Why do people rely in indirect information when direct information is available?

[Vladenschlutte]

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A common example is relying an hearsay, assumptions, or rankings about various colleges’ need-based financial aid, rather than using each college’s net price calculator to get an estimate that is more likely to be applicable to one’s own financial situation.

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<p>What is the accuracy of these calculators? And can it vary significantly from one school do the other?</p>