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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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! 

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!

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.

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.

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.

In episode 106 of Making Cents of Money, Andrea and Kimber discuss the nuances of neurodiversity as it relates to navigating money management.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

In episode 104 of Making Cents of Money, Andrea & Kimber discuss considerations for navigating financial management when it comes to relationships, be them romantic, familial, or with friends and roommates.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.