blog posts Behavioral Economics: Five Ways to Shift Your Habits Nov 8, 2023 4:00 pm186 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. ESG: Investing in Values to Make the World a Better Place Oct 4, 2022 4:30 pm181 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. How to Support Wellness While Virtual Mar 18, 2020 4:15 pm178 views Learn ways to enhance your overall wellness in a virtual environment. Know What You Owe Challenge - Fall 2021 Nov 15, 2021 12:00 pm175 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, 2021. Understand Your Refund - Spring 2023 Feb 1, 2023 1:00 pm173 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. Top 5 Financial Reminders for International Students Jun 1, 2020 5:45 pm170 views Tuition & fees will be due before you know it, so here are the top 5 financial reminders for International Students. Know What You Owe Challenge Apr 1, 2021 12:00 pm164 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. Friday the 13th! Financial Planning to Avoid Unlucky Losses Mar 13, 2020 10:00 am155 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 am149 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. More Than Money: What to Consider in a Job Offer Package May 1, 2025 4:00 pm145 views There are more things to consider with a job offer than salary. Read this article to learn how to evaluate the true value of a job position. Understand Your Refund Challenge - Spring 2020 Jan 23, 2020 4:00 pm136 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 Partnership Launching with Illinois Division of Financial & Professional Regulation! Aug 31, 2020 9:15 am136 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! UISAVES Week 1: Goal-setting Feb 16, 2020 11:30 am135 views A strong foundation to any financial plan are goals. Set a goal with #UISAVES to connect with resources to help. universityillinoissaves.org Know What You Owe Challenge Dec 15, 2019 11:45 pm135 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. Opening a Bank Account in the United States Jun 17, 2025 11:15 am131 views Looking to establish a relationship with a financial institution? We've highlighted reasons you might need one and steps to opening a checking or savings account in the U.S. Understand Your Refund - Fall 2023 Sep 1, 2023 1:00 pm130 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 pm129 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: Paying for College with Scholarships Nov 18, 2022 12:00 pm128 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. 6 Considerations for Finding Funding During COVID-19 Oct 2, 2020 4:45 pm125 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 am122 views The Spring 2020 Get Savvy: Grow Your Green Stuff webinar series schedule is out. Register today and #GetSavvy. Podcast: Budgeting Jun 17, 2021 12:00 pm122 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. Podcast: Setting & Prioritizing Financial Goals Dec 20, 2023 12:00 pm122 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! Know What You Owe Challenge Nov 15, 2020 12:00 pm121 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. Spring 2019 Understand Your Refund Quiz Jan 15, 2019 9:45 am117 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. Gratitude & Personal Finances Nov 18, 2022 3:45 pm117 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. Get $avvy - Grow Your Green $tuff Webinars for 2021-2022 Jun 29, 2021 12:00 pm115 views The 2021-2022 Get Savvy: Grow Your Green Stuff annual webinar series schedule is out. Register today and #GetSavvy. Podcast: Unclaimed Property in Illinois Jan 22, 2025 12:00 pm114 views In episode 102 of Making Cents of Money, Treasurer Michael Frerichs joined as a guest to discuss the state of Illinois' process for getting unclaimed property back to the owners. Understand Your Refund - Spring 2024 Feb 1, 2024 7:00 am112 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. UISAVES 2020 runs February 16 - March 7! Feb 13, 2020 12:15 pm111 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 pm110 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. Know What You Owe Challenge Jun 15, 2019 11:45 pm102 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. Publications & Resources Addressing Consumer Needs in U.S. During COVID-19 Apr 7, 2020 2:00 pm101 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. Podcast: Lines of Injustice: What is Redlining? May 6, 2024 12:00 pm98 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. Travel Planning Templates Jul 6, 2021 3:45 pm97 views Getting excited to travel? You can use these templates to help get your planning started for your next trip! Podcast: Preventing Identity Theft Oct 22, 2020 12:00 pm96 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. UISAVES Week 2: Small Amounts Add Up Feb 22, 2020 11:30 am95 views An important part of building a savings habit is understanding how small amounts add up. Podcast: Money Personalities & Financial Well-being Aug 4, 2021 11:00 am93 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: Financial Wellness Concepts Jul 29, 2024 12:00 pm92 views In episode 88 of Making Cents of Money, Financial Wellness Concepts, Nikki and Andrea discuss several terms that are often used interchangeably related to financial wellness and their definitions. Podcast: Financial Security and Stress Dec 8, 2021 12:00 pm91 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: Building Wealth After Graduation Mar 25, 2024 12:00 pm90 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. Credit Cards and Travel Apr 7, 2023 1:00 pm86 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. Get $avvy - Grow Your Green $tuff Webinars Jul 2, 2020 12:00 pm86 views The 2020-2021 Get Savvy: Grow Your Green Stuff annual webinar series schedule is out. Register today and #GetSavvy. Podcast: Credit Scores Nov 2, 2022 12:00 pm86 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. What Are Out-of-Pocket Costs? Apr 29, 2025 8:15 pm85 views When it comes to healthcare, it's hard to keep track of out-of-pocket costs and how it can impact our overall healthcare expenses in a given year. This article sheds light on this complicated topic so you can make more informed choices for your overall wellbeing and your wallet. Saving Up for a Side Hustle May 12, 2023 1:00 pm85 views To complement our Side Hustles & Small Businesses webinar from last fall, we wanted to share some tips on saving up for starting a small business. Podcast: Credit Access Jun 8, 2022 12:00 pm85 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. Summer 2020 #UIMoney Tweet Chat Series Jun 2, 2020 12:30 pm83 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: Federal Student Loan Forgiveness Sep 21, 2022 12:00 pm82 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. Searching for Part-Time Jobs as a Student Sep 30, 2024 5:00 pm82 views Searching for part-time work? In order to land that side hustle, it helps to know where to go, how to prepare your application materials, and what to ask when it comes to the interviewing process. Podcast: Conscious Consumerism Mar 13, 2023 12:00 pm81 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.
