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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.
Podcasts

blog posts

  • Zombie Properties & Mortgages

    Podcast: Zombie Properties & Mortgages

    Oct 22, 2024 12:00 pm21 views

    In episode 96 of Making Cents of Money, Kari Beyer from IDFPR's Division of Banking is back to discuss the dangers of zombie mortgages and zombie properties in this special halloween-themed edition. 

  • Image with line chart and graph behind white text that reads World Investor Week

    Podcast: World Investor Week

    Oct 4, 2023 12:00 pm37 views

    In episode 71 of Making Cents of Money, World Investor Week, Andrea interviews Alan Sorcher and Anne McKinley from the US Securities & Exchange Commission in honor of World Investor Week on ways investors can learn about securities throughout the year.

  • Why Regulation Matters [Podcast Episode]

    Podcast: Why Regulation Matters

    Oct 20, 2025 12:00 pm194 views

    In episode 117 of Making Cents of Money, IDFPR Secretary Mario Treto, Jr. joins Kimber & Andrea to explain the importance of regulatory initatives that protect consumers and how Illinois is leading the nation in instituting and enhancing consumer protections.

  • Podcast: What to Know Before Buying a Business - Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition

    Oct 6, 2025 12:00 pm264 views

    In episode 116 of Making Cents of Money, Mark Smith from Gies College of Business who teaches Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign discusses what to consider when buying a business.

  • What's a Credit Report Anyway?

    Podcast: What's a Credit Report Anyway?

    Aug 9, 2023 12:00 pm71 views

    In episode 67 of Making Cents of Money, What's a Credit Report Anyway?, Nikki and Andrea discuss what's in your credit reports and how to get them at AnnualCreditReport.com.

  • Podcast: What is Crypto Anyway?

    Jan 29, 2024 12:00 pm37 views

    In episode 76 of Making Cents of Money, What is Crypto Anyway?, Jake Hamilton, a previous podcast co-host, comes back to provide an overview of how crypto works and what the future looks like for this financial technology.

  • What happens when a bank fails? in white text over picture of piggy bank sinking in water

    Podcast: What Happens When a Bank Fails?

    Mar 11, 2024 12:00 pm29 views

    In episode 79 of Making Cents of Money, What Happens When a Bank Fails?, Chicago City Comptroller and former Illinois Director of Banking, Chasse Rehwinkel joins us to discuss recent incidents of bank failure and how these differed from others in history.

  • Wealth Building as a Balancing Act text over image of hand holding a balanced scale

    Podcast: Wealth Building as a Balancing Act

    Jan 19, 2023 12:00 pm107 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.

  • Man smiling while holding paycheck. White text reads "Understanding Your Paycheck"

    Podcast: Understanding Your Paycheck

    Sep 5, 2023 12:00 pm56 views

    In episode 69 of Making Cents of Money, Understanding Your Paycheck, Nikki and Andrea talk about something you're bound to love: your paycheck!

  • Podcast: Understanding FAFSA

    Oct 18, 2023 12:00 pm60 views

    In episode 72 of Making Cents of Money, Understanding FAFSA, Beth Groves, Professional Development Specialist from the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) talks about major changes to the FAFSA, delays, and its importance for anyone considering post-secondary education.

  • Podcast: Understanding Credit

    Nov 10, 2020 12:00 pm114 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.

  • Picture of an old rusty lockbox

    Podcast: Unclaimed Property in Illinois

    Jan 22, 2025 12:00 pm123 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.

  • Podcast: Time to Travel!

    Jul 7, 2021 12:00 pm47 views

    In episode 21 of Making Cents of Money, Time to Travel!, Nikki, Andrea, and Jake discuss travel aspirations, goals, and tips for planning a trip to help you make your next dream vacation a reality.

  • Podcast: The Role of Loan Servicers

    Aug 21, 2025 12:00 pm40 views

    In episode 114 of Making Cents of Money, Andrea & Kimber discuss the role of loan servicers in the United States. Whether you have a car loan, mortgage, or student loan, understanding how student loan servicing works can help you navigate repayment.

  • Podcast: The Money-Stress Habit Cycle

    Sep 15, 2025 12:00 pm56 views

    In episode 115 of Making Cents of Money, Andrea & Kimber explore the habits that can impact your financial decisions and how stress plays a role in our spending decisions.

  • Magnifying glass over newspaper focusing on Interest Rates with white text that reads "The Impact of Compound Interest"

    Podcast: The Impact of Compound Interest

    Sep 20, 2023 12:00 pm71 views

    In episode 70 of Making Cents of Money, The Impact of Compound Interest, Andrea and Nikki explore the complicated relationship we can have with compound interest when it comes to accomplishing financial goals.

  • Podcast: The Illinois Community Reinvestment Act

    Jul 1, 2024 12:00 pm36 views

    In episode 86 of Making Cents of Money, Susana Soriano from IDFPR discusses what the recently passed Illinois CRA is and how  it will help Illinois consumers by reducing discrimination and combatting redlining, among other things.

  • The Financial Impact of Digital Illiteracy

    Podcast: The Financial Impact of Digital Illiteracy

    Aug 23, 2023 12:00 pm65 views

    In episode 68 of Making Cents of Money, The Financial Impact of Digital Illiteracy, Andrea and Nikki explore the financial implications of digital Illiteracy in our digital age.

