Making Cents of Money

Planning those New Year’s Resolutions for 2023? We have tips for you to help set financial goals – along with keeping them! - in our latest episode of Making Cents of Money! Additional resources • Revisiting Travel podcast: https://soundcloud.com/idfpr/episode-53-revisiting-travel?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing • Get Savvy webinars available on the SMMC website: h...

Traveling this holiday season, or thinking of a big trip in 2023? This episode of Making Cents of Money takes a look at what you should consider when traveling over the holidays - and a look back on our previous podcast, Time to Travel, about what you should think about if traveling in the new year! Additional Resources: • Registration for Spend Less, Travel More (Get Savvy Webinar): http://go.uil...

Are you (or your kids) looking for help with scholarships for college? In this episode of Making Cents of Money, we breakdown how you can find scholarships, what scholarship providers look for, and common mistakes to avoid your application. Special thanks to Kara Holloway, Director of Scholarships at UIC, for joining us this episode! Additional resources: • Credit Scores Podcast: https://soundclou...

Your credit score is so much more than just a number! In this episode of Making Cents of Money, we explain what they are, how they work, and what you can do to enhance them to improve your access to credit. Additional Resources • Build Credit to Your Advantage webinar on November 9 at 12 PM CT. Registration: https://go.uillinois.edu/getsavvywebinars • What is a credit score? - https://www.consumer...

Thinking of starting your own business? From timing to developing your business plan, our latest episode of Making Cents of Money breaks down what you should consider and do before launch! Additional Resources: • O*NET Interest Profiler: https://www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip • Feasibility Checklist: https://www2.illinois.gov/dceo/SmallBizAssistance/BeginHere/Documents/feasibilitychecklist.pdf • St...

Do you know what to do when a financial emergency happens? In this episode of Making Cents of Money, we break down the different types of unexpected expenses, how to create a plan, and the factors you should consider. Additional Resources: • Financial Emergency Preparedness (Get Savvy webinar recording): https://youtu.be/3WSkpL9wg_s • Now: https://www.ready.gov/ • During/After: https://www.disaste...

We’re breaking down two major federal student loan announcements from the Biden Administration in this episode of Making Cents of Money! Learn how you might be eligible and the steps you’ll need to complete to receive the loan forgiveness! Additional Resources: • PSLF Help Tool: https://studentaid.gov/pslf/ • PSLF Limited Waiver Announcement: https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/pslf-limite...

The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) helps ensure financial institutions invest in low- and moderate-income communities so that economic equality can be achieved. In this episode of Making Cents of Money, we show how Illinois created its own CRA, how it compares to the federal version, and how it helps create equitable treatment in the financial system. Additional Resources: Making Cents of Money...

Estate planning is one of the most important aspects of financial preparedness. From wills to power of attorney, we break down the things you need to know and consider on this difficult topic in our latest episode of Making Cents of Money. Additional Resources: • The Conversation Project: https://theconversationproject.org/ • Planning for the Unforeseen (webinar recording): https://youtu.be/Lfjixp...

Thinking of selling your home? In our new episode of Making Cents of Money, we breakdown the decisions to weigh and things to consider before you even list your home - and the steps to take to ensure a successful transaction! Additional Resources: • Making Cents of Money episode on Real Estate: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6RKNSvP8xgoqPNuuG74rnF • IDFPR License Lookup Tool for Checking Realtor...

Needing (or wanting) to shop a new appliance, but don’t know where to start? Our latest episode of Making Cents of Money breaks down the reasons to buy, how to compare appliances, and what to consider and know before making that big purchase. Additional Resources: • Department of Energy: https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/shopping-appliances • Energy Star: https://www.energystar.gov/products/ask-t...

Considering a credit card? In our latest episode of "Making Cents of Money," our hosts share their processes for choosing one, the factors you should consider, and goals you should have before making your choice! Additional resources: • CFPB Consumer Tools: Credit Cards - https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/credit-cards/ • “How do I shop for a credit card? (CFPB, 2011) - https://www.con...

