Social Security's 2026 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Was Just Updated. Here's Where It Stands.

Here's the latest on what retirees can expect in the new year.

Social Security commonly undergoes changes each year. The program's earnings-test limits tend to rise from one year to the next, as does its wage cap. But perhaps the most important update in the context of Social Security is the program's cost-of-living adjustment (COLA).

Each year, Social Security benefits are eligible for a COLA automatically. COLAs are meant to help ensure that Social Security recipients can maintain their buying power in the face of inflation.

The Social Security Administration won't be able to officially announce a 2026 COLA until mid-October. But based on inflation data, experts are able to make a pretty good guess as to what next year's COLA will amount to.

That projection was recently updated,