Thrifty Banker
  • Politics
  • Business
  • World
  • Investing
  • Politics
  • Business
  • World
  • Investing

Thrifty Banker

Business

Social Security checks are about to change. Here’s when and how much.

by December 20, 2023
December 20, 2023
Social Security checks are about to change. Here’s when and how much.

Social Security recipients and others on fixed incomes will soon see a slight increase in their monthly benefit checks from the U.S. government.

Starting in January, the estimated average monthly retirement benefit will increase by 3.2%, or $59 a month, for 2024 — from $1,848 to $1,907.

The new amounts, the result of the agency’s annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), will kick in next month on a staggered, weekly basis, according to when a recipient’s birthday occurs.

The latest COLA increase pales in comparison to the 8.7% increase recipients saw for 2023. That’s because inflation has been falling over the past several months. The annual COLA is calculated based on inflation readings for July, August and September. In those months, the relevant measure of 12-month inflation clocked in at 2.6%, 3.4% and 3.5%, respectively.

Yet despite the more recent slowdown of price increases, many Americans on fixed incomes, especially seniors, will continue to struggle financially even as inflation slows into 2024, experts and economists say.

Since mid-2020, average prices in the U.S. have climbed more than 20%. Yet, the total Social Security cost-of-living adjustment has increased just 17.8% over the same period.

‘There is some very sticky inflation,’ said Mary Johnson, Social Security and Medicare policy analyst for the Senior Citizens League, a nonpartisan advocacy group.

Seniors are especially vulnerable to the rising cost of housing, with the average older person spending 49% of their household budget on shelter, Johnson said. Even as other categories of inflation have slowed or even reversed in recent months, shelter costs have continued to trend upward. In September, a key measure of shelter costs increased by 0.6%, the largest rise since February, after a 0.4% gain in August.

Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, said that while many higher-income seniors have likely weathered the recent inflationary period, many low- and middle-income seniors — especially those on fixed incomes — have not.

‘It’s been a really tough three or four years, and that continues,’ Zandi said of those cohorts.

Next year’s Medicare Part B premium adjustments will further erode savings from those monthly Social Security checks. Following a rare year in which the premium was reduced, the standard monthly Part B rate will increase by about $10 to $174.70.

The formula for setting the annual COLA increase was established some five decades ago. The Senior Citizens League has said that, over time, spending categories that more directly impact seniors, especially health care costs, have increased at a faster rate than others.

The league has calculated that, as a result, Social Security benefits have lost more than 30% of their purchasing power since 2000.

Government economists have created — but not implemented — an alternative index, called the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E), which puts greater weight on senior-focused categories. Currently, there is no active congressional legislation pushing a switch to CPI-E.

The Senior Citizens League nevertheless estimates that a senior who filed for Social Security with average benefits over 30 years ago would have received nearly $14,000 more in retirement if the CPI-E had been used.

However, the CPI-E has slightly trailed standard measures of inflation since the pandemic, climbing 18.4% since mid-2020 — meaning the cost-of-living adjustments seen in recent years would have been slightly smaller.

Still, Johnson and the league say many seniors remain vulnerable, especially since they are less likely to be able to take on additional work to boost income.

“Housing, motor vehicle insurance, the cost of hospitals and care of [disabled persons] at home — these are the savings-draining black holes even when inflation is low,” Johnson wrote in a recent Senior Citizens League report.

“Yet these are the very categories seeing the most persistent and painful inflation right now.’

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS
0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Top 5 NASDAQ Pharma Stocks of 2023
next post
Trump’s Republican White House rivals rally around the former president in ballot battle

Related Posts

General Motors idles another auto plant, sending 2,000...

September 21, 2023

Hiring is slowing — slowly. It might be...

November 4, 2023

Abortion bans and anti-LGBTQ laws are complicating business...

October 22, 2023

UAW’s Tennessee win fuels backers’ hopes in the...

April 26, 2024

UAW and Ford reach tentative agreement, potentially ending...

October 29, 2023

If you haven’t started your Thanksgiving trip, you’re...

November 28, 2023

Cyberattack cost MGM Resorts about $100 million, Las...

October 9, 2023

Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady as consumer...

February 1, 2024

UAW says it’s expanding strike to include major...

October 12, 2023

Walmart and Target face similar problems — but...

August 19, 2023

    Sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest insights, updates, and exclusive content straight to your inbox! Whether it's industry news, expert advice, or inspiring stories, we bring you valuable information that you won't find anywhere else. Stay connected with us!


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Popular

    • 1

      Top 10 Countries for Natural Gas Production (Updated 2024)

      April 6, 2024
    • 2

      Trump-era China sanctions ended by Biden may be revived under new House GOP bill

      June 27, 2024
    • 3

      Top 10 Uranium-producing Countries (Updated 2024)

      April 18, 2024
    • 4

      A GOP operative accused a monastery of voter fraud. Nuns fought back.

      January 3, 2025
    • 5

      Top 9 Nickel-producing Countries (Updated 2024)

      April 23, 2024
    • 6

      Australian abolitionist, Grace Forrest, receives coveted ‘Freedom from Fear’ award

      April 13, 2024
    • 7

      LME Sanctions on Russian Metal Push Copper, Nickel and Aluminum Prices Higher

      April 17, 2024

    Categories

    • Business (1,028)
    • Investing (2,046)
    • Politics (2,977)
    • Uncategorized (20)
    • World (3,347)
    • About us
    • Contact us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: thriftybanker.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 thriftybanker.com | All Rights Reserved