How much will it cost to visit a museum, zoo or aquarium this summer? The answer, increasingly, is: It depends.

John Linehan can rattle off almost two dozen factors that Zoo New England’s dynamic pricing contractor, Digonex, uses to recommend what to charge guests.

“It’s complicated,” said Linehan, president and CEO of the operator of the two zoos in eastern Massachusetts.

Before adopting dynamic pricing, the organization was changing prices seasonally and increasing entry rates little by little. “As we watched that pattern, we were afraid some families were going to get priced out,” he said of the earlier approach. “I’m a father of four and I know what it is like.”

Now, Zoo New England’s system provides cheaper rates for tickets purchased far in advance. That, coupled with the zoo’s participation in the Mass Cultural Council’s discounted admissions program for low-income and working families, “puts some control back in the consumer’s hands,” Linehan said.

The zoo is one of many attractions embracing pricing systems that were earlier pioneered by airlines, ride-hailing apps and theme parks. While these practices allow operators to lower prices when demand is soft, they also enable the reverse, threatening to squeeze consumers who are increasingly trimming their summer travel budgets.

Before the pandemic, less than 1% of attractions surveyed by Arival, a tourism market research and events firm, used variable or dynamic pricing. Today, 17% use variable pricing, in which entry fees are adjusted based on predictable factors such as the day of the week or the season, Arival said. And 6% use dynamic pricing, in which historical and real-time data on weather, staffing, demand patterns and more influence rates.

The changes come as barely half of U.S. museums, zoos, science centers and similar institutions have fully recovered to their pre-Covid attendance levels, according to the American Alliance of Museums. That has led many to pursue novel ways of filling budget gaps and offsetting cost increases.

“There’s a saying: ‘No margin, no mission,'” Linehan said, “and we charge what we need to make ends meet while delivering on our mission.”

Entry costs are climbing even at attractions that aren’t using price-setting technology. The broad “admissions” category in the federal government’s Consumer Price Index, which includes museum fees alongside sports and concert tickets, climbed 3.9% in May from the year before, well above the annual 2.4% inflation rate.

In 2024, the nonprofit Monterey Bay Aquarium raised adult ticket prices from $59.95 to $65 and recently upped its individual membership rate, which includes year-round admission, from $95 to $125. “Gate admission from ticket sales funds the core operation of the aquarium,” a spokesperson said.

While the Denver Art Museum has no plans to test dynamic pricing, it raised admissions fees last fall, three years after a $175 million renovation and a survey of ticket prices elsewhere, a spokesperson said. Entry costs went from $18 to $22 for Colorado residents and from $22 to $27 for out-of-state visitors. Prices rise on weekends and during busy times, to $25 and $30 for in- and out-of-state visitors, respectively. Guests under age 19 always get in free thanks to a sponsored program.

Like many attractions, the art museum posts these prices on its website. But many attractions’ publicly listed ticket prices are liable to fluctuate. The Seattle Aquarium — which raised its price ranges last summer by about $10 ahead of the opening of a new ocean pavilion — also uses Digonex’s algorithmic recommendations.

During the week of June 8, for example, the aquarium’s online visit planner, which displays the relative ticket availability for each day, offered out-of-state adult admissions as low as $37.95 for dates later in the month and as much as $46.95 for walk-in tickets that week. In addition to booking in advance, there are more than half a dozen other discounts available to certain guests, including seniors and tribal and military members, a spokesperson noted.

At many attractions, however, admission fees aren’t even provided until a guest enters the specific day and time they want to visit — making it difficult to know that lower prices may be available at another time.

“Some attractions are doing a daily analysis of their bookings over the next several days or weeks and making adjustments” to prices continuously, said Arival CEO Douglas Quinby. Prices might rise quietly on a day when slots are filling up and dip when tickets don’t seem to be moving, he said.

Digonex, which says it provides automated dynamic pricing services to more than 70 attractions worldwide, offers recommendations as frequently as daily. It’s up to clients to decide how and whether to implement them, a spokesperson said. Each algorithm is tailored to organizations’ goals and can account for everything from weather to capacity constraints and even Google Analytics search patterns.

