Markus Andrews

As college costs rise, the decisions many high school seniors make about college now largely come down to the math.
Increasingly, students are opting to enroll at their in-state public college.
Worries about ballooning student loan balances and changing policies around loan forgiveness also play a roll, experts say.

Ethan Bianco, 17, waited right up until the May 1 deadline before deciding which college he would attend in the fall.
The senior at Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston was accepted to several schools, and had whittled down his choices to Vanderbilt University and University of Texas at Austin. Ultimately, the cost was a significant factor in his final decision.

“UT is a much better award package,” he said. In-state tuition for the current academic year is $10,858 to $13,576 a year, which would be largely covered by Bianco’s financial aid offer.
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Vanderbilt, on the other hand, consistently ranks among the best private colleges for financial aid and promises to meet 100% of a family’s demonstrated need.
The school initially offered Bianco $35,000 in aid, he said. With that package, “it would be about $40,000 more for my family to attend Vanderbilt per year.”
However, he successfully appealed his award package and leveraged private scholarships to bring the price down further — and committed to Vanderbilt on National College Decision Day.

How cost plays into college choices

For most graduating high school seniors, the math works out differently. The rising cost of college has resulted in a higher percentage of students enrolling in public schools over private ones, according to Robert Franek, editor-in-chief of The Princeton Review.
“Currently, it is about 73% of the undergraduate population — but this year, with increasing uncertainties about financial aid and changing policies about student loans, it is very likely that number will go up,” Franek said.

Soaring college costs and looming student debt balances have pushed this trend, and this year, there are added concerns about the economy and dwindling federal loan forgiveness options. As a result, this year’s crop of high school seniors is more likely to choose local and less-expensive public schools rather than private universities far from home, Franek said.
Price is now a bigger consideration among students and parents when choosing a college, other reports also show. Financial concerns govern decision-making for 8 in 10 families, according to one report by education lender Sallie Mae, outweighing even academics when choosing a school
“Choosing a school is a personal and individual decision,” said Chris Ebeling, head of student lending at Citizens Financial Group. Along with academics and extracurriculars, “equally important is the cost,” he said. “That needs to be weighed and considered carefully.”

Carlos Marin, 17, on National College Decision Day.
Courtesy of AT&T

On National College Decision Day, Carlos Marin, a senior at Milby High School, also in Houston, enrolled at the University of Houston-Downtown. Marin, 17, who could be the first person in his family to graduate from college, said he plans to live at home and commute to classes.
“The other schools I got into were farther away but the cost of room and board was really expensive,” Marin said.

College costs keep rising

College costs have risen significantly in recent decades, with tuition increasing 5.6% a year, on average, since 1983 — outpacing inflation and other household expenses, according to a recent report by J.P. Morgan Asset Management.
Deep cuts in state funding for higher education have also contributed to the soaring price tag and pushed more of the costs onto students. Families now shoulder 48% of college expenses, up from 38% a decade ago, J.P. Morgan Asset Management found, with scholarships, grants and loans helping to bridge the gap.
Nearly every year, students and their families have been borrowing more, which boosted total outstanding student debt to where it stands today, at more than $1.6 trillion.

A separate survey by The Princeton Review found that taking on too much debt is the No. 1 worry among all college-bound students.
Incoming Vanderbilt freshman Bianco qualified for a number of additional private scholarships and even received a free laptop from AT&T so that he could submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and fill out college applications. He said he is wary of taking out loans to make up for the difference.
“I believe that student loans can be beneficial but there’s also the assumption that you’ll be in debt for a very long time,” Bianco said. “It almost becomes a burden that is too much to bear.”

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The IRS has increased the health savings account, or HSA, contribution limit for 2026 to $4,400 for self-only coverage, and $8,750 for family plans.
You must have an eligible high-deductible health insurance plan to qualify for contributions.
HSAs provide three tax breaks: an upfront deduction for contributions, tax-free growth and no levies on withdrawals for qualified medical expenses.

Maskot | Maskot | Getty Images

The IRS on Thursday unveiled 2026 contribution limits for health savings accounts, or HSAs, which offer triple-tax benefits for medical expenses.
Starting in 2026, the new HSA contribution limit will be $4,400 for self-only health coverage, the IRS announced Thursday. That’s up from $4,300 in 2025, based on inflation adjustments.

Meanwhile, the new limit for savers with family coverage will jump to $8,750, up from $8,550 in 2025, according to the update.   
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To make HSA contributions in 2026, you must have an eligible high-deductible health insurance plan.
For 2026, the IRS defines a high deductible as at least $1,700 for self-only coverage or $3,400 for family plans. Plus, the plan’s cap on yearly out-of-pocket expenses — deductibles, co-payments and other amounts — can’t exceed $8,500 for individual plans or $17,000 for family coverage.
Investors have until the tax deadline to make HSA contributions for the previous year. That means the last chance for 2026 deposits is April 2027.

