If you’re on Social Security, you may be itching to know what your 2027 cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, will amount to. And the good news is that you don’t have to wait too much longer to find out.
An official COLA should be announced on Oct. 14, which, at this point, isn’t so far off. And once you have that number, you can start to narrow down a budget for 2027.
Image source: Getty Images.
If you’ve been following COLA news, you may be aware that current estimates are putting next year’s Social Security raise a lot higher than this year’s 2.8% increase. But whether that’s a good thing is questionable.
A larger raise isn’t automatically a win
Current estimates point to a 2027 Social Security COLA between 3.4% and 3.6%. Even the low end of that range would lead to a much larger boost than the 2.8% COLA that arrived this past January. Based on the average $2,086 benefit today, a 3.4% COLA adds about $71 to the typical monthly check.
But while you may be hoping for a generous Social Security COLA in 2027, the reality is that a giant boost might hurt you in the near term. That’s because COLAs are pegged to third-quarter inflation.
For next year’s COLA to be considerably higher than this year’s, inflation will need to remain quite elevated this month. But that’s not something to hope for.
After all, do you relish the idea of having to pay more for essentials like groceries? Would you rather spend extra money to fill up your car or replace clothing items? Probably not.
That’s why Social Security COLAs are always a bit of a mixed bag. A giant raise typically sounds nice in theory. But in reality, any large COLA that comes through is spurred by an uptick in prices during the third quarter of the year, which means your current Social Security checks could get strained.
Understand the role of COLAs
It’s natural to wish for a larger Social Security raise than a smaller one. But one thing you must understand is that the best COLAs can generally do is match inflation — not beat it.
Social Security COLAs also aren’t designed to help people’s finances improve. If you’re having a hard time making ends meet based on your current Social Security checks, even a generous raise in 2027 is unlikely to make a big dent. Getting a part-time job or reducing expenses to the greatest degree possible could be a lot more helpful to your situation.
