{
  "id": 15191847,
  "title": "Grocery Prices Rose 1.8% in September. Here's How That Compares With Social Security's 2027 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA).",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/grocery-prices-rose-1-8-in-september-heres-how-that-compares-with",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-17T11:56:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Motley Fool",
    "slug": "motley-fool",
    "url": "https://www.fool.com/investing/2026/10/17/grocery-prices-rose-18-in-september-heres-how-that/?source=iedfolrf0000001"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Grocery prices increased by 1.8% in September, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, marking a slight slowdown from earlier months. However, this modest rise is still higher than the long-term average and below the grocery prices five years ago. The annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for Social Security benefits, which is based on various living expenses including food, aims to offset these rising costs. The Social Security Administration recently announced a 3.6% increase in benefits for next year, amounting to approximately $75 more per month for average recipients. While this adjustment provides some relief to retirees, it may not fully compensate for the significant price hikes they have faced in transportation, housing, and other areas. Moreover, retirees may face financial difficulties if they were not prepared for additional expenses, as the benefits are not adjusted until after the fact.",
  "summary": "Retirees are getting more than enough to offset higher food prices, but the impending pay raise is being more than offset by other costs. Optimizing cash flow remains the key.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Motley Fool",
        "title": "The Social Security Administration Has Spoken: Here's the 2027 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) -- and What It Will Do to Your Benefit",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/the-social-security-administration-has-spoken-heres-the-2027-cost-of",
        "published": "2026-10-16T16:30:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Nasdaq Markets",
        "title": "The Social Security Administration Has Spoken: Here's the 2027 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) -- and What It Will Do to Your Benefit",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/the-social-security-administration-has-spoken-heres-the-2027-cost-of-15005747",
        "published": "2026-10-16T16:50:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}