blog posts Podcast: Taxes Jan 26, 2021 12:00 pm23 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: Tackling Insurance! (Part 2) Nov 3, 2021 12:00 pm6 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 Insurance! (Part 1) Oct 20, 2021 12:00 pm17 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: Student Loan Update Oct 6, 2021 12:00 pm8 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: Student Loans Apr 13, 2021 12:00 pm111 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: Short-selling Mar 24, 2021 12:00 pm15 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: Setting & Prioritizing Financial Goals Dec 20, 2023 12:00 pm48 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: Saving for College with a 529 Savings Plan Feb 10, 2021 12:00 pm147 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: Revisiting Travel Nov 23, 2022 12:00 pm65 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: Return to Repayment (Student Loans Update) Apr 7, 2023 12:00 pm51 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: Renting! Mar 30, 2022 12:00 pm14 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: Reintroductions Jun 2, 2021 12:00 pm7 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: Real Estate May 5, 2021 12:00 pm17 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: Protecting Pets May 10, 2022 12:00 pm25 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: Professional Licensure in Illinois May 19, 2021 12:00 pm12 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: Preventing Identity Theft Oct 22, 2020 12:00 pm58 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: Preparing for Retirement Feb 24, 2021 12:00 pm46 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: Paying for College with Scholarships Nov 18, 2022 12:00 pm91 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: Password Managers Jul 28, 2023 12:00 pm10 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 Partnership Launching with Illinois Division of Financial & Professional Regulation! Aug 31, 2020 9:15 am117 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: Mortgages Apr 14, 2022 12:00 pm21 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: Money Personalities & Financial Well-being Aug 4, 2021 11:00 am45 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: Loan Payments Resumed in October Oct 31, 2023 12:00 pm10 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: Is Crypto the Wild West? Feb 26, 2024 12:00 pm8 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: Investing to Reach Financial Goals Feb 15, 2023 12:00 pm41 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: Investing Basics Mar 9, 2021 12:00 pm18 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: Inflation Nov 17, 2021 12:00 pm15 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: Holiday Savings Tips and New Year's Goals Dec 17, 2020 12:00 pm16 views 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. Podcast: Help with Utility Bills May 3, 2023 12:00 pm6 views 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! Podcast: Help for Renters Jun 21, 2023 12:00 pm6 views 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. Podcast: Help for Homeowners Jun 7, 2023 12:00 pm3 views 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. Podcast: Happy International Women's Day! Mar 8, 2023 12:00 pm45 views In episode 58 of Making Cents of Money, Andrea and Nikki interviewed SMMC's very own Ramya Vaidyanathan about her experience providing financial education to women in India. Podcast: Gross National Happiness Feb 9, 2022 12:00 pm9 views In episode 34 of Making Cents of Money, Gross National Happiness, Jake and Nikki discuss an alternative metric to Gross Domestic Product that some countries use to help monitor the health of their economies called Gross National Happiness. Podcast: Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Dec 22, 2021 12:00 pm24 views In episode 32 of Making Cents of Money, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Andrea, Nikki, and Jake explain Gross Domestic Product as part of an ongoing mini series on economic indicators. Podcast: Get Covered, Illinois May 22, 2023 12:00 pm5 views In episode 62 of Making Cents of Money, Brian Gorman, Director of Outreach & Engagement for Get Covered Illinois, answers our questions about managing healthcare costs. Podcast: Fintech and Digital Assets Feb 1, 2023 12:00 pm52 views In episode 56 of Making Cents of Money, David DeCarlo, IDFPR's Regulatory Innovation Officer, discussed what consumers should know about digital assets and regulation in this new era of fintech. Podcast: Financial Security and Stress Dec 8, 2021 12:00 pm50 views In episode 31 of Making Cents of Money, Financial Security and Stress, Andrea, Nikki, and Jake talk about statistics related to both financial security and stress and tips to deal with them. Podcast: Financial Resolutions! Dec 14, 2022 12:00 pm22 views In episode 54 of Making Cents of Money, Nikki & Andrea talk about some recent changes in setting new years resolutions and how to make finances part of your goals for 2023. Podcast: Financial Planner vs AI Jul 12, 2023 12:00 pm16 views In episode 65 of Making Cents of Money, Financial Planner vs AI, we discuss the pros and cons of using Artificial Intelligence language model, ChatGPT, to answer financial planning questions with the help of Donovan Sanchez, CFP®. Podcast: Financial Education and Financial Literacy Jan 14, 2021 12:00 pm23 views Episode 9 of Making Cents of Money, Financial Education and Financial Literacy, reviewed the state of financial literacy in the United States, programs for pre-K through high school students, and resources to help parents and teachers support learning about finances in a variety of ways. Podcast: Fending Off Fraud Nov 19, 2020 12:00 pm20 views Episode 6 of Making Cents of Money, Fending Off Fraud, discusses what you need to know about the different types of fraud scamers use (especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, how to prevent fraud, and what to do if you become a victim. Podcast: Federal Student Loan Forgiveness Sep 21, 2022 12:00 pm62 views In episode 48 of Making Cents of Money, Andrea and Nikki talk about the differences between the federal student loan cancellation in Biden-Harris Administration's Student Debt Relief Plan and the temporary Public Service Loan Forgiveness Waiver that has a quickly approaching deadline of October 31st. Podcast: Establishing a Vision for Your Life Jan 20, 2022 12:00 pm31 views In episode 33 of Making Cents of Money, Establishing a Vision for Your Life, Andrea, Nikki, and Jake talk to Donovan Sanchez, CFP and instructor of financial planning at University of Illinois Urbana Champaign about making meaningful money choices that allow you to live life now and make progress towards the future. Podcast: Employment Feb 23, 2022 12:00 pm18 views In episode 35 of Making Cents of Money, Employment, Andrea, Jake, and Nikki continue the podcast series on economic indicators by discussing metrics related to employment. Podcast: Emergency Funds Sep 16, 2021 12:00 pm26 views In episode 26 of Making Cents of Money, Emergency Funds, Jake, Nikki, and Andrea discuss the value of building emergency funds and a few ways to get started. Podcast: Dealing with Emergencies Oct 5, 2022 12:00 pm23 views In episode 49 of Making Cents of Money, Nikki and Andrea talk about dealing with a financial emergency, not just how to plan but how to recover once an emergency happens. Podcast: Cryptocurrencies Aug 18, 2021 3:00 pm19 views In episode 24 of Making Cents of Money, Cryptocurrencies, Andrea, Jake, and Nikki talk to Professor Lamont Black from DePaul University about cryptocurrencies, discussing everything from the blockchain technology behind them to their utility in the world of fintech. Podcast: Credit Scores Nov 2, 2022 12:00 pm40 views In episode 51 of Making Cents of Money, Nikki and Andrea discuss some of the ins and outs of credit scores, the credit ecosystem, and building credit to your advantage. Podcast: Credit Reports Update Nov 29, 2023 12:00 pm27 views In episode 74 of Making Cents of Money, Credit Reports Update, we had a Consumer Alert! Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion are allowing access to free, weekly credit reports indefinitely now. Podcast: Conscious Credit Apr 7, 2021 12:00 pm58 views Episode 15 of Making Cents of Money, Conscious Credit, demystifies parts of the credit system in the United States thanks to our guests, Camaya Wallace Bechard, from University of Illinois Extension, and Natalie Daniels, from DePaul University.