When used responsibly, credit can improve and better one’s life. In this episode of Making Cents of Money, Camaya Wallace Bechard from the University of Illinois Extension joins us again to breakdown the importance of access to credit, options for building and improving credit, and warning signs of discrimination and laws in place to prevent that. Additional Resources Consumer Rights • CFPB Consum...

There have been some big updates in the past few months for federal student loans. In this episode of Making Cents of Money, we take a closer look at the latest federal student loan repayment pause and Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). What are they, and how do they affect borrowers? Additional resources mentioned in the podcast: • Federal Student Aid (FSA) website: https://studentaid.gov/ L...

It is bittersweet that we announce Making Cents of Money’s Jacob Hamilton is departing IDFPR! Join us as we say good-bye to Jake, he shares what’s next for him professionally, and what we have in store for the podcast in the future! Mentioned in this episode: If you’re listening to this episode and thinking about career transitions that you’ll be going through, here are some resources that may hel...

Pets are an important part of many families. On this episode of Making Cents of Money, we talked with Presley Fee of the University of Illinois' Financial Planning program to learn ways to manage financial risks, like vet costs and considerations for purchasing pet insurance. Tools: • Is Your Financial Security at Risk? Via University of Illinois Extension: https://web.extension.illinois.edu/risk/...

Securing a mortgage is an important part of the home buying process, but mortgages and mortgage regulations can be complex. Listen to our latest podcast episode to learn about the basics of mortgages as we talk to IDFPR's own APLD Director, Kari Beyer. Additional Resources: Homeowner Assistance: Illinois on HUD.gov: https://www.hud.gov/states/illinois/homeownership/buyingprgms Mortgages – Consumer...

Renters make up more than a third of U.S. households, and spring can be a busy time for renters with leases ending and people moving in and out of new homes. Our latest episode of Making Cents of Money covers some of the crucial steps to renting and some of the major differences between renting and buying. Make sure you go check it out! Additional resources: HUD Rental Page - https://www.hud.gov/t...

Buying a home can be an exciting but complicated process. Tune into this episode of Making Cents of Money to hear us talk about the basics of home buying and how to prepare yourself for this big life event! Additional Resources: • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: Owning a Home - https://www.consumerfinance.gov/owning-a-home/ o Making the decision to rent or buy: https://www.consumerfinance.go...

Employment and the labor market have dominated headlines throughout the pandemic. In our continuing series on economic indicators, Making Cents of Money breaks down everything you need to know about employment and unemployment, including how it's measured, tracked, and what it means for the economy. Go check it out!

Gross National Happiness is a lesser-known economic indicator that was adopted by the United Nations in 2011. On this episode of Making Cents of Money, we discuss this interesting way to view an economy and break down some of the recent results in the UN's World Happiness Report. Go check it out!

Thinking about goals and where you want to get to in life can be difficult, especially after the New Year. On this episode of Making Cents of Money we talk to Donovan Sanchez, Financial Planning Instructor from UIUC College of ACES, about creating a vision for your life and how to incorporate those goals into your financial plans.

Continuing our economic indicator series, this week's episode of Making Cents of Money tackles Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and everything you need to know about this common economic measure. Go make sure to give it a listen! Additional Resource U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis' Learning Center page on GDP: https://www.bea.gov/resources/learning-center/what-to-know-gdp

Feeling stressed about finances? You’re not alone, as the holidays can be an especially stressful time of year. Check out the latest podcast of Making Cents of Money for resources and tips. Additional Resources •Community Resources can be found at https://www.211.org/or by calling 211 to speak to someone about resources available locally in your area. •Rental and Mortgage Assistance in Illinois: w...

Inflation is an important economic subject. Our Making Cents of Money podcast is going to be covering inflation and other economic indicators in the coming months. If you're curious about inflation, what it is, and what it means for you, be sure to check out our latest episode!