Your Money: College costs and how to predict them
College decision day is coming. How accurate are price calculators?
Your Money
April 27, 2026

Hi everyone —

It’s hard to figure out what college will cost. By law, every school has to maintain something called a net price calculator, where you enter some financial data and it spits out an estimate.

But how accurate are the calculators? Some of you may have kept copies of the estimates and then compared them with actual price quotes once you or your children get an offer of admission. I’d be curious to hear how close the calculator result was to reality. You can reach me at yourmoney_newsletter@nytimes.com.

As ever, thanks for your help as we try to document what’s going on out there. Below, you’ll find a selection of our money coverage from the past seven days.

Have a good week.

In an illustration, a person’s head is viewed from the rear as it faces an array of colorful shapes, lines and graphs.

Private Assets May Be Coming to Your 401(k). You Should Know the Risks.

Alternative investments could appear on some 401(k) menus in the year ahead. Here’s what that means for investors.

By Tara Siegel Bernard

Brock Goodwin, left, wearing a green polo shirt, sits on a sofa with Rilee Stewart, wearing a pink shirt.

These Couples Wanted to Have Children. Rising Costs Are Stopping Them.

High mortgage payments, higher child care costs and economic uncertainty are making some people rethink their plans on starting a family.

By Kailyn Rhone

Used Teslas parked in rows on a car lot.

More Used Electric Cars Are Coming at More Affordable Prices

The leases on hundreds of thousands of battery-powered cars and trucks will end in the next three years, and many will end up on used-car lots.

By Neal E. Boudette

A man standing on a hill looks into the distance at a cloud of dark smoke.

Strategies

Ignoring the War Has Been Working for Long-Term Investors

The U.S. stock market’s quick rebound this month may be fragile, but riding out the market’s disconcerting waves has been a sound strategy.

By Jeff Sommer

A line of people stands in a narrow, dusty alleyway next to a building with a blue corrugated metal door.

Hoarding Is Driving Energy Prices Higher Everywhere

As wealthy nations scramble to secure stocks of oil, the result is higher prices for all and shortages in vulnerable countries.

By Peter S. Goodman

Shoppers milling around a Costco.

Tariffs Raised Consumers’ Prices, but the Refunds Go Only to Businesses

Many families felt the sting of the president’s now-illegal tariffs, but companies have said little about whether they will share the $166 billion coming back to them.

By Tony Romm

a phone screen showing Kalshi and prediction market bets.

What Are Prediction Markets, and Why Are They Causing Controversy?

The indictment of a soldier who bet on the U.S. operation to capture President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela put renewed focus on a new way to gamble, and a new way to cheat.

By Victor Mather

How ‘Age Tech’ Might Help You Grow Old at Home

The budding field is turning dreams into reality for older adults who are eager to age in place, filling caregiving gaps and easing minds as America ages rapidly.

By Susan Shain

White airplanes with dark blue tails, some with “Lufthansa” text, on the tarmac. A person walks on one airplane’s wing.

Jet Fuel Shortages Could Make Travel a ‘Total Mess’ This Summer

Facing sky-high fuel costs linked to the war in Iran, airlines are cutting routes and raising prices. European vacations are looking a lot less affordable.

By Christine Chung

A crowd of people wait at an airport's baggage carousel for their luggage.

Baggage Fees Are Up. Here’s How to Avoid Them.

Airline passengers are feeling the pain in rising fees, as the war in Iran weighs on the price of jet fuel. Loyalty programs and certain credit cards can help ease the burden.

By Shannon Sims

You Don’t Have to Be Filthy Rich to Enjoy an Airport Shower

Affordable arrivals lounges offer amenities like nap pods and showers where weary passengers can freshen up. You may never start a vacation the same way again.

By Julie Weed

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