{
  "id": 15205915,
  "title": "September Inflation Came In at 3.9%, Helping to Set Social Security's 2027 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA)",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/september-inflation-came-in-at-3-9-helping-to-set-social-securitys",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-17T13:45:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Motley Fool",
    "slug": "motley-fool",
    "url": "https://www.fool.com/investing/2026/10/17/september-inflation-came-in-at-39-helping-to-set/?source=iedfolrf0000001"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On September 12, 2025, the Social Security Administration announced a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) increase of 3.6% for the following year. This marks the fifth-largest COLA increase in the past 35 years and reflects the ongoing high inflation rates. The difference between the main inflation indicators, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) and the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), led to this higher COLA. The CPI-W, which is more relevant to Social Security benefit calculations, rose by 3.9% in September from the previous year, compared to the CPI-U's 3.7% increase. This disparity is due to the CPI-W placing greater emphasis on expenses such as rent, transportation, food, apparel, and utility costs, which make up a significant portion of the U.S. population's spending. Rising energy prices, primarily caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, contributed significantly to the inflation spike. Although the newly announced COLA provides some relief, it does not fully offset the current inflation pressures faced by Social Security recipients.",
  "summary": "Social Security recipients will receive an above-average boost beginning next year.",
  "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."
}