2026 Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA)

Retirees on Social Safety obtain a rise of their Social Safety advantages every year generally known as the Price of Dwelling Adjustment or COLA. The COLA was 2.5% in 2025. Retirees on Social Safety will as soon as once more obtain a COLA in 2026. The rise might be much like the one in 2025.

Computerized Hyperlink to Inflation

Some retirees suppose the COLA is given on the discretion of the President or Congress, and so they need their elected officers to care for seniors by declaring a better COLA. They blame the President or Congress after they suppose the rise is simply too small.

It was accomplished that means earlier than 1975, however the COLA has been mechanically linked to inflation for almost 50 years. How a lot the COLA might be is decided strictly by the inflation numbers. The COLA is excessive when inflation is excessive. It’s low when inflation is low. There’s no COLA when inflation is zero or unfavorable, which occurred in 2010, 2011, and 2016.

CPI-W

Particularly, the Social Safety COLA is decided by the rise within the Shopper Worth Index for City Wage Earners and Clerical Employees (CPI-W). CPI-W is a separate index from the Shopper Worth Index for All City Customers (CPI-U), which is extra usually referenced by the media after they discuss inflation.

CPI-W tracks inflation skilled by staff. CPI-U tracks inflation skilled by shoppers. There are some minor variations in how a lot weight totally different items and providers have in every index however CPI-W and CPI-U look virtually equivalent once you put them in a chart.

The purple line is CPI-W and the blue line is CPI-U. They differed by solely smidges in 30 years.

There’s additionally a analysis CPI index referred to as the Shopper Worth Index for Individuals 62 years of age and olderor R-CPI-E. This index is weighted extra by the spending patterns of older Individuals. Some researchers argue that the Social Safety COLA ought to use R-CPI-E, which has elevated greater than CPI-W within the final 30 years.

The inexperienced line is R-CPI-E. The purple line is CPI-W. R-CPI-E outpaced CPI-W in 30 years between 1993 and 2023, however not by a lot. Had the Social Safety COLA used R-CPI-E as an alternative of CPI-W, Social Safety advantages would’ve been increased by 0.1% per yr, or slightly over 3% after 30 years. That’s nonetheless not a lot distinction.

No matter which precise CPI index is used to calculate the Social Safety COLA, it’s topic to the identical general worth atmosphere. Congress selected CPI-W 50 years in the past. That’s the one we’re going with.

Q3 Common

Extra particularly, the Social Safety COLA for subsequent yr is calculated by the rise within the common of CPI-W from the third quarter of final yr to the third quarter of this yr. You get the CPI-W numbers in July, August, and September of final yr. Add them up and divide by three. You do the identical for July, August, and September this yr. Examine the 2 numbers and around the change to the closest 0.1%. That’ll be the Social Safety COLA for subsequent yr.

2026 Social Safety COLA

The common of CPI-W from the third quarter in 2025 received’t be recognized till Oct. 15, 2025, when the federal government releases inflation numbers for September. We are able to estimate utilizing the CPI-W for July and fill in blanks for August and September.

If the CPI-W in August and September stays the identical because the CPI-W in July, the 2026 Social Safety COLA might be 2.5%. If the CPI-W in August and September goes up at a 3% annual tempo (about 0.25% per thirty days), the 2026 Social Safety COLA might be 2.7%. The distinction between a 2.5% COLA and a 2.7% COLA on a $2,500 per thirty days Social Safety profit is $5 per thirty days.

As a result of we seemingly can have some inflation, I estimate the 2026 Social Safety COLA might be 2.7%. It’s barely increased than the two.5% improve for 2025.

Medicare Premiums

In the event you’re on Medicare, the Social Safety Administration mechanically deducts the Medicare premium out of your Social Safety advantages. The Social Safety COLA is given on the “gross” Social Safety advantages earlier than deducting the Medicare premium and any tax withholding.

Medicare will announce the usual Half B premium for 2026 in October. The rise in healthcare prices is a part of the price of dwelling that the Social Safety COLA is meant to cowl. You’re nonetheless getting the total COLA regardless that part of the COLA might be used towards the rise in Medicare premiums.

Retirees with a better earnings pay greater than the usual Medicare premiums. That is referred to as Revenue-Associated Month-to-month Adjustment Quantity (IRMAA). I cowl IRMAA in 2025 2026 2027 Medicare IRMAA Premium MAGI Brackets.

Root for a Decrease COLA

Individuals intuitively desire a increased COLA, however a better COLA can solely be attributable to increased inflation. Larger inflation is dangerous for retirees.

Whether or not inflation is excessive or low, your Social Safety advantages can have the identical buying energy. It’s best to suppose extra concerning the buying energy of your financial savings and investments exterior Social Safety. When inflation is excessive, regardless that your Social Safety advantages get a bump, your different cash loses extra worth to inflation. Your financial savings and investments exterior Social Safety will last more when inflation is low.

You desire a decrease Social Safety COLAwhich implies decrease inflation and decrease bills.

Some folks say that the federal government intentionally under-reports inflation. Even when that’s the case, you continue to desire a decrease COLA.

Suppose the true inflation for seniors is 3% increased than the inflation numbers reported by the federal government. In the event you get a 3% COLA when the true inflation is 6% and also you get a 7% COLA when the true inflation is 10%, you might be significantly better off with a decrease 3% COLA along with 6% inflation than getting a 7% COLA along with 10% inflation. Your Social Safety advantages lag inflation by the identical quantity both means, however you’d moderately your different cash exterior Social Safety loses to six% inflation than to 10% inflation.

Root for decrease inflation and decrease Social Safety COLA when you find yourself retired.