People shop for groceries at a supermarket in Manhattan on Aug. 25, 2026 in New York City. Angela Weiss | AFP | Getty Images The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for 2027 may be around 3.5% to 3.6%, according to new estimates based on government inflation data — which would push the annual adjustment to the…
The K-shaped economy has become shorthand for a widening, persistent economic divide: higher-income Americans pulling further ahead — in wealth, spending and financial security — while many lower-income households struggle to keep up. Now, that shape may be shifting. “I got sick of hearing about this K-shaped economy,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC’s “Squawk…
Incumbent U.S. Rep. John Larson and his campaign staff wait for the results of the 1st Congressional District Democratic primary race, in East Hartford, Connecticut, Aug. 11, 2026. Connecticut Public Broadcasting | Getty Images News | Getty Images Lawmakers elected to Congress in 2026 are likely to be tasked with shoring up Social Security ahead…
A customer shops for produce in an H-E-B grocery store in Austin, Texas, May 11, 2026. Brandon Bell | Getty Images Consumer prices rose in May, pushing the annual inflation rate to its highest level in three years, according to new government data. That points to a 4.7% Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for 2027, according…
Cars line up outside a food pantry in North Carolina, April 3, 2026. Lindsey Nicholson | UCG | Universal Images Group | Getty Images Consumers are facing price pressures as the costs of groceries and gas rise. The pace of inflation is expected to increase in the coming months, according to the Survey of Professional…
A man walks by the dairy section at a supermarket in Houston, Texas, on March 17, 2026. Ronaldo Schemidt | AFP | Getty Images New government data showing rising inflation points to a higher Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for 2027, according to new forecasts. The Social Security COLA may be 4.2% amid “sharply rising” gasoline,…
Alistair Berg | Digitalvision | Getty Images Older Americans stand to benefit from tax changes in President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill,” which went into effect for 2025. “What is the one group of people who are going to be benefiting most from tax changes in the past year? It’s almost certainly going to be…
A mobile billboard with an image of Jeff Bezos calls for higher taxes on the ultrawealthy, in Washington, May 17, 2021. Drew Angerer | Getty Images In 2026, earnings up to $184,500 are subject to Social Security payroll taxes. As of Monday, individuals with $1 million in annual wage and salary earnings have stopped paying…
Skynesher | E+ | Getty Images New laws enacted in 2025 may have a big impact on how much Social Security beneficiaries pay in taxes this season. On Jan. 5, 2025, President Joe Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act, a law that ended provisions that reduced or eliminated Social Security benefits for more than…
Carl Smith | Fstop | Getty Images Social Security benefits are typically adjusted every year to keep up with rising prices. Social Security beneficiaries saw record-high COLAs in 2022 and 2023, when the annual increases climbed to 5.9% and 8.7%, respectively. Yet as the pace of inflation subsided, the size of the annual COLA increase…
