#social-security
4 articles
Social Security's 3.6% COLA for 2027: Waiting Until 70 Doesn't Skip a Single One
SSA announced a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment for 2027 on October 14, 2026. A common worry is that delaying your claim means missing raises like this. It doesn't: COLAs apply to your benefit base from age 62 whether you've claimed or not. Here is what 3.6% does at 62, 67 and 70, plus the 2027 earnings test and tax cap.
Claiming a Survivor Benefit at 60 Instead of 67 Costs $798/Month, for Life
On a $2,800 deceased-spouse benefit, claiming at the earliest allowed age of 60 pays $2,002/month. Waiting to Full Retirement Age pays the full $2,800. The gap is permanent, not a temporary reduction.
Quitting to Caregive for 2 Years Can Cost a $65K Earner Six Figures — Not Just the Salary
Lost wages are the visible part. We ran the SSA's own bend-point formula on a 2-year caregiving leave and found the lost employer match and a permanently lower Social Security check often outweigh the missed paychecks.
Claiming Social Security at 70 Instead of 62 Pays ~76% More Per Month — Yet a Third of Retirees Still Claim at 62
SSA's own reduction and delayed-credit formulas turn the same Primary Insurance Amount into a 0.70x check at 62 or a 1.24x check at 70. Compounded over a 20-30 year retirement, that's a six-figure lifetime swing.