blog posts Top 5 Financial Reminders for International Students Jun 1, 2020 5:45 pm164 views Tuition & fees will be due before you know it, so here are the top 5 financial reminders for International Students. Behavioral Economics: Five Ways to Shift Your Habits Nov 8, 2023 4:00 pm162 views When considering decision-making in terms of your finances, it’s important to understand behavioral economics so we can develop healthier spending habits and save money along the way. Know What You Owe Challenge Apr 1, 2021 12:00 pm159 views About half of students at the University of Illinois take out loans to fund their degrees. Make sure you're not surprised by the amount of student loans you have taken out when you graduate by taking the Know What You Owe Challenge which runs April 1 - May 1, 2021. ESG: Investing in Values to Make the World a Better Place Oct 4, 2022 4:30 pm156 views Investing has become more than just seeking financial returns. It can be a means to support organizations, projects, and companies that align with your values. Read on to learn more about ESG and what it means to consumer influence. Understand Your Refund - Fall 2024 Aug 29, 2024 7:00 am147 views Many students end up unable to register every semester because they owe money back to the university, even after receiving a refund. Learn answers to frequently asked questions about refunds and get entered to win one of five $50 gift cards. Friday the 13th! Financial Planning to Avoid Unlucky Losses Mar 13, 2020 10:00 am145 views Friday the 13th is often considered an unlucky day, but let's talk about how to improve your luck with personal finance! Know What You Owe Challenge - Spring 2024 Apr 1, 2024 8:00 am136 views About half of students at the University of Illinois take out loans to fund their degrees. Make sure you're not surprised by the amount of student loans you have taken out when you graduate by taking the Know What You Owe Challenge which runs April 1 - May 1, 2024. Understand Your Refund Challenge - Spring 2020 Jan 23, 2020 4:00 pm131 views Hundreds of students end up unable to register every semester because they owe money back to the university, even after receiving a refund. Learn how to avoid being one of them. Know What You Owe Challenge Dec 15, 2019 11:45 pm130 views Over half of students at the University of Illinois take out loans to fund their degrees. Make sure you're not surprised by the amount of student loans you have taken out when you graduate by taking the Know What You Owe Challenge. UISAVES Week 1: Goal-setting Feb 16, 2020 11:30 am128 views A strong foundation to any financial plan are goals. Set a goal with #UISAVES to connect with resources to help. universityillinoissaves.org Podcast Partnership Launching with Illinois Division of Financial & Professional Regulation! Aug 31, 2020 9:15 am126 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! Understand Your Refund - Fall 2023 Sep 1, 2023 1:00 pm125 views Hundreds of students end up unable to register every semester because they owe money back to the university, even after receiving a refund. Learn how to avoid being one of them. Podcast: Student Loans Apr 13, 2021 12:00 pm121 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! 6 Considerations for Finding Funding During COVID-19 Oct 2, 2020 4:45 pm118 views Finding money for your education, especially grad school, can be more difficult now. Read the 6 considerations for finding funding during COVID-19 to learn about searching for fellowships. Get $avvy - Grow Your Green $tuff Webinar Series (Spring 2020) Jan 29, 2020 8:00 am117 views The Spring 2020 Get Savvy: Grow Your Green Stuff webinar series schedule is out. Register today and #GetSavvy. Know What You Owe Challenge Nov 15, 2020 12:00 pm116 views About half of students at the University of Illinois take out loans to fund their degrees. Make sure you're not surprised by the amount of student loans you have taken out when you graduate by taking the Know What You Owe Challenge. Podcast: Paying for College with Scholarships Nov 18, 2022 12:00 pm116 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. Gratitude & Personal Finances Nov 18, 2022 3:45 pm114 views There are so many things to be grateful for in this life. As we go into the holiday season, in this article we will discuss about how gratitude impacts our finances. Spring 2019 Understand Your Refund Quiz Jan 15, 2019 9:45 am112 views Hundreds of students end up unable to register every semester because they owe money back to the university, even after receiving a refund. Learn how to avoid being one of them. Podcast: Budgeting Jun 17, 2021 12:00 pm111 views In episode 20 of Making Cents of Money, Budgeting, Nikki, Andrea, and Jake cover a few of the most popular budgeting (or spending plan, if you prefer) methods to help you think about building a financial plan. Get $avvy - Grow Your Green $tuff Webinars for 2021-2022 Jun 29, 2021 12:00 pm109 views The 2021-2022 Get Savvy: Grow Your Green Stuff annual webinar series schedule is out. Register today and #GetSavvy. UISAVES 2020 runs February 16 - March 7! Feb 13, 2020 12:15 pm106 views The overall goal of UISAVES is to create a culture of savings at our three universities – University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois at Chicago, and University of Illinois at Springfield. Read on to learn what we're doing for the 2020 campaign! Podcast: Understanding