Social Security COLA
Effective January 1, 2026
Social Security: 2.8% COLA and a higher wage base for 2026
Social Security benefits rose 2.8% for 2026 — about $56/month for the average retired worker. The maximum earnings subject to Social Security tax also climbed to $184,500.
Social Security benefits rose 2.8% for 2026 (up from 2.5% in 2025) — an average of about $56/month for retired workers. It takes effect with January 2026 payments (SSI recipients saw it December 31, 2025). The COLA is set by the rise in the CPI-W from the third quarter of 2024 to the third quarter of 2025.
Separately, the taxable maximum — the wage base on which Social Security tax is owed — rose to $184,500, up from $176,100 (+4.8%). The most anyone pays in Social Security tax in 2026 is $11,439.
| Item | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| COLA | 2.5% | 2.8% |
| Avg. retired-worker increase | — | ~$56/mo |
| Taxable maximum | $176,100 | $184,500 |
Sources
What this means for your plan
Personalized impact emails are coming to Pro — a note within days of each change showing how it moves your own plan’s success probability. For now, you can re-run your plan against the updated 2026 figures.