Although retired-worker benefits are set to make history in 2026, the latest COLA forecast is anything but reassuring.

However, only CPI-W readings from July through September (i.e., the third quarter) factor into the COLA calculation. If the average CPI-W reading from the third quarter of the current year is ...

The government uses a combined income formula to determine the taxable ... As policymakers and advocates debate potential changes to the COLA calculation, the voices of retirees must be heard.

The inflation metric that is used to calculate the COLA is the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, which is abbreviated as the CPI-W. This data is usually released ...

The formula uses increases in the Consumer Price ... When Will I Start Receiving Increased Social Security Payments? Although the COLA calculation was announced Thursday, benefits will not change ...

This reduction directly impacts the COLA calculation, leading to a more modest benefit increase for 2026. Post-Pandemic Economic Stabilization: The large COLA increases in 2023 and 2024 were ...

From the first retired-worker payout in January 1940 through 1974, there was no rhyme, reason, or formula for making ... measure used to calculate the COLA. The CPI-W has more than 200 weighted ...