Social Security benefits received a 2.5% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in 2025, but for many retirees, this is not enough to keep up with rising prices. Their monthly checks don't go as far as they used to,

The non-partisan advocacy group The Senior Citizens League predicts the 2026 COLA will be 2.1%, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ CPI-W, the index used to calculate the annual increase. December’s CPI-W came in at 2.8%. Getty Images

When you are on  Social Security, you can expect your retirement benefits to increase during most years. That’s because Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs) typically happen automatically from year to year.

For retirees, healthcare expenses are unavoidable and increasingly unaffordable. Fidelity Research says a 65-year-old retiring in 2024 can expect to spend an average of $165,000 on healthcare and medical expenses throughout retirement — a 5% jump over the previous year and more than double 2002’s estimate.

According to a recent Social Security COLA survey by The Motley Fool that asked 2,000 retirees about the COLA, 81% of retirees say that the 2025 COLA will not help them keep up with their essential living expenses. And it isn't hard to see why.

Social Security in 2025 is poised for significant updates, impacting the benefits retirees rely on. From adjustments to the full retirement age (FRA) to increases in the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA),

Retirement can be incredibly expensive, and most Americans need to lean on Social Security to some extent to make ends meet. In fact, 43% of baby boomers say their benefits will be their primary source of income in retirement,