Many seniors are hoping for a generous Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in 2026. It's best to have retirement income outside of Social Security so that COLAs matter less. For many older Americans,

The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) has predicted that Social Security's 2026 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) will be 2.5 percent, up from April's prediction of 2.4 percent. While May's prediction is slightly up from March's 2.

Social Security’s cost-of-living adjustment for 2026 is expected to be 2.5%, analysts said Wednesday, the same increase as this year, as consumer prices inched slightly higher in May but did not yet reflect the full impact of tariffs.