In this final of a two-part series you get to hear more from Megan Schofield about the four key types of insurance for people graduating college: life, property, auto, and commercial.  Key terms for life insurance are discussed and differentiated. When it comes to renters and homeowners policy, Megan explains the difference between liability, structural, and property. For auto insurance, Nikki and Megan discuss  insurance scores, liability, comprehensive, collision, and choosing deductibles. Commercial packages are touched on for those who are interested in entrepreneurship. They conclude that young adults should ask questions, review parents’ policies, and choose a transparent professional who fits their needs.

On the Next Step podcast, former student Megan Schofield (UNI ’08) describes her career path from communications/public relations to collegiate athletics, marketing leadership, to entrepreneur!  In this episode, Megan explains how to choose an insurer carrier and emphasizes agents’ role in guiding clients through claims, policy understanding, and switching agents or carriers when needed

The second of a three-part series, the host and Insurance Guy Steve explore why insurance premiums and claim payouts change, noting that people often blame insurers without understanding broader factors. It describes how premiums are regionalized based on local risk and how insurers rely heavily on investment returns to meet solvency requirements. The discussion delves deeper into deductibles. Finally, it contrasts replacement cost versus actual cash value policies, showing how depreciation can greatly reduce roof claim payouts.

Episode 21 of the Next Step podcast begins a three-part series on insurance basics with guest Steve, an “insurance guy” with nearly 20 years in the industry. The discussion explains why insurance feels like a “necessary evil” and traces its origins to ancient merchants spreading cargo risk, defining insurance as transferring risk to a larger pool. Key terms are clarified: premium, term, policy, claim/loss, and adjuster/adjustment. They stress the value of talking to an agent, gap insurance, rental/roadside coverage, and storm-related claims. 

Brittany Heard, a financial advisor at Foster Group in Des Moines, shares how a PR degree led her from event planning to PR work and into insurance and finance, which she enjoys for its mix of relationship-building and analytical planning.

Nikki and Brittany discuss how digital banking has changed spending habits, the importance of budgeting from net pay, and how pay frequency affects monthly calculations. Brittany introduces a simple framework—“owe, grow, give, live”—to organize debt payments, saving/retirement, philanthropy, and living expenses, emphasizing budgets must be reviewed and adjusted.

In Episode 18 of the Next Step podcast, the host welcomes Ben Anderson (“Bad Banker Ben”), with empeople Credit Union, to discuss credit scores. Ben explains why credit scores were created to replace biased lending decisions, tracing history from the origins in the 1950s to today. He explains that what counts as a “good” score shifts with economic conditions and details how credit scores affect approval, loan size, and interest rates alongside debt-to-income ratio. A bonus episode will cover student loans, repairing credit, and monitoring scores.

Episode 17, the final installment in the Career Services series of the Next Step podcast, features a conversation with Matt and Sarah about career fairs and how students—especially those outside business majors—can prepare and benefit from them. They explain the purpose of career fairs and how to best utilize them. They note students often struggle to present, interview, and “sell” their skills, so practicing and projecting confidence matters (even “fake the smile”) and rewarding yourself afterward can help. They describe how Career Services builds employer relationships and supports internship programs, and encourage anxious, unprepared seniors to come in without shame because staff coach students toward next steps.

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The third of a four part series with University of Northern Iowa Career Services professionals Sarah and Matt, explaining how academic advising and career services collaborate to help students choose majors and connect them to realistic job opportunities. They emphasize that careers are often non-linear, students should focus on transferable skills. 94% of UNI students complete at least one internship or pre-professional experience, which builds competitiveness and confidence, and describes how student employment has been reframed as a professional-development pipeline using a unified job board and career competencies. They also discuss networking as existing relationships and shared communities, encouraging students to tell others their interests and leverage alumni and everyday connections.