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 63 of Making Cents of Money, Kari Byer, Director of the APLD & Investigations, joins us to talk about programs designed to help those who may be struggling with initial and ongoing homeownership costs.

In episode 64 of Making Cents of Money, Kari Byer, Director of the APLD & Investigations, joins us again to talk about programs designed to help find and afford renting a place to live.

In episode 61 of Making Cents of Money, we learn about the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). If you're struggling to pay utilities, apply by May 31!

Episode 8 of Making Cents of Money, Holiday Savings Tips and New Year's Goals, explored tips to help prepare for a less stressful holiday season over the coming year as well as ways to set S.M.A.R.T. goals, be it financial or otherwise.

In episode 129 of Making Cents of Money, Andrea and Kimber take a deep dive into how the apps we use are designed to shape your experience and subtly nudge your brain toward certain decisions every time you log in.

In episode 130 of Making Cents of Money, Andrea and Kimber explore how financial decisions and experiences can be influenced by the infrastructure we use every day which leverages behavioral science in a way that makes it feel like we're designed to spend. 

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.

 In episode 125 of Making Cents of Money, Jake Hamilton returns as a guest to tell us about a new resource for consumers and businesses regarding digital assets (e.g., cryptocurrencies). 

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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. 

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.

Making Cents of Money is partnering with the Illinois Department of Insurance’s Corbin Mcghee for a two-part series about Managing Risk with Insurance. In Part 1, learn why insurance is important and how the coverage you select impacts your wallet and your peace of mind.  

In episode 124 of Making Cents of Money, Corbin McGhee joins us again to continue our conversation on insurance from Part 1 published in early February.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

In episode 106 of Making Cents of Money, Andrea and Kimber discuss the nuances of neurodiversity as it relates to navigating money management.

In episode 101 of Making Cents of Money, join Kimber and Andrea for pointers on pursuing your financial resolutions in the new year.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)! 

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.

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! 

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!

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. 

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.

In episode 126 of Making Cents of Money, Zach Smith from AccessLex joins to discuss upcoming shifts related to federal student loans in the coming 2026-2027 academic year after a series of legislative changes. 

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.

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.