HSAs have triple-tax benefits

If you’re eligible to make HSA contributions, financial advisors recommend investing the balance for the long-term rather than spending the funds on current-year medical expenses, cash flow permitting.
The reason: “Your health savings account has three tax benefits,” said certified financial planner Dan Galli, owner of Daniel J. Galli & Associates in Norwell, Massachusetts.  

There’s typically an upfront deduction for contributions, your balance grows tax-free and you can withdraw the money any time tax-free for qualified medical expenses. 
Unlike flexible spending accounts, or FSAs, investors can roll HSA balances over from year to year. The account is also portable between jobs, meaning you can keep the money when leaving an employer.
That makes your HSA “very powerful” for future retirement savings, Galli said. 
Healthcare expenses in retirement can be significant. A single 65-year-old retiring in 2024 could expect to spend an average of $165,000 on medical expenses through their golden years, according to Fidelity data. This doesn’t include the cost of long-term care.

Most HSAs used for current expenses 

In 2024, two-thirds of companies offered investment options for HSA contributions, according to a survey released in November by the Plan Sponsor Council of America, which polled more than 500 employers in the summer of 2024. 
But only 18% of participants were investing their HSA balance, down slightly from the previous year, the survey found.
“Ultimately, most participants still are using that HSA for current health-care expenses,” Hattie Greenan, director of research and communications for the Plan Sponsor Council of America, previously told CNBC. More

In this seven image composite, shareholders gather prior to the start of the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S., on Saturday, May 1, 2010.
Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Berkshire Hathaway’s annual meeting is far different — and larger — than it was six decades ago, when Warren Buffett took over what was then a failing Massachusetts textile company.
Today’s “Woodstock for Capitalists” began with just a dozen attendees in 1965. Sixty years later, the Omaha, Nebraska gathering attracts as many as 40,000 people from around the world.

Nowadays, attendees begin lining up outside the CHI Health Center in the early morning hours on Saturday to hear from Warren Buffett, the 94-year-old chief executive officer. Known as the Oracle of Omaha for dispensing investment wisdom, Buffett is also famous for sharing insights into business and strategy, not to mention advice on softer topics such as friendship and life, to a rapt audience.
This year’s shareholder meeting is Buffett’s second without Charlie Munger, his close friend and business partner who died in 2023. Greg Abel, Berkshire Hathaway Energy chairman and Buffett’s successor, will join him for questions on stage. Insurance Chief Ajit Jain will also join the pair for part of Saturday’s question-and-answer event.
The event has ballooned into a weekend-long array of activities, including a shopping event known as the “Berkshire Bazaar of Bargains,” featuring products made by the conglomerate’s subsidiaries. A 5-kilometer run and value investing conferences have become hallmarks of attendees’ weekend itineraries.
“You’ve just got event after event after event,” said Christopher Bloomstran, president of Semper Augustus Investments Group. Bloomstran, who’s attended the annual meeting for more than two decades, called it a “rite of passage” for new investors.
This year, the company is selling 5,000 volumes of a limited edition book, “60 Years of Berkshire Hathaway,” marking Buffett’s tenure as CEO. Proceeds from an auction of copies signed by Buffett and author Carrie Sova will benefit the Stephen Center, a charity for homeless youth and adults in South Omaha.

The meeting itself will look different than what many attendees remember from years past, according to the 2024 shareholder letter. Buffett will make opening remarks at 8 a.m. local time Saturday, but there will be no movie introduction, a popular feature in prior years. The question-and-answer period will only have a half-hour break and end at 1p.m., though the shopping area will remain open until 4 p.m.
News outlets have covered the event for decades. The event will be broadcast exclusively by CNBC this year and webcast in English and Mandarin.
Regular attendees often say there’s a magic and camaraderie to the in-person experience that keeps them coming back to Omaha, where Berkshire is headquartered, despite being able to livestream the event at home.
“It really is special,” said Adam Mead, CEO of Mead Capital Management and author of “The Complete Financial History of Berkshire Hathaway.” “‘I’m not a religious person, but it has that feel of going to church.”
The following are a collection of moments from meetings throughout the years compiled by CNBC in honor of Warren Buffett’s 60 years leading Berkshire Hathaway.

Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, attends the company’s annual shareholders’ meeting with his daughter (left) and his wife, both named Susan. Buffett and his wife separated in 1977 but remained friends and business partners.
Mark Peterson | Corbis | Getty Images

Berkshire Hathaway’s CEO Warren Buffett (L) and his business partner Vice Chairman Charles Munger answer questions at a news conference May 4, 2003 in Omaha, Nebraska.
Eric Francis | Getty Images

Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, plays the ukulele for a crowd of shareholders at the Fruit of the Loom booth during the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, Saturday, April 30, 2005.
Eric Francis | Bloomberg | Getty Images

In this seven image composite, shareholders gather prior to the start of the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S., on Saturday, May 1, 2010.
Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., sings a song with University of Nebraska cheerleaders during an event at the Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholders meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S., on Saturday, May 5, 2012.
Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., holds a large ping pong paddle as he plays table tennis with Ariel Hsing, a member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team, during an event at the annual shareholders meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S., on Sunday, May 6, 2012.
Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. chairman and chief executive officer, right, talks with Bill Gates, billionaire and co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, as they tour the exhibition floor during the Berkshire Hathaway Inc. annual shareholders meeting in Omaha, Nebraska.
Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Caricatures of Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. chairman and chief executive officer, and Charles Munger, vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., appear on a special edition package of Heinz ketchup and mustard during the Berkshire Hathaway Inc. annual shareholders meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S., on Saturday, May 2, 2015.
Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Images

The Brooks Invest in Yourself 5K Run at the 2018 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholder’s Meeting in Omaha, NE.
David A. Grogan | CNBC

Warren Buffett speaks with the media during the 2019 BHASM in Omaha, NE on May 4th, 2019.
Gerard Miller | CNBC

A salesperson wears pins of Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, and Vice Chairman Charlie Munger during the annual Berkshire shareholders meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, May 3, 2019.
Johannes Eisele | AFP | Getty Images

Display for Brooks showing Warren Buffett at the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholder Meeting in Omaha, Nebraska.
Yun Li | CNBC

Warren Buffett walks the floor ahead of the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting in Omaha, Nebraska on May 3, 2024.
David A. Grogen | CNBC More

There’s currently a $10,000 limit on the federal deduction on state and local taxes, known as SALT, which will sunset December 31, 2025 without action from Congress.
It’s been a key issue for lawmakers in high-tax states and could change amid negotiations for President Donald Trump’s policy agenda.
However, SALT cap increases would primarily benefit higher earners who are more likely to itemize deductions, experts say.

U.S. Representative Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) speaks during a press conference about the SALT Caucus outside the United States Capitol on Wednesday February 08, 2023 in Washington, DC. 
Matt McClain | The Washington Post | Getty Images

As debates ramp up for President Donald Trump’s policy agenda, changes to a key tax provision could benefit higher earners, experts say. 
Enacted via the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, or TCJA, of 2017, there’s a $10,000 limit on the federal deduction on state and local taxes, known as SALT, which will sunset after 2025 without action from Congress.Currently, if you itemize tax breaks, you can’t deduct more than $10,000 in levies paid to state and local governments, including income and property taxes.

Raising the SALT cap has been a priority for certain lawmakers from high-tax states like California, New Jersey and New York. With a slim House Republican majority, those voices could impact negotiations.
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While Trump enacted the $10,000 SALT cap in 2017, he reversed his position on the campaign trail last year, vowing to “get SALT back” if re-elected. He has renewed calls for reform since being sworn into office.
Lawmakers have floated several updates, including a complete repeal, which seems unlikely with a tight budget and several competing priorities, experts say.
“It all has to come together in the context of the broader package,” but a higher SALT deduction limit could be possible, said Garrett Watson, director of policy analysis at the Tax Foundation.

Here’s who could be impacted.

How the SALT deduction works

When filing taxes, you choose the greater of the standard deduction or your itemized deductions, including SALT capped at $10,000, medical expenses above 7.5% of your adjusted gross income, charitable gifts and others.
Starting in 2018, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act doubled the standard deduction, and it adjusts for inflation yearly. For 2025, the standard deduction is $15,000 for single filers and $30,000 for married couples filing jointly.
Because of the high threshold, the vast majority of filers — roughly 90%, according to the latest IRS data — use the standard deduction and don’t benefit from itemized tax breaks.
Typically, itemized deductions increase with income, and higher earners tend to owe more in state income and property taxes, according to Watson.

Who benefits from a higher SALT limit

Generally, higher earners would benefit most from raising the SALT deduction limit, experts say.
For example, one proposal, which would remove the “marriage penalty” in federal income taxes, involves increasing the cap on SALT deduction for married couples filing jointly from $10,000 to $20,000.
That would offer almost all the tax break to households making over $200,000 per year, according to a January analysis from the Tax Policy Center.
“If you raise the cap, the people who benefit the most are going to be upper-middle income,” said Howard Gleckman, senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center.

