blog posts Podcast: 529 Day May 29, 2025 12:00 pm13 views In episode 111 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: Appraisal Bias Jul 15, 2024 12:00 pm25 views In episode 87 of Making Cents of Money, IDFPR Deputy Secretary Ericka Johnson breaks down what appraisal bias is, how it affects consumers, and what you can do if you believe you're a victim. Podcast: April 30th Student Loan Deadline Apr 8, 2024 12:00 pm39 views In episode 81 of Making Cents of Money, April 30th Student Loan Deadline, we discuss a critical deadline for FFEL, Perkins, or Health Education Assistance Loans (HEAL) borrowers on income-driven repayment (IDR) plans. Podcast: Avoiding Job Scams Apr 21, 2025 12:00 pm19 views In episode 109 of Making Cents of Money, Kwabena Adjei, our own SMMC Support Specialist, joins Kimber and Andrea to explain how to avoid job scams based research he did for his recent blog post. Podcast: Back to School - College & Credit Aug 12, 2024 12:00 pm42 views In episode 90 of Making Cents of Money, Back to School: College & Credit, Kimber & Andrea discuss credit cards and financing options for students and families, including the different tools and their short and long-term impacts. Podcast: Banked or Unbanked - Choosing Financial Services for You Sep 23, 2020 12:00 pm44 views Episode 2 of Making Cents of Money, Banked or Unbanked - Choosing Financial Services for You, is all about defining unbanked/underbanked, the differences between banks & credit unions, and how to choose the right financial institution for you. Learn from Illinois' Director of Banking, Chasse Rehwinkel, and Director of Financial Institutions, Francisco Menchaca. Podcast: Basic Needs & Needs Insecurity Oct 7, 2024 12:00 pm14 views In episode 95 of Making Cents of Money, basic needs and needs security and some adjacent terms, like financial fragility, are discussed by our co-hosts, Kimber and Andrea. Podcast: Becoming an Entrepreneur! Oct 19, 2022 12:00 pm60 views In episode 50 of Making Cents of Money, Steve Bob from UIC Entrepreneurial Support Program joins Andrea and Nikki to discuss what to think about when it comes to starting your own business. 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: 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. Podcast: Buying a Car! Jul 21, 2021 12:00 pm27 views In episode 22 of Making Cents of Money, Buying a Car!, Nikki, Andrea, and Jake explain the true costs of car ownership as well as the terms and tools to know about before you buy your next vehicle. Podcast: Buying a Home! Mar 16, 2022 12:00 pm42 views In episode 36 of Making Cents of Money, Buying a Home!, Andrea, Jake, and Nikki explain terminology, tools, and the basics steps of buying a home. Podcast: Choosing a Credit Card Jun 22, 2022 12:00 pm52 views In episode 43 of Making Cents of Money, Nikki and Andrea discuss what you may want to consider when it comes to choosing a credit card. Podcast: Choosing a Financial Professional Sep 1, 2021 12:00 pm74 views In episode 25 of Making Cents of Money, Choosing a Financial Professional, Andrea, Jake, and Nikki talk to Kathy Sweedler from University of Illinois Extension about type of financial professionals, credentials, and how to choose one that best meets your needs. 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. Podcast: Conscious Credit Apr 7, 2021 12:00 pm77 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: Cost of Living Sep 24, 2024 12:00 pm51 views In episode 94 of Making Cents of Money, Andrea and Kimber discuss the cost of living and why it matters when comparing costs and how far your dollars will go if you relocate. Podcast: Costs of Car Ownership Nov 21, 2024 8:00 am16 views In episode 98 of Making Cents of Money, Kimber and Andrea talk about the costs of car ownership and what to consider when deciding on if a vehicle is a need or a want for you. 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. Podcast: Credit Reports Update Nov 29, 2023 12:00 pm47 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: 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. Podcast: Cryptocurrencies Aug 18, 2021 3:00 pm33 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: Dealing with Emergencies Oct 5, 2022 12:00 pm38 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: Economics of Cannabis [in Illinois] Feb 7, 2025 12:00 pm42 views In episode 103 of Making Cents of Money, Vaughn Bentley, Deputy Director of Cannabis Control at IDFPR, joins Kimber and Andrea to discuss the economics of cannabis in Illinois. Podcast: Emergency Funds Sep 16, 2021 12:00 pm45 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: Employment Feb 23, 2022 12:00 pm29 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: Establishing a Vision for Your Life Jan 20, 2022 12:00 pm44 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: Estate Planning Aug 3, 2022 12:00 pm58 views In episode 46 of Making Cents of Money, Andrea and Nikki explain many tools for estate planning, including wills, transfers, power of attorney, and more. Podcast: Farewell, Jake! May 13, 2022 12:00 pm15 views In episode 40 of Making Cents of Money, Andrea and Nikki bid farewell to long time co-host, Jake, as he transitions off the podcast and on to the next step in his career! 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. Podcast: Federal Student Loan Updates [Involuntary Debt Collection Resumes] May 12, 2025 12:00 pm22 views In episode 110 of Making Cents of Money, Brad Fletcher joins Kimber & Andrea again to discuss the US Department of Education's resumption of involuntary debt collection on defaulted federal student loans. Podcast: Fending Off Fraud Nov 19, 2020 12:00 pm44 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: [Filing a] Tax Deadline Extension Apr 7, 2025 12:00 pm12 views In episode 108 of Making Cents of Money, Kimber and Andrea discuss how to file for an extension if you won't meet the April 15th tax-filing deadline. Podcast: Financial Education and Financial Literacy Jan 14, 2021 12:00 pm33 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: Financial Planner vs AI Jul 12, 2023 12:00 pm37 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 Resolutions! Dec 14, 2022 12:00 pm31 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 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: Financial Socialization Dec 4, 2024 12:00 pm40 views In episode 99 of Making Cents of Money, Andrea and Kimber discuss financial socialization, how it develops, who contributes to it, and what it means for our relationship with 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: Fintech and Digital Assets Feb 1, 2023 12:00 pm65 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: Free Financial Education Resources for Illinois Residents Apr 22, 2024 12:00 pm37 views In episode 82 of Making Cents of Money, Free Financial Education Resources for Illinois Residents, Maggie Owen from the Illinois State Treasurer's Office joins us to discuss all the financial education programs Illinois has for residents. Podcast: Get Covered, Illinois May 22, 2023 12:00 pm29 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: Goodbye Nikki, Hello Kimber! Aug 12, 2024 10:00 am37 views In episode 89 of Making Cents of Money, Goodbye Nikki, Hello Kimber!, we have a bitter sweet send-off to long-time host, Nikki Giancola-Shanks but welcome a new voice, Kimber Beckler, to the show. Podcast: Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Dec 22, 2021 12:00 pm40 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: Gross National Happiness Feb 9, 2022 12:00 pm23 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: Happy International Women's Day! Mar 8, 2023 12:00 pm54 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: Help for Homeowners Jun 7, 2023 12:00 pm25 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: Help for Renters Jun 21, 2023 12:00 pm26 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 with Utility Bills May 3, 2023 12:00 pm17 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: Holiday Savings Tips and New Year's Goals Dec 17, 2020 12:00 pm32 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.
