Social Security's biggest reveal of the year is creeping up quickly, but a majority of its 68 million beneficiaries are liable to be left disappointed.

While the official COLA will be announced next month, experts following inflation trends month to month can make fairly accurate predictions for what the adjustment will look like

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The latest cost-of-living-adjustment estimate for Social Security benefits next year is expected to be about 2.5%, according to the nonpartisan Senior Citizens League

The Social Security Administration will officially announce the 2025 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) on Oct. 10, 2024. It might seem like an arbitrary date to you, but it's not. That's when the government releases the September figure for the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).

The inflation data for August gives us a pretty good idea about the likely magnitude of Social Security’s cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2025. This automatic indexing of benefits to keep up with rising prices — always a wonderful feature of our Social Security program — has been particularly valuable in light of the recent bout of inflation.

The purpose of COLAs is to help Social Security beneficiaries maintain their buying power in the face of inflation. Over time, living costs tend to rise naturally. Keeping Social Security payments stagnant would likely force those who rely on them into poverty through the years.