Of course, upper-middle income looks different depending on where you live, he said.
Forty of the top fifty U.S. congressional districts impacted by the SALT limit are in California, Illinois, New Jersey or New York, a Bipartisan Policy Center analysis from before 2022 redistricting found.
If lawmakers repealed the cap completely, households making $430,000 or more would see nearly three-quarters of the benefit, according to a separate Tax Policy Center analysis from September. More

House Republicans have a plan to drastically change how millions of Americans repay their student debt, starting July 1, 2026.
Here’s what monthly bills for student loan borrowers could be if the proposal is enacted.

U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon smiles during the signing event for an executive order to shut down the Department of Education next to U.S. President Donald Trump, in the East Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 20, 2025. 
Carlos Barria | Reuters

House Republicans have a plan to drastically change how millions of Americans repay their student debt.
Under the GOP’s new proposal, known as the Student Success and Taxpayer Savings Plan, there would be just two repayment options for those with federal student loans. Currently, borrowers have about 12 ways to repay their student debt, according to higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz.

If the GOP plan is enacted, borrowers would be able to pay back their debt through a plan with fixed payments over 10 to 25 years, or via an income-driven repayment plan, called the “Repayment Assistance Plan.”
Under the RAP plan, monthly bills for borrowers would be set as a share of their income, said Jason Delisle, a nonresident senior fellow at the Urban Institute. The percentage of income borrowers’ would have to pay rises with their earnings, starting at 1% and going as high as 10%.
House Republicans unveiled their agenda to overhaul the student loan and financial aid system at the end of April, in an effort to tout savings for President Donald Trump’s planned tax cuts.
Here’s what monthly bills for student loan borrowers could be if the proposal becomes law.

What’s new about the GOP student loan payment plan

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Many employers slashed jobs of older workers at the onset of Covid.
Now, with more flexible employment policies, older workers may be able to work longer.
Here’s what experts say to think about if you want to extend your career.

Franckreporter | E+ | Getty Images

Millions of older workers lost their jobs during the Covid-19 recession.
Between March and April 2020, 5.7 million workers ages 55 and up lost their jobs, according to the Economic Policy Institute’s analysis of federal data.

Now, five years since the onset of the pandemic, some older workers may be benefitting from policies that help them extend their careers.
“We’re seeing more and more employers putting in benefits and programs that help retain some of that older workforce,” said Carly Roszkowski, vice president of financial resilience programming at AARP.
These programs include phased retirement plans, part-time schedules and remote or hybrid work options, Roszkowski said.
Money is still the main reason why people want to stay in the workforce longer, particularly as inflation has pushed prices higher, according to Roszkowski. But there are also other motivators, including social connections, a sense of purpose or meaningful work that may help inspire individuals to continue to work.
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Working remotely may help extend careers

One lasting impact of the pandemic — increased flexibility to work remotely — may be helping some older workers delay retirement, according to new research from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.
The research finds that an individual who is working remotely is 1.4 percentage points less likely to retire than a worker in an otherwise comparable situation.
Based on those results, that could enable workers to extend their careers by almost a full year.
“If they delay claiming Social Security for that year, or delay digging into their 401(k) for that year, or contribute to their 401(k) for that year, that’s all going to be good for their finances,” said Geoffrey Sanzenbacher, a research fellow at the Center for Retirement Research and professor of the practice of economics at Boston College.

Whether or not individuals can work remotely comes down to employer preference. For example, some companies — JPMorgan, AT&T, Amazon and Dell — have moved to five-day in-office policies. The federal government, which has a workforce that skews older, has also moved to enforce in-person work policies under President Donald Trump.
Research suggests older workers benefit from remote work. In particular, the employment rate of older workers who have a disability increased by 10% following the pandemic, according to the Center for Retirement Research.
To be sure, not all careers may allow for remote work.

What career experts say to do now

Career experts say there are certain ways older workers can help extend the longevity of their working years.
Older workers should focus on upscaling — gaining new skills or boosting their current skill set — to help show off their skills to employers, said Vicki Salemi, career expert at Monster.  That may be through a certification, online class or volunteering, she said.
Having a foundational, basic understanding of technology tools used in the workplace is also essential, said Kyle M.K., a talent strategy advisor at Indeed.com.
Older workers may also want to show off their relationship building skills, which can set them apart from younger generations that are more digitally inclined, according to Salemi.
Mentoring, conflict resolution or other interpersonal skills are highly sought after skills that should be highlighted, where possible, M.K. said.
By keeping digital profiles up to date on job search sites, older workers can emphasize their skills and experience, he said.
“Digital presence is sometimes the very first introduction that the employer will have with you,” M.K. said. More