blog posts Podcast: Zombie Properties & Mortgages Oct 22, 2024 12:00 pm15 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. Podcast: World Investor Week Oct 4, 2023 12:00 pm34 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. Podcast: What's a Credit Report Anyway? Aug 9, 2023 12:00 pm66 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 pm29 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. Podcast: What Happens When a Bank Fails? Mar 11, 2024 12:00 pm22 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. Podcast: Wealth Building as a Balancing Act Jan 19, 2023 12:00 pm77 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. Podcast: Understanding Your Paycheck Sep 5, 2023 12:00 pm51 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 pm49 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 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. 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. Podcast: Time to Travel! Jul 7, 2021 12:00 pm39 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 Impact of Compound Interest Sep 20, 2023 12:00 pm43 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 pm26 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. Podcast: The Financial Impact of Digital Illiteracy Aug 23, 2023 12:00 pm55 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 pm23 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 pm9 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. Podcast: The Community Reinvestment Act Aug 17, 2022 12:00 pm26 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 pm67 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 pm27 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. Podcast: Tax Talk Feb 9, 2024 12:00 pm20 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 pm38 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 Jun 25, 2025 12:00 pm5 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 pm22 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 pm40 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 pm19 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 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: Student Loan Repayment (update) May 25, 2022 12:00 pm55 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: Stages of Financial Behavior Change Mar 10, 2025 12:00 pm62 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. Podcast: Short-selling Mar 24, 2021 12:00 pm26 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 pm20 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 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! Podcast: Selling a Home Jul 20, 2022 12:00 pm25 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. Podcast: Saving Money on Holiday Travel Nov 6, 2024 8:00 am47 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)! Podcast: Saving for College with a 529 Savings Plan Feb 10, 2021 12:00 pm476 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 pm78 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 pm68 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: Retirement Savings in Illinois Aug 26, 2024 12:00 pm40 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 pm25 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 pm20 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 pm28 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: PSLF Transition Update May 20, 2024 12:00 pm17 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). Podcast: PSLF Seekers in SAVE: Costs of Administrative Forbearance Sep 10, 2024 12:00 pm74 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 pm36 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 pm25 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 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. Podcast: Preparing for Retirement Feb 24, 2021 12:00 pm66 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 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. Podcast: Password Managers Jul 28, 2023 12:00 pm45 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 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! Podcast: On Ramp to Repayment Ends 9/30 for Federal Loan Borrowers Sep 16, 2024 12:00 pm43 views In episode 93 of Making Cents of Money, Brad Fletcher joins us yet again to talk about the On Ramp to Repayment ending on September 30, 2024, and what that means for borrowers currently in repayment.
