Nadine Ahondo

A new estimate said the 2027 Social Security COLA would be ~3%, matching the 2026 adjustment despite a recent inflation jump tied to the Iran war.
The projected benefit bump for seniors was described as disappointing, even after the latest inflation reading showed prices heating up.
For retired workers, the avg. monthly check would rise by ~$57, moving from ~$2K to ~$2.1K under the projected 2027 adjustment.
The estimate came from an advocacy group focused on seniors and their Social Security benefits.
Core takeaway: recent inflation strength did not change the current projection for next year's Social Security cost-of-living increase.
The projected 2027 adjustment remained the same as the current year's COLA, rather than moving higher after the latest inflation data.
The article's tone was clear: a flat projected COLA, even with hotter prices, was framed as bad news for seniors.

2027 COLA Seen Matching 2026

By Tax Day, avg. refunds topped $3.4K, up 11% yearly, according to federal data released Wednesday as the current filing season reached its deadline.
Federal data also said >53M filers claimed at least one new tax cut from last year's law, while >5M opened child accounts.
More than 25M filers claimed the overtime tax break, with avg. deductions above $3.1K. More than 30M seniors claimed an enhanced deduction above $7.5K.
The data also showed >105M filers claimed the permanently doubled standard deduction, reducing the amount of income subject to taxes.
A note from an investment bank said higher oil prices tied to the US-Israeli war on Iran were undercutting the administration's claimed economic benefits.
A tax group estimated the law added $748 to the avg. individual refund, while economists said higher gas costs could run $740-$1K yearly.
Lower-income households were hit harder by gas costs, while a tax group said middle and upper-middle income filers saw the largest share of cu