! Podcast: Reintroductions Jun 2, 2021 12:00 pm28 views Episode 19 of Making Cents of Money, Reintroductions, lets us learn more about one of the co-hosts, Jake Hamilton, the history behind the podcast, and what's in store for the future of this audio teaching medium. Podcast: Renting! Mar 30, 2022 12:00 pm30 views In episode 37 of Making Cents of Money, Renting!, Andrea, Jake, and Nikki discuss the basic steps and what to watch for when renting a place to live. Podcast: Retirement Savings in Illinois Aug 26, 2024 12:00 pm67 views In episode 91 of Making Cents of Money, Retirement Savings in Illinois, Christine Cheng from the Illinois Treasurer's office discusses how Illinois is addressing barriers to planning for retirement and helping small businesses provide retirement benefits to their employees. Podcast: Return to Repayment (Student Loans Update) Apr 7, 2023 12:00 pm76 views In episode 60 of Making Cents of Money, Andrea and Nikki talk about the current status of federal student loans and how to prepare for the return to repayment which is expected in the next few months. Podcast: Revisiting Travel Nov 23, 2022 12:00 pm84 views In episode 53 of Making Cents of Money, Andrea & Nikki discuss a few updates to consider when traveling before re-airing the Time to Travel podcast from July 2021. Podcast: Saving for College with a 529 Savings Plan Feb 10, 2021 12:00 pm523 views Episode 11 of Making Cents of Money, Saving for College with a 529 Savings Plan, explored 529 plans, including how they function, a bit on their history, and how they differ from other savings vehicles. Listen to special guests, Fernando Diaz and John Mitchell, from the Illinois Treasurer's Office to learn more about options in Illinois. Podcast: Saving Money on Holiday Travel Nov 6, 2024 8:00 am64 views In episode 97 of Making Cents of Money, Andrea and Kimber discuss a variety of ways to save on travel during the holidays (and beyond)! Podcast: Selling a Home Jul 20, 2022 12:00 pm30 views In episode 45 of Making Cents of Money, Andrea and Nikki discuss many aspects of selling a home so you can make more informed choices when it comes time to sell your own home. Podcast: Setting & Prioritizing Financial Goals Dec 20, 2023 12:00 pm142 views In episode 75 of Making Cents of Money, Setting & Prioritizing Financial Goals, Nikki and Andrea discussed several strategies for setting, prioritizing, and re-prioritizing financial goals... just in time for the new year! Podcast: Shopping for Appliances Jul 8, 2022 12:00 pm22 views In episode 44 of Making Cents of Money, Nikki and Andrea talk about shopping for appliances, and they've focused on times when it may be a surprise shopping need! Podcast: Short-selling Mar 24, 2021 12:00 pm40 views Episode 14 of Making Cents of Money, Short-selling, allowed us to interview Chasse Rehwinkel about the investing method that's become so popular in the media over the past few months. Podcast: Stages of Financial Behavior Change Mar 10, 2025 12:00 pm79 views In episode 105 of Making Cents of Money, Emily Harmon, Illinois Extension Family Life Educator, joins Kimber & Andrea to delve into the Transtheoretical Model which can help explain why behavior change relating to finances can be challenging. Podcast: Student Loan Repayment in 2025 Nov 6, 2025 12:00 pm209 views In episode 118 of Making Cents of Money, Andrea & Kimber summarize the last 5 years of student loan policy shifts and highlight recent changes impacting borrowers' options for managing their federal (and private) student loans. Podcast: Student Loan Repayment (update) May 25, 2022 12:00 pm75 views In episode 41 of Making Cents of Money, Andrea and Nikki discuss some of the big updates on federal student loans that have occured over the past couple months. Podcast: Student Loans Apr 13, 2021 12:00 pm133 views Episode 16 of Making Cents of Money, Student Loans, lays out some student loan statistics, considerations, and protections for borrowers in preparation for our webinar on Student Loan Repayment tomorrow! Podcast: Student Loan Update Oct 6, 2021 12:00 pm21 views In episode 27 of Making Cents of Money, Student Loan Update, Jake and Nikki gave a quick update on the state of federal student loans. Podcast: Tackling Insurance! (Part 1) Oct 20, 2021 12:00 pm42 views In episode 28 of Making Cents of Money, Tackling Insurance! (Part 1), Deputy Director of Consumer Education & Protection at the Illinois Department of Insurance, Patrice Dziire, talked to us about auto, home, renters, and life insurance. Podcast: Tackling Insurance! (Part 2) Nov 3, 2021 12:00 pm24 views In episode 29 of Making Cents of Money, Tackling Insurance! (Part 2), Nikki and Jake talked with Laura Pellikan from the Illinois Department of Insurance about the basics of health insurance and ways you can get covered. Podcast: Tackling Tariffs Jun 25, 2025 12:00 pm42 views In episode 112 of Making Cents of Money, we're celebrating 529 day with the Office of the Illinois State Treasurer who manages two nationally acclaimed 529 qualified tuition programs: Bright Start & Bright Directions. Podcast: Tackling Tariffs (Part 2) Jul 23, 2025 12:00 pm28 views In episode 113 of Making Cents of Money, learn more from economist Chasse Rehwinkel about the economic impact tariffs have on specific industries and the domino effect that it has on the economy in the United States and abroad. Podcast: Taxes Jan 26, 2021 12:00 pm49 views Episode 10 of Making Cents of Money, Taxes, discussed common terms, forms, and considerations for filing taxes in preparation for our Get Savvy: Grow Your Green Stuff webinar, Tackling Taxes, on 1/27. Podcast: Tax Talk Feb 9, 2024 12:00 pm27 views In episode 77 of Making Cents of Money, Tax Talk, Andrea and Nikki talk tax... forms, terms, and more as the April 15 federal tax deadline approaches. Podcast: Technology and Your Money Oct 5, 2020 12:00 pm32 views Episode 3 of Making Cents of Money, Technology and Your Money, explores how financial technologies are evolving and what that means for keeping our money safe. Podcast: The Anti-Predatory Lending Database Dec 3, 2020 12:00 pm75 views Episode 7 of Making Cents of Money, The Anti-Predatory Lending Database, discusses predatory lending and the Anti-Predatory Lending Database (APLD) in Illinois. Katie Liss from IDFPR Division of Banking breaks down predatory lending in mortgages and how the APLD helps mitigate some predatory lending practices. Podcast: The Community Reinvestment Act Aug 17, 2022 12:00 pm34 views In episode 47 of Making Cents of Money, Chasse Rehwinkel joined Nikki & Andrea to discuss the Community Reinvestment Act and how it is intended to support economic equality.
