Making Cents of Money

Hershfield, H.E., et al. (2011). Increasing Saving Behavior Through Age-Progressed Renderings of the Future Self. Journal of Marketing Research, 48(SPL), S23–S37. Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Lusardi, A., & Mitchell, O.S. (2014). The Economic Importance of Financial Literacy: Theory and Evidence. Journal of Economic Literature, 52(1), 5–44. Madrian, B.C....

Pellegrini, A. (2026, January 26). Comparing private student loans. University of Illinois System Student Money Management Center Blog. https://blogs.uofi.uillinois.edu/view/7550/54213092   Prior Relevant Episodes: Student Loan Management Transitioning in 2026 (ep. 126). https://blogs.uofi.uillinois.edu/view/7550/280186564 The Role of Loan Servicers (ep. 114). https://blogs.uofi.uillinois.edu/view...

Show Notes & References Resources mentioned in this episode: Tither, E. (2025, December 10). ⁠⁠What happens to the data you feed LLMs?⁠⁠ University of Illinois System, Student Money Management Center. https://blogs.uofi.uillinois.edu/view/7550/1055573584 Chen, K., Zhou, X., Lin, Y., Feng, S., Shen, L., & Wu, P. (2025). A survey on privacy risks and protection in large language models. ⁠⁠Journal of...

A special thanks to Zach Smith from AccessLex (https://www.accesslex.org/) for joining us to talk about the upcoming changes related to federal student loans in the coming 2026-2027 academic year after a series of legislative changes. Recent Webinars & Prior Student Loan Episode: Student Loan Management [Get Savvy Webinar Recording] from April 1, 2026: https://youtu.be/oMlq8ZFumOY?si=0JiDOhryd5oq4...

Show Notes: Webpage - https://idfpr.illinois.gov/banks/digital-assets.html DACPA - https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/ILCS/Articles? ActID=4632&ChapterID=20&Chapter=FINANCIAL%20REGULATION&MajorTopic=REGULATION DAKA - https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/ILCS/Articles? ActID=4633&ChapterID=20&Chapter=FINANCIAL%20REGULATION&MajorTopic=REGULATION

Show Notes: Managing Risk with Insurance, Part 1: Why and How: https://on.soundcloud.com/BCC4i7GuQMcVPVerte Illinois Department of Insurance resources * Website: https://idoi.illinois.gov/ * IDOI Help Center: https://idoihelpcenter.illinois.gov/s/ * How to File a Complaint: https://idoi.illinois.gov/consumers/file-a-complaint.html The “Cover Your Assets: Protecting Your Stuff with Insurance” webin...

If income-driven repayment flexibility matters to you, don't wait until summer 2026. Any federal loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2026, lose access to IBR, ICR, and PAYE. Because consolidation can take months to process, treat April 1, 2026 as your planning deadline. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS What is changing with income-driven repayment? The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed July 4,...

Consumer Education Resources Acentria Insurance. (2025, January 29). Avoiding common personal insurance coverage gaps. https://acentria.com/avoiding-common-personal-insurance-coverage-gaps/ Insurance Information Institute. (2024). Background on risk-financing. https://www.iii.org/article/background-on-risk-financing InsuResilience Global Partnership. (2023, July 21). Glossary of climate and disast...

Show Notes: "Before You Give or Take Financial Advice, Read This" [SMMC Blog Post]: https://blogs.uofi.uillinois.edu/view/7550/862829868 FTC Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers: https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/disclosures-101-social-media-influencers Investor.gov professional verification tools: https://www.investor.gov/introduction-investing/getting-started/working-invest...

Can money really buy happiness? On this episode of Making Cents of Money, we unwrap the science behind money and joy with Donovan Sanchez who returns to discuss his primary research interest. From hedonic adaptation to pro-social spending, learn ways to boost well-being without breaking the bank. Prior Episodes Featuring Donovan Sanchez: • Ep. 33 – Establishing a Vision for Your Life • Ep. 55 – We...

SHOWNOTES: • American Journal of Preventive Medicine. (2025). The health and economic burden of employee burnout to U.S. employers. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 68(4). https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(25)00023-6/abstract • Breathe HR. (2024). The unused holiday & burnout epidemic. https://www.breathehr.com/en-gb/resources/holiday-burnout-report-2024 • Champion Health. (202...

If you have a student loan or are considering your options for a loan, this episode is for you. The hosts of Making Cents of Money discuss the latest updates of repayment plans and break down how the decisions you make now will impact your financial future. Show Notes: Federal Resources • U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid. (n.d.). Federal Student Aid. StudentAid.gov. https://studen...