Credit Nov 10, 2020 12:00 pm104 views Episode 5 of Making Cents of Money, Understanding Credit, explores the complicated world of credit to help demystify things like scores, reports, and credit management. Understand Your Refund - Spring 2024 Feb 1, 2024 7:00 am100 views Many students end up unable to register every semester because they owe money back to the university, even after receiving a refund. Learn answers to frequently asked questions about refunds. Publications & Resources Addressing Consumer Needs in U.S. During COVID-19 Apr 7, 2020 2:00 pm97 views We've compiled a list of federal websites & resources related to the COVID-19 pandemic that may be helpful in addressing some of your financial questions. Know What You Owe Challenge Jun 15, 2019 11:45 pm97 views Over half of students at the University of Illinois take out loans to fund their degrees. Make sure you're not surprised by the amount of student loans you have taken out when you graduate by taking the Know What You Owe Challenge. Travel Planning Templates Jul 6, 2021 3:45 pm91 views Getting excited to travel? You can use these templates to help get your planning started for your next trip! UISAVES Week 2: Small Amounts Add Up Feb 22, 2020 11:30 am89 views An important part of building a savings habit is understanding how small amounts add up. Get $avvy - Grow Your Green $tuff Webinars Jul 2, 2020 12:00 pm81 views The 2020-2021 Get Savvy: Grow Your Green Stuff annual webinar series schedule is out. Register today and #GetSavvy. Podcast: Setting & Prioritizing Financial Goals Dec 20, 2023 12:00 pm80 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! Credit Cards and Travel Apr 7, 2023 1:00 pm79 views Travel credit cards have become very popular, offering a wide range of benefits if you use them wisely. Read on to learn about the pros and cons of using credit cards during travel and strategies for responsible credit card use. Summer 2020 #UIMoney Tweet Chat Series Jun 2, 2020 12:30 pm78 views SMMC is hosting several tweet chats this summer to help our students, alumni, and friends prepare for a variety of financial transitions during a time filled with uncertainty. Podcast: Credit Scores Nov 2, 2022 12:00 pm78 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: Financial Security and Stress Dec 8, 2021 12:00 pm78 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: Conscious Consumerism Mar 13, 2023 12:00 pm75 views In episode 59 of Making Cents of Money, Andrea and Nikki discuss the meaning of conscious consumerism and how aligning your spending with your values can make an impact. Podcast: Building Wealth After Graduation Mar 25, 2024 12:00 pm74 views In episode 80 of Making Cents of Money, Building Wealth After Graduation, Donovan Sanchez returns to talk about how to navigate juggling multiple goals during the transition to life after college. Podcast: Federal Student Loan Forgiveness Sep 21, 2022 12:00 pm74 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: Preventing Identity Theft Oct 22, 2020 12:00 pm72 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: Revisiting Travel Nov 23, 2022 12:00 pm72 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. Know What You Owe Challenge - Spring 2022 Apr 1, 2022 12:00 pm69 views About half of students at the University of Illinois take out loans to fund their degrees. Make sure you're not surprised by the amount of student loans you have taken out when you graduate by taking the Know What You Owe Challenge which runs April 1 - May 1, 2022. Podcast: Conscious Credit Apr 7, 2021 12:00 pm69 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. Podcast: Credit Access Jun 8, 2022 12:00 pm68 views In episode 42 of Making Cents of Money, Andrea and Nikki spoke with Camaya Wallace Bechard from University of Illinois Extension about access to credit, options for building and improving credit, and warning signs to watch out for. Podcast: Lines of Injustice: What is Redlining? May 6, 2024 12:00 pm67 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. UIUC - Emergency Grants Available for Graduate Students Aug 23, 2021 9:30 am65 views The application period is now open for HEERF III COVID-19 Emergency Grants for graduate students at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Podcast: PSLF Seekers in SAVE: Costs of Administrative Forbearance Sep 10, 2024 12:00 pm65 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. Know What You Owe Challenge - Fall 2022 Nov 15, 2022 8:00 am65 views About half of students at the University of Illinois take out loans to fund their degrees. Make sure you're not surprised by the amount of student loans you have taken out when you graduate by taking the Know What You Owe Challenge which runs November 15 - December 15, 2022. Food Insecurity Takes on New Meaning in 2020 Sep 25, 2020 1:00 pm64 views As Hunger Action Month comes to a close, we're reflect on how food insecurity has looked different in 2020 than in previous years. Podcast: Return to Repayment (Student Loans Update) Apr 7, 2023 12:00 pm61 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: Fintech and Digital Assets Feb 1, 2023 12:00 pm58 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: Wealth Building as a Balancing Act Jan 19, 2023 12:00 pm57 views In episode 55 of Making Cents of Money, Donovan Sanchez from University of Illinois' Financial Planning program talks about wealth building as a balancing act.