Next year's COLA could be larger than average, but there's a serious drawback.

In just under a month, the Social Security Administration will announce the latest cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2026. But you don't necessarily need to wait that long to get an idea of what your next raise might look like.

Nonpartisan advocacy group The Senior Citizens League has been publishing monthly forecasts for the 2026 COLA based on inflation data throughout the year. The estimated COLA has increased nearly every month since January, which may seem like a good thing on the surface. Here's why it could spell trouble for retirees.

Expect a larger COLA in 2026

According to The Senior Citizens League's most recent estimate released in mid-September, next year's adjustment will likely land at 2.7

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