2025 COLA Increase: Consumers have struggled with rising prices since 2021. The 2022 hyperinflation has ended, but rising grocery, drugstore, and gas pump prices continue to strain household budgets.
Inflationary pressures have hurt older people, and Social Security COLAs have made them worse. The 8.7% COLA increase for seniors in 2023 matched widespread inflation. Many retirees struggled financially after the following year’s 3.2% increase.
Social Security 2025 COLA increase disappoints seniors https://t.co/vV8BczK5xa pic.twitter.com/qOFOGRMv2v
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) March 13, 2024
Considering the future, it is expected that Social Security COLAs in 2025 may remain modest. Although this may be disheartening for seniors who depend on these adjustments, there is a positive aspect to this situation.
Smaller COLAs may indicate a drop in inflation, offering some relief from rising living costs. Recent estimates suggest a 2.6% COLA for 2025 could give recipients $52 per month. This may help with financial issues.
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Experts Forecast a Decrease in Inflation
These estimates rely on inflation data from earlier in the year; third-quarter data will determine the COLA for 2025. The expected 2.6% increase may disappoint some seniors, but it emphasizes the importance of financial planning and resilience.
For a way to augment their retirement income, seniors should think about gig economies. Savings during the working years can also help to lessen the effects of small cost-of-living adjustments in retirement and shield one against economic uncertainty.
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Retirees may worry about lesser COLAs, but they should wait until October for the formal announcement. Responsible financial management and long-term planning are necessary for retirement financial stability, regardless of the final figure.
The continuance of inflation and limited cost-of-living adjustments challenge pensioners. These situations highlight the importance of flexibility and resilience during economic ups and downs. Seniors can better handle financial uncertainty by diversifying their income and savings.
History of COLAs( Social Security cost-of-living adjustments)
Each Social Security benefit increase required a new congressional act until 1975. However, rising inflation in the 1970s eroded the purchasing power of fixed pensions and benefits. The yearly inflation rate doubled to almost 12% from 1969 to 1974.
Automatic annual COLAs began in 1975 after Congress passed the 1972 Social Security Amendments. The first automatic Social Security COLA was 8% in 1975.
The 1975 COLA wasn’t Social Security’s biggest rise since automatic annual raises. Benefits grew 14.3% in 1980 and 11.2% in 1981.
In the first two decades of the 21st century, COLAs averaged around 2% (with no benefit increase in 2010, 2011, or 2016). Due to rising food and gasoline prices, COLAs have reached their highest levels since the early 1980s: 5.9% in 2022 and 8.7% in 2023.
Hartford Funds managing director for applied analytics Mike Lynch said 2024’s 3.2 percent hike is more in keeping with current inflation trends than 2022–23’s spike.
“That lower number may make people think, ‘Well, what was it last year? “Gosh, inflation is crazy,” he remarks. “The COLA controls that. If you see it drop to 3, that’s a big drop, but it’s not year-by-year.”