Tune in for an important episode of Making Cents of Money. IDFPR Secretary Mario Treto, Jr. joins the podcast to explain Why Regulation Matters. He breaks down the importance of recent regulatory initiatives that ensure consumers are protected and discusses how Illinois is leading the nation in instituting and enhancing these standards. It’s a can’t miss episode! Show Notes • Consumer Financial Pr...

Ever dreamed of owning your own business? In this episode of Making Cents of Money, UIUC professor Mark Smith discusses Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA). Join us as we learn about the benefits of buying a business instead of starting it from scratch. Show Notes: Professor Smith's Instructor Profile: https://giesbusiness.illinois.edu/profile/mark-smith U of I's Entrepreneurship Through Ac...

In the latest episode of Making Cents of Money, learn about the habits that can impact your financial decisions and how stress plays a role in spending. Show Notes: Mental Health Crisis Resources: Illinois Department of Central Management Services’ Crisis Resources: https://cms.illinois.gov/benefits/stateemployee/bewell/mental-health/crisis.html • World Health Organization – Mental Health: https:/...

If you have a loan, then the latest episode of Making Cents of Money is for you! Learn how loan servicers play a key role in borrowers’ financial lives and more! Show Notes: Government and Agency Reports: • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. (2024, Apr 3). What happens if my loan servicer changes? Retrieved from https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-happens-if-the-company-that-i-send-my...

Show Notes: Tackling Tariffs [Part 1] is on: • SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/idfpr/episode-112-tackling-tariffs?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing • Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-112-tackling-tariffs/id1529891389?i=1000714518950 • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3BPCDJ414vYhaU61eo9PCr?si=5kVkY_XfSPe7qDPOMq0TAw News Articl...

On the latest episode of Making Cents of Money, join economist Chasse Rehwinkel as he discusses tariffs’ impact on our history and how we can brace for the impacts of changing tariff policies in the present and future Show Notes Previous episodes with Chasse Rehwinkel: • Ep. 79, What Happens When a Bank Fails?: https://blogs.uofi.uillinois.edu/view/7550/1732000561 • Ep. 47, Community Reinvestment...

Happy May 29 – also known as 529 Day, which celebrates 529 college savings programs! We partner with the Office of the Illinois State Treasurer to highlight the two nationally acclaimed 529 programs they manage: Bright Start and Bright Directions. Learn more about both in our latest episode of Making Cents of Money! Government Resources & Tax Information •Internal Revenue Service. (2025). About Pu...

This month, the federal government began taking action against student loan borrowers with accounts in default. In this episode of Making Cents of Money, learn what that means for borrowers and what options might be available. Show Notes: Cunningham, M. (2025, May 5). Student loan collections resume as record number of borrowers fall behind. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/defaulted-loans-r...

Looking for a new job? In our latest episode of Making Cents of Money, Kwabena Sarfo Adjei - one of Andrea’s colleagues at the University of Illinois Student Money Management Center – discusses how scammers target people searching for a job and how you can avoid becoming a victim. Show Notes University of Illinois System Student Money Management Center blog article supplementing this episode: Adje...

Concerned about filing your taxes by the April 15th deadline? In this micro-episode of Making Cents of Money, we walk you through the process of filing for an extension and offer some helpful reminders about tax liabilities in general. Show notes: Extension for Filing: IRS Form 4868: https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-4868 Illinois Tax Extension Information: https://tax.illinois.gov/individ...

April is #NationalFinancialCapabilityMonth and Making Cents of Money is celebrating with an episode that covers a variety of financial topics that reference favorite throwback episodes. Ready for a challenge this month? Tune in to learn more. Show Notes: Resources Mentioned in the Episode Based on Topic Goal-setting & Budgets • Episode 101: New Year, New Financial Resolutions https://blogs.uofi.ui...

Managing money isn’t one-size-fits-all—especially for neurodivergent individuals. In this episode of Making Cents of Money, we explore how ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and executive functioning challenges impact personal finance. Show Notes: • Illinois Assistive Technology Program: https://iltech.org/ • Illinois ABLE Program: https://illinoisable.com/ • ADA National Network. n.d. “What is the definitio...

Ever wondered why it can be so difficult to change your financial habits? In this episode of Making Cents of Money, join our hosts and special guest, Emily Harmon, Illinois Extension Family Life Educator, as they delve into the Transtheoretical Model to help explain why behavior change relating to finances can be challenging. Show Notes Links: Ep. 23, Money Personalities & Financial Well-being: ht...