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 Publication 970: Tax benefits for education. https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-970

•Internal Revenue Service. (2024). 529 plans: Questions and answers. https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/529-plans-questions-and-answers

•Internal Revenue Service. (2025). American opportunity tax credit. https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/aotc

•Internal Revenue Service. (2025). Lifetime learning credit. https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/llc
 

College Cost Planning Tools
•College Board. (2024). Big Future: How much will college cost. https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/get-started

•College Board. (2024). Trends in college pricing and student aid 2024. https://research.collegeboard.org/trends/college-pricing

•U.S. News & World Report. (2024). Net price calculator guide. https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/features/net-price-calculator

•University of Illinois System Net Price Calculators
   oUniversity of Illinois Chicago. https://docs.financialaid.uic.edu/
   oUniversity of Illinois Springfield. https://www.uis.edu/financial-aid/cost-attendance/net-price-calculator
   oUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. https://secure.osfa.illinois.edu/NPC/NPC.asp
 
Research & Data
•Sallie Mae. (2024). How America pays for college 2024. https://www.salliemae.com/about/leading-research/how-america-pays-for-college/

•U.S. Census Bureau. (2024). Post-secondary employment outcomes (PSEO) database. https://lehd.ces.census.gov/applications/pseo/?type=earnings&compare=postgrad&specificity=2&state=08&institution=08&degreelevel=05&gradcohort=0000-3&filter=75&program=52
 
Illinois 529 Plan Information
•Bright Start college savings program. https://www.brightstart.com 

•Bright Directions college savings program. https://www.brightdirections.com 

•Flywire partners with Ascensus to digitize 529 college savings plan payments. https://ir.flywire.com/news-releases/news-release-details/flywire-partners-ascensus-digitize-529-college-savings-plan

Video Resources
•Get Savvy Series: Investing 101 - Wealth building basics. https://youtu.be/wXkrLQd10Yg?si=pYVOYL6_OU6KJJvV

•Get Savvy Series: Investing 102 - Risks & rewards. https://youtu.be/qXZrktJwOtQ?si=LddQF-R9ycxYAK-Z
 
U of I SMMC Blog Articles
•Mutual funds vs exchange traded funds. https://blogs.uofi.uillinois.edu/view/7550/1323172623

•How the Rule of 72 can help you build wealth—or sink deeper into debt. https://blogs.uofi.uillinois.edu/view/7550/446933598

Relevant Previous Episodes
•Saving for College with a 529 Savings Plan (Ep. 11) https://blogs.uofi.uillinois.edu/view/7550/2145536872

•Choosing a financial professional (Ep. 25) https://blogs.uofi.uillinois.edu/view/7550/518681996

•Investing to reach financial goals (Ep. 57) https://blogs.uofi.uillinois.edu/view/7550/1002945600

•World investor week (Ep. 71). https://blogs.uofi.uillinois.edu/view/7550/1405333500

Episode 111: 529 Day

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 Act: https://blogs.uofi.uillinois.edu/view/7550/793516993
•	Ep. 14, Short-selling: https://blogs.uofi.uillinois.edu/view/7550/433822269
•	Ep. 2, Banked or Unbanked – Choosing Financial Services for You: https://blogs.uofi.uillinois.edu/view/7550/465787932

Recent Data and Reports
•	Budget Lab at Yale University. (2025, April 15). State of U.S. Tariffs: April 15, 2025. https://budgetlab.yale.edu/research/state-us-tariffs-april-15-2025 
•	Budget Lab at Yale University. (2025, April). Where We Stand: The Fiscal, Economic, and Distributional Effects of All U.S. Tariffs Enacted in 2025 Through April 2. https://budgetlab.yale.edu/research/where-we-stand-fiscal-economic-and-distributional-effects-all-us-tariffs-enacted-2025-through-april 
•	Deloitte Insights. (2025, April). US tariffs impact economy. https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/economy/spotlight/united-states-tariffs-impact-economy.html 
•	Tax Foundation. (2025, April). Trump Tariffs: The Economic Impact of the Trump Trade War. https://taxfoundation.org/research/all/federal/trump-tariffs-trade-war/ 

News Articles and Analysis
•	Cameron, H. (2025, April). 'Shark Tank' inventor tests whether people will pay more for "made in USA". Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/shark-tank-inventor-american-made-tariff-experiment-2064087 
•	LaRocco, L.A. (2025, April 12). Trump tariffs won't lead supply chains back to U.S., companies will go low-tariff globe-hopping: CNBC survey. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/14/tariffs-wont-bring-manufacturing-back-to-us-supply-chain-survey.html 