Data-driven pricing can be “a financial win for both the public and the museum,” said Elizabeth Merritt, vice president of strategic foresight at the American Alliance of Museums. It can reduce overcrowding, she said, while steering budget-minded guests toward dates that are both cheaper and less busy.

But steeper prices during peak periods and for short-notice visits could rankle guests — who may see anything less than a top-notch experience as a rip-off, said Stephen Pratt, a professor at the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management who studies tourism.

“Because of the higher prices, you want an experience that’s really great,” he said, transforming a low-key day at the zoo into a big-ticket, high-stakes outing. “You’ve invested this money into family time, into creating memories, and you don’t want any service mishaps.”

That could raise the risk of blowback at many attractions, especially those grappling with Trump administration cuts this summer. Some historic sites and national parks have already warned that their operations are under pressure.

Consumers should expect more price complexity to come. Arival said 16% of attractions ranked implementing dynamic pricing as a top priority for 2025-26. Among large attractions serving at least half a million guests annually, 37% are prioritizing dynamic pricing, up from the 12% that use it currently.

For visitors, that could mean hunting harder for cheaper tickets. While many museums are free year-round, others provide lower rates for off-season visits and those booked in advance. It’s also common to reduce or waive fees on certain days or hours, and many kids and seniors can often get discounted entry.

Here are a few other ways to keep admissions costs low:

• Ask your local library. Many have museum passes that cardholders can check out.
• Bundling programs such as CityPass, GetOutPass, Go City and others allow visitors to save money on admissions to a range of attractions.
• Bank of America’s Museums on Us program offers cardholders free entry to many institutions during the first full weekend of each month.
• For the past decade, Museums for All has been providing free or reduced entry at more 1,400 U.S. museums and attractions to anyone receiving SNAP food assistance benefits.
• And each summer, the Blue Star Museums program offers museum discounts to actively serving military personnel and their families.

“It may take a bit of research,” said Quinby, “but it’s still possible to find a good deal.”

Political pressure is mounting against the Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, and yet the Federal Reserve is expected to hold interest rates steady at the end of its two-day meeting this week.

Despite a wave of recent attacks on Powell from President Donald Trump, futures market pricing is implying virtually no chance of an interest rate cut, according to the CME Group’s FedWatch gauge.

The president has argued that maintaining a fed funds rate that is too high makes it harder for businesses and consumers to borrow, adding more strain to the U.S. economy. The federal funds rate sets what banks charge each other for overnight lending, but also affects many of the borrowing and savings rates most Americans see every day.

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With a rate cut likely postponed until at least September, consumers struggling under the weight of high prices and high borrowing costs aren’t getting much relief, experts say. 

“The combination of high interest rates, stubborn inflation and economic uncertainty is a pretty challenging one,” said Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst at LendingTree. “Most Americans don’t have a ton of wiggle room and today they have even less.”

From credit cards and mortgage rates to auto loans and savings accounts, here’s a look at how the Fed plays a role in your finances.

Credit card debt continues to be a pain point for consumers struggling to keep up with high prices. Since most credit cards have a variable rate, there’s a direct connection to the Fed’s benchmark.

But even with the Fed on the sidelines, credit card rates have edged higher. The average annual percentage rate is currently just over 20%, according to Bankrate, not far from last year’s all-time high. 

“This is a sign of banks trying to protect themselves from the risk that is out there in these uncertain times,” Schulz said. However, in this case, there is something consumers can do about higher APRs.

“The truth is that people have way more power over the rates they pay than they think they do, especially if they have good credit,” Schulz said.

Rather than wait for a rate cut that may be months away, borrowers could switch now to a zero-interest balance transfer credit card or consolidate and pay off high-interest credit cards with a lower-rate personal loan, he said.

The average rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage has stayed within the same narrow range for months and is currently near 6.9%, according to Bankrate. Tack on the nationwide problem of limited inventory and housing affordability remains a key issue, regardless of the Fed’s next move.

“I don’t see any major changes coming in the immediate future, meaning that those shopping for a home this summer should expect rates to remain relatively high,” Schulz said.

Auto loan rates are fixed, and not directly tied to the Fed. But payments are getting bigger because car prices are rising, in part due to impacts from Trump’s trade policy.

Currently, the average rate on a five-year new car loan is 7.24%, according to Bankrate.

