The purpose of Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLAs) has been to keep retirement benefits on par with inflation throughout the years.
But as anyone following this matter knows, the payments haven’t kept up with prices and inflation. When we think about the big picture of this situation, there’s only one way to see the facts.
The answer is to look at the average COLA per year. This chart by The Motley Fool shows us every COLA all the way back to 1975. As you can see, some years were skipped. Others were very low, especially in modern times as prices remain high.
What do you think of these numbers? What will 2025’s increase be? Share your thoughts.