Historical Context and Academic References
•	Duster, C. (2025, March 6). Did tariffs contribute to the Great Depression? Here's what to know. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/03/06/nx-s1-5318076/tariffs-great-depression-explainer 
•	National Association of Manufacturers. (2025, April). Tariffs: 1930 Versus 2025. https://nam.org/tariffs-1930-versus-2015-33709/ 
•	U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian. (n.d.). Protectionism in the Interwar Period. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1921-1936/protectionism  
•	U.S. Senate (n.d.). The senate passes the Smoot-Hawley tariff. https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Senate_Passes_Smoot_Hawley_Tariff.htm

Government Documents
•	White House. (2025, April). Regulating Imports with a Reciprocal Tariff to Rectify Trade Practices that Contribute to Large and Persistent Annual United States Goods Trade Deficits. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/regulating-imports-with-a-reciprocal-tariff-to-rectify-trade-practices-that-contribute-to-large-and-persistent-annual-united-states-goods-trade-deficits/ 
•	White House. (2025, April). Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Declares National Emergency to Increase our Competitive Edge, Protect our Sovereignty, and Strengthen our National and Economic Security. https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/04/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-declares-national-emergency-to-increase-our-competitive-edge-protect-our-sovereignty-and-strengthen-our-national-and-economic-security/ 

Episode 112: Tackling Tariffs

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 Articles and Analysis
•	Bowman, E. (2025, April 5). How automakers are responding to the 25% car tariffs so far. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/04/05/nx-s1-5353461/automakers-tariffs-reactions 
•	Cameron, H. (2025, April). Tariffs will cost each household nearly $5,000 a year: Report. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/trump-tariffs-costing-households-5k-per-year-2061025
•	Hall, K. (2025, April 10). Study finds Trump's 25% auto tariffs could cost US automakers $108 billion. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/study-finds-trumps-25-auto-tariffs-could-cost-us-automakers-108-billion-2025-04-10/ 
•	Kelly, M. L. (2025, May 1). Ford CEO Jim Farley talks Trump tariffs's effect on car industry. NPR https://www.npr.org/2025/05/01/1248444368/ford-ceo-talks-trump-automobile-tariffs 
•	Leswing, K. (2025, April 4). Nintendo delays Switch 2 preorders because of Trump tariffs. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/04/nintendo-delays-switch-2-pre-orders-because-of-trump-tariffs-.html 
•	Wayland, M. (2025, April 30). Ford CEO says Trump's tariff reprieve is helpful, but more changes needed. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/30/ford-ceo-says-trumps-tariff-changes-are-helpful-but-still-not-enough.html 


Episode 113: Tackling Tariffs, Part II

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-mortgage-payments-to-changes-en-215/ 
•	U.S. Department of Education. (2023). Loan servicing information. Retrieved from https://studentaid.gov

Laws and Regulations:
•	Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), 12 U.S.C. §§ 2601-2617.
•	Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. (n.d.). Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA). Retrieved from https://www.consumerfinance.gov/compliance/compliance-resources/mortgage-resources/real-estate-settlement-procedures-act/
•	Truth in Lending Act (TILA), 15 U.S.C. §§ 1601-1667f.
•	Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. (n.d.). 12 CFR Part 1026 – Truth in Lending (Regulation Z). Retrieved from https://www.consumerfinance.gov/rules-policy/regulations/1026/

Web Resources:
•	Federal Trade Commission. (n.d.). Your rights when paying your mortgage. Retrieved from https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/your-rights-when-paying-your-mortgage
•	Federal Housing Finance Agency. (n.d.). About Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac. Retrieved from https://www.fhfa.gov/about/fannie-mae-freddie-mac

Student Loans:
•	Federal Student Aid. (n.d.). Who’s my student loan servicer? Retrieved from https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/repayment/servicers 
•	University of Illinois System Student Money Management Center (n.d.). Student loans. Retrieved from https://www.studentmoney.uillinois.edu/learn/studentloans 
•	Student Loan Management #GetSavvy webinar recording on YouTube: https://youtu.be/_9duc7kvTqg?feature=shared 


Episode 114: The Role of Loan Servicers

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://www.who.int/health-topics/mental-health
•	National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): https://www.nami.org/


American Psychological Association. (2015, February 4). American Psychological Association survey shows money stress weighing on Americans’ health nationwide. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2015/02/money-stress 
 
American Psychological Association. (2023). Stress in America 2023: A nation recovering from collective trauma. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2023/03/stress-in-america 
 
Falconier, M. K., & Epstein, N. B. (2011). Couples experiencing financial strain: What we know and what we can do. Family Relations, 60(3), 303–317. 
 