  • Podcast: The Federal Community Reinvestment Act (CRA)

    Jun 17, 2024 12:00 pm24 views

    In episode 85 of Making Cents of Money, Ed Hill from IDFPR discusses what the Federal CRA is and a little history on how it works to address disparities in lending for underserved communities.

  • Podcast: The [Episode] with All the Co-Hosts

    Dec 17, 2024 12:00 pm14 views

    In episode 100 of Making Cents of Money, all the co-hosts (past and present) reunite to celebrate the release of the 100th podcast episode.

  • Chicago skyline with "Community Reinvestment Act" as text overlay

    Podcast: The Community Reinvestment Act

    Aug 17, 2022 12:00 pm34 views

    In episode 47 of Making Cents of Money, Chasse Rehwinkel joined Nikki & Andrea to discuss the Community Reinvestment Act and how it is intended to support economic equality.

  • Podcast: The Anti-Predatory Lending Database

    Dec 3, 2020 12:00 pm75 views

    Episode 7 of Making Cents of Money, The Anti-Predatory Lending Database, discusses predatory lending and the Anti-Predatory Lending Database (APLD) in Illinois. Katie Liss from IDFPR Division of Banking breaks down predatory lending in mortgages and how the APLD helps mitigate some predatory lending practices.

  • Podcast: Technology and Your Money

    Oct 5, 2020 12:00 pm32 views

    Episode 3 of Making Cents of Money, Technology and Your Money, explores how financial technologies are evolving and what that means for keeping our money safe.

  • Episode 77 - Tax Talk with two people speaking to each other over some paperwork.

    Podcast: Tax Talk

    Feb 9, 2024 12:00 pm27 views

    In episode 77 of Making Cents of Money, Tax Talk, Andrea and Nikki talk tax... forms, terms, and more as the April 15 federal tax deadline approaches.

  • Podcast: Taxes

    Jan 26, 2021 12:00 pm49 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 Tariffs (Part 2)

    Jul 23, 2025 12:00 pm28 views

    In episode 113 of Making Cents of Money, learn more from economist Chasse Rehwinkel about the economic impact tariffs have on specific industries and the domino effect that it has on the economy in the United States and abroad. 

  • Tackling Tariffs Podcast Episode

    Podcast: Tackling Tariffs

    Jun 25, 2025 12:00 pm42 views

    In episode 112 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: Tackling Insurance! (Part 2)

    Nov 3, 2021 12:00 pm24 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 pm42 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 pm21 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.

  • Man with over the ear headphones around his neck studying on a laptop. White text reads: Student Loans

    Podcast: Student Loans

    Apr 13, 2021 12:00 pm133 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: Student Loan Repayment (update)

    May 25, 2022 12:00 pm75 views

    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.

  • Podcast: Student Loan Repayment in 2025

    Nov 6, 2025 12:00 pm209 views

    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.

  • Podcast: Stages of Financial Behavior Change

    Mar 10, 2025 12:00 pm79 views

    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.

  • "Short-selling" text in white over image of two people's hands over a table with a stack of papers and glasses on top of it.

    Podcast: Short-selling

    Mar 24, 2021 12:00 pm40 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: Shopping for Appliances

    Jul 8, 2022 12:00 pm22 views

    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!

  • Podcast: Setting & Prioritizing Financial Goals

    Dec 20, 2023 12:00 pm142 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: Selling a Home

    Jul 20, 2022 12:00 pm30 views

    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.

  • Saving Money on Holiday Travel text over photo of a toy plane and gift on pink table

    Podcast: Saving Money on Holiday Travel

    Nov 6, 2024 8:00 am64 views

    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)! 

  • 4 college students studying at a table together

    Podcast: Saving for College with a 529 Savings Plan

    Feb 10, 2021 12:00 pm522 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.

  • airplane in sky over palm trees

    Podcast: Revisiting Travel

    Nov 23, 2022 12:00 pm84 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.

  • Top of graduation cap with money and words overlaid that say "Return to Repayment UPDATE"

    Podcast: Return to Repayment (Student Loans Update)

    Apr 7, 2023 12:00 pm76 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 episode 91: Retirement Savings in Illinois

    Podcast: Retirement Savings in Illinois

    Aug 26, 2024 12:00 pm67 views

    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.

  • Podcast: Renting!

    Mar 30, 2022 12:00 pm30 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.

  • close up of people shaking hands with "Reintroductions" text

    Podcast: Reintroductions

    Jun 2, 2021 12:00 pm28 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.

  • keychain in the shape of a house with keys on it. text says "Real Estate"

    Podcast: Real Estate

    May 5, 2021 12:00 pm36 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!

  • PSLF Transition Update

    Podcast: PSLF Transition Update

    May 20, 2024 12:00 pm34 views

    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).

  • PSLF Seekers in SAVE: Costs of Administrative Forbearance

    Podcast: PSLF Seekers in SAVE: Costs of Administrative Forbearance

    Sep 10, 2024 12:00 pm82 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.

  • Podcast: Protecting Pets

    May 10, 2022 12:00 pm42 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.

  • Image of woman in lab coat with hijab and stethoscope and text: "Professional Licensure in Illinois"

    Podcast: Professional Licensure in Illinois

    May 19, 2021 12:00 pm35 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.