The growth in median car payments is outpacing both new and used car prices, according to separate data from Bank of America. Now, of those households with a monthly car payment, 20% pay more than $1,000 a month.

“Combine that with the potential for tariffs to drive auto prices even higher, and it adds up to a really challenging time to buy a car,” Schulz said. “However, shopping for the best rate and getting approved for financing before you ever set foot in the dealership can bring significant savings,” he added.

Federal student loan rates are set once a year, based in part on the last 10-year Treasury note auction in May and fixed for the life of the loan, so most borrowers are somewhat shielded from Fed moves and recent economic turmoil.

Current interest rates on undergraduate federal student loans made through June 30 are at 6.53%. Starting July 1, the interest rates will be 6.39%.

Although borrowers with existing federal student debt balances won’t see their rates change, many are now facing other headwinds and fewer federal loan forgiveness options.

On the upside, top-yielding online savings accounts still offer above-average returns and currently pay more than 4%, according to Bankrate.

While the central bank has no direct influence on deposit rates, the yields tend to be correlated to changes in the target federal funds rate — so holding that rate unchanged has kept savings rates elevated, for now.

“The thing that is lost in this, is that savers, including millions of retirees, are actually earning good income on their savings, provided they have their money parked in a competitive place,” said Greg McBride, Bankrate’s chief financial analyst.

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A spate of federal immigration enforcement raids from Los Angeles to New York has sparked demonstrations and rallies around the country, leading to mass arrests and National Guard deployment.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement crackdown has heightened concerns of foreign-born residents, especially undocumented immigrants and their families, about how they should prepare for worst-case scenarios of being detained or deported. 

Planning ahead for such emergency scenarios must include a strategy for who will handle their finances and how, experts say. 

“When people are detained or deported without having legally designated somebody to manage their assets, they might lose access to their accounts or their property,” said Sarah Pacilio, a director at the Appleseed Network, a nonprofit network of justice centers in the U.S. and Mexico. 

Managing financial matters from abroad can be challenging due to limited access to bank accounts or service providers, she said. 

Having a plan is crucial. The Appleseed Network has published a detailed “Deportation Preparation Manual for Immigrant Families,” which is available for free on its website. There are also financial planners who offer their services for free to families in need, through groups including the Financial Planning Association and the Foundation for Financial Planning.  

“Right now, there’s a lot of fear, there’s a lot of trauma,” said certified financial planner Louis Barajas, CEO of International Private Wealth Advisors.

“I want to give people information so they can at least take some power back,” said Barajas, whose firm is based in Orange County, California, and who does pro bono work with Santa Ana’s predominantly Latino community.

To protect assets — including homes, bank accounts and retirement savings — financial and legal experts recommend taking these key steps:   

Store these records and documents in a safe deposit box at a bank or a fireproof, waterproof box or safe. Digitize the documents, too, with password-protected cloud storage or encrypted flash drives. 

Taking this step can help ensure you have key details about accounts and assets wherever you are, and that physical documents are in one safe location for a trusted family member to access.

Have legal documents in place, especially a financial power of attorney, or POA. Designating a POA also creates a back-up plan, Barajas said, so that “someone they trust can manage their finances if they are out of the country.” 

A POA can also give the person you designate the authority to sign checks from your bank account, make decisions about your child’s schooling and health care, or use your money to buy or sell major items such as a car, according to the Appleseed Network.

Work with a legal expert to draft a pre-need guardianship document. Naming a guardian for your child in a legal document will allow an adult of your choice to step in if you are no longer able to care for the child, say, if you are deported and your child remains in the U.S., said Barajas, who is also a member of the CNBC Financial Advisor Council.

Consider buying a term life insurance policy, which can provide benefits to your loved ones if you die. Already have one? Carefully review your beneficiaries. 

Create an estate plan. Consider setting up a trust to transfer assets such as real estate, non-retirement savings and life insurance proceeds, Barajas said.

“A lot of single mothers who have been deported do have insurance,” he said. “Because they’re they’re single mothers, they have named their minor children as beneficiaries on their life insurance policies — and that’s a major mistake.”

Insurers won’t give proceeds directly to minors, he said. 

“That’s why I’d like them to get an estate plan done so they can name a trust as a beneficiary,” he said. “So if something were to happen to them, someone can manage that money for their children.”

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