Gelman, A., & Kliger, D. (2021). Effect of time-induced stress on financial decision making in real markets. PloS One, 16(11), e0123740. 
 
Heo, W., Cho, S. H., & Lee, P. (2020). APR Financial Stress Scale: Development and validation of a multidimensional measurement. Journal of Financial Therapy, 11(1), 2. https://newprairiepress.org/jft/vol11/iss1/2/ 
 
Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. Springer Publishing Company. 
Narayan, A. (2024). The impact of financial stress on workplace harassment and discrimination. Management Science, 70(4), 2447–2458. 
 
Ong, A. D., Sturgeon, J. A., Arewasikporn, A., Okun, M. A., Davis, M. C., & Zautra, A. J. (2015). The psychosocial context of financial stress: Implications for inflammation and psychological health. Psychosomatic Medicine, 77(2), 187–194. 
 
Porcelli, A. J., & Delgado, M. R. (2009). Acute stress modulates risk taking in financial decision making. Psychological Science, 20(3), 278–285. 
 
Shafir, E., Mullainathan, S., & Shafir, E. (2013). Scarcity: Why having too little means so much. Times Books. 
 
Van Boven, L., & Gilovich, T. (2003). To do or to have? That is the question. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85(6), 1193–1202. 
 
Wilke, J., & Boden, J. M. (2021). Financial scarcity and financial avoidance: A prospective study. Journal of Economic Psychology, 87, 102408. 
 
 Mental Health Crisis Resources: Illinois Department of Central Management Services’ Crisis Resources: https://cms.illinois.gov/benefits/stateemployee/bewell/mental-health/crisis.html 

Relevant Podcast Episodes: 
•        Money in Relationships: https://soundcloud.com/idfpr/money-and-relationships
•        Financial Socialization: https://soundcloud.com/idfpr/episode-99-financial-socialization
•        Investing: https://soundcloud.com/idfpr/episode-57-investing-to-reach-financial-goals
•        Budgeting: https://soundcloud.com/idfpr/mcom-ep20-budgeting-final
•        Probably Inflation: https://soundcloud.com/idfpr/episode-30-inflation

Episode 115: The Money-Stress Habit Cycle

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 Acquisition class: https://giesbusiness.illinois.edu/news/2023/06/12/entrepreneurship-through-acquisition-gies-grad-puts-coursework-into-action

Deibel, W. (2018). Buy then build. LionCrest Publishing. ISBN: 978-1-5445-0113-0. ISBN: 978-1-5445-0113-0 

Ruback, R., & Yudkoff, R. (2017). HBR guide to buying a small business. Harvard Business Review Press. ISBN: 978-1-63369-250-3. 

Warrillow, J. (2010). Built to sell: Creating a business that can thrive without you. Penguin Group. ISBN: 978-1591845829. 

Recommended Podcasts: 
•        Built to Sell with John Warrillow: https://builttosell.com/podcast/
•        Let's Buy a Business with Ryan Condie: https://ryancondie.libsyn.com/


Episode 116: What to Know Before Buying a Business: Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition

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 Protection Bureau. (2023). Annual report 2023. https://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/research-reports/consumer-response-annual-report-2023/
•	Congressional Research Service. (2022). The 2007–2009 financial crisis. https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R43413
•	Brookings Institution. (2025). Series on financial markets and regulation. https://www.brookings.edu/tags/financial-markets-and-regulation/ 
•	Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). (2021). Predatory Loan Prevention Act. https://idfpr.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/idfpr/news/2021/2021-03-23-predatory-loan-prevention-and-cra.pdf 
•	Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. (n.d.). The Illinois Community Reinvestment Act. https://idfpr.illinois.gov/il-cra.html

Episode 117: Why Regulation Matters

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://studentaid.gov
•	Equifax, Experian, & TransUnion. (n.d.). Annual Credit Report. AnnualCreditReport.com. https://www.annualcreditreport.com

University of Illinois System Resources
•	University of Illinois System, University Bursar. (2025). Know what you owe. https://paymybill.uillinois.edu/student_loans/know_what_you_owe
•	University of Illinois System, Student Money Management Center. (n.d.). Student loans. https://www.studentmoney.uillinois.edu/learn/studentloans

