August CPI Due Sept. 11 to Sharpen 2027 Social Security COLA Forecast at 3.6%
Updated
Updated · Newsweek · Sep 4
August CPI Due Sept. 11 to Sharpen 2027 Social Security COLA Forecast at 3.6%
3 articles · Updated · Newsweek · Sep 4
Summary
Sept. 11 will deliver the August CPI report, leaving forecasters with five of the six inflation readings used to set the 2027 Social Security COLA.
A 3.6% COLA is the current estimate from The Senior Citizens League, above the 2.8% adjustment for 2026, and August data could push that forecast higher or lower.
More than 70 million beneficiaries are affected because the COLA is based on third-quarter CPI-W data—July, August and September—with the official figure due Oct. 14 after September inflation is released.
For an average $2,086 monthly retirement benefit, a 3.6% increase would lift payments to about $2,161, or roughly $75 more before Medicare deductions.
Experts say a bigger COLA would mainly reflect higher living costs already absorbed by seniors, not a real improvement in purchasing power.