Prior Related Making Cents of Money Podcast Episodes 
•	Federal Student Loan Forgiveness (ep. 48): https://blogs.uofi.uillinois.edu/view/7550/1805186696
•	Paying for College with Scholarships (ep. 52): https://blogs.uofi.uillinois.edu/view/7550/19876420
•	Return to Repayment Update (ep. 60): https://blogs.uofi.uillinois.edu/view/7550/2144507315
•	Understanding FAFSA (ep. 72): https://blogs.uofi.uillinois.edu/view/7550/180972984
•	Loan Payments Resumed in October (ep. 73): https://blogs.uofi.uillinois.edu/view/7550/1498217343
•	April 30th Student Loan Deadline (ep. 81): https://blogs.uofi.uillinois.edu/view/7550/706826894
•	Back to School: College and Credit (ep. 90): https://blogs.uofi.uillinois.edu/view/7550/1942070018
•	PSLF Seekers in SAVE: Costs of Administrative Forbearance (ep. 92): https://blogs.uofi.uillinois.edu/view/7550/514139128
•	On-Ramp to Repayment Ends 9/30 for Federal Loan Borrowers (ep. 93): https://blogs.uofi.uillinois.edu/view/7550/699654176
•	Federal Student Loan Updates [Debt Collection Resumes] (ep. 110): https://blogs.uofi.uillinois.edu/view/7550/1101960728
•	The Role of Loan Servicers (ep. 114): https://blogs.uofi.uillinois.edu/view/7550/681485881

Webinar Recording
•	Pellegrini, A., & Giancola-Shank, N. (2025, March 6). Student loan management #GetSavvy webinar recording [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/_9duc7kvTqg?si=gZGRCFfSTAJ3HF6A

Register for April 2026 Student Loan Repayment webinar at https://go.uillinois.edu/getsavvywebinars.

Episode 118: Student Loan Repayment in 2025

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. (2024). Workplace health report 2024.
•	Deloitte. (2024, May 17). The projected costs and economic impact of mental health inequities in the United States. Deloitte Insights. https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/health-care/economic-burden-mental-health-inequities.html
•	Eagle Hill Consulting. (2024, December 5). Nearing 2025, almost half of workers expect to leave some vacation time unused. HR Dive. https://www.hrdive.com/news/nearing-2025-almost-half-of-workers-unused-vacation-time/734609/
•	Effectory. (2024, January 11). The emotional and economic costs of overlooking wellbeing in the workplace. https://www.effectory.com/knowledge/the-emotional-and-economic-costs-of-overlooking-wellbeing-in-the-workplace/
•	Gallup. (2025, March 27). The economic cost of poor employee mental health. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/404174/economic-cost-poor-employee-mental-health.aspx
•	Illinois Department of Labor. (2024). Paid Leave for All Workers Act. https://labor.illinois.gov/laws-rules/paidleave.html
•	Illinois Department of Labor. (2024). Paid Leave for All Workers Act FAQ. https://labor.illinois.gov/faqs/paidleavefaq.html
•	Lane Report. (2024, July 24). One-third of U.S. employees' PTO, vacation days go unused. https://www.lanereport.com/175306/2024/07/one-third-of-u-s-employees-pto-vacation-days-go-unused/
•	MHFA England. (2024, November 21). Key workplace mental health statistics for 2024. https://mhfaengland.org/mhfa-centre/blog/Key-workplace-mental-health-statistics-for-2024/
•	National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2025, February 18). The 2024 NAMI workplace mental health poll. https://www.nami.org/support-education/publications-reports/survey-reports/the-2024-nami-workplace-mental-health-poll/
•	Nekoei, A., et al. (2024). The economics of burnout. Centre for Economic Policy Research. https://cepr.org/voxeu/columns/economics-burnout
•	SHRM. (2024, April 12). Why mental health will be one of the biggest topics of 2024. https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/benefits-compensation/mental-health-burnout-top-trend-aflac-report
•	Sorbet. (2024). PTO Report 2024.
•	Spill. (2024). 64 workplace burnout statistics you need to know for 2024. https://www.spill.chat/mental-health-statistics/workplace-burnout-statistics
•	The Washington Post. (2023, December 30). The mystery of the disappearing vacation day. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/02/10/disappearing-vacation-days/
 


Why Regulation Matters

Making Cents of Money

Related tracks