For people who reach retirement without much savings, Social Security can be a true lifeline. And it’s people in that situation who tend to be very reliant on the program’s cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs).

Social Security benefits are eligible for a COLA each year. That doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed to get one, though.

If there’s no rise in inflation from one year to the next, benefits don’t increase. Thankfully, though, the worst thing that happens is that they stay put. Social Security benefits can’t be adjusted downward, even if there’s a drop in inflation year over year.

At this point, many Social Security recipients are eager to know what raise they’ll be getting in 2026. And unfortunately, it’s too soon to have an official answer.

Social Security COLAs are based on third-quarter inflation data. This means that until data from September comes in, a COLA can’t be calculated. It’s for this reason that the Social Security Administration won’t be able to announce a COLA until Oct. 15.

However, based on inflation data so far, there are clues as to what year’s COLA might be. Whether you’re happy with the number, though, depends on how you look at things.

What we know about 2026’s Social Security COLA so far

In 2025, Social Security recipients saw their benefits increase by 2.5%. And many seniors were unhappy with that small a raise.

So far, next year’s COLA is potentially looking to be more promising. The Senior Citizens League, an advocacy group, is estimating that 2026’s raise will come in at 2.7%.

Of course, this number could wiggle upward or downward, depending on what inflation has in store for August and September. But either way, there’s a good chance seniors on Social Security will get a slightly larger raise in 2026 than they did this year.

Should you be happy with a 2.7% COLA?

That depends. On one hand, it’s higher than this year’s raise, and it’s not nothing. There have been many COLAs in the past that were much smaller (including a number of 0% COLA years).

On the other hand, 2.7% is hardly a large boost. If you’ve been struggling to keep up with your living expenses, you may find that a 2.7% Social Security COLA doesn’t do all that much for you.

But there’s another silver lining to a 2.7% COLA, or something in that vicinity. A moderate COLA is an indication that inflation isn’t rising at such a rapid pace.

There’s fear that in the coming months, tariffs will drive living costs up — not just for seniors, but Americans on a whole. If next year’s COLA ends up somewhere in the ballpark of 2.7%, it will be an indication of economic stability.

Think about your lifestyle carefully if you’re COLA-dependent

All told, you’ll have to wait until mid-October to see what the official word is on next year’s COLA. But if you’re worried it won’t be enough, it may be time to reassess your financial situation.

Think about the things you spend money on and the value they bring you. You may not be able to cut back on food or electricity, but you may be able to sell a nicer car and replace it with a cheaper one. Or you may be able to give up a car altogether if you live in a walkable neighborhood and no longer have a job to commute to on a daily basis.

Another thing worth considering is part-time work if you’re able to do it. Not only might that give you something to do with your time, but it could also improve your finances a lot more than a Social Security COLA — even a larger one.

It’s happening: Devconnect is coming to Buenos Aires, 17–22 November 2025. And we are bringing the first-ever Ethereum World’s Fair to the city.

The Ethereum World’s Fair is for the Ethereum community and anyone curious about what Ethereum can do in the real world. We’re starting in Argentina, one of the most active crypto hubs, to show how Ethereum can bring a nation onchain with stablecoins, DeFi, decentralized identity, prediction markets, games, and more.

Devconnect ARG will be different

Main venue: We’re anchoring everything around La Rural, so the energy (and everyone) keeps flowing through the main hub.

Ethereum World’s Fair: For six days, the whole venue will transform into the Ethereum World’s Fair. We expect 15K+ attendees to explore the app showcases, events, cowork, and other spaces in the main hub.

Application showcases: Hands-on showcases of Ethereum apps, and demos to see Ethereum in action.

Core programming under one roof: Kickoff Ethereum Day (17 Nov), plus other flagship events right inside the venue (some included in your main ticket).

Cowork & Community Hubs: Desks, wifi, meeting rooms, and topic-focused spaces run by the community.

Still decentralized: City-wide community events, hacker houses, meetups, and summits continue, but the heartbeat is concentrated at La Rural.

Tickets

What your Ethereum World’s Fair ticket covers:

• Kickoff day (17 Nov) and other core events – talks, workshops, and opening sessions
• Application showcases (17–22 Nov) – live demos of Ethereum apps, hands-on stations, meet the builders
• Cowork & Community Hubs (17–22 Nov) – desks, wifi, meeting rooms, and gatherings to collaborate and create
• Perks for attendees, finger food, and swag

Venue:
La Rural

Ticket types & prices:

• General Attendee — $120 USD
• Early Bird (limited) – $99 USD
• LATAM via zkPassport — $60 USD
• ARG Locals via Sovra — $20 USD
• Academics — $20 USD
• Youth (under 18) — $5 USD
• Core Devs & Protocol Guild — Free

Pay in crypto via Daimo Pay – almost any coin on any chain accepted. Or pay in fiat via Stripe.

→ Grab your ticket at tickets.devconnect.org

Devconnect week events

Independent teams will host their own gatherings, hackathons, summits, and social meetups across the city. Each has its own ticketing and registration.

Press & content creator passes

Journalists and content creators can apply for a press/content creator pass. Passholders get:

• Access to designated media zones and recording space
• Press updates
• Interview opportunities with speakers and EF teams

→ Apply here (limited spots, rolling review).

Supporter Program

The Supporter Program is your way to sponsor Devconnect and show what your app has to offer at the Ethereum World’s Fair.
We want to amplify impactful projects, so the Supporter Program is application-based.

Why join:

• Central and uninterrupted access to over 10K+ Ethereum users and developers over 6 days
• Showcase spaces (for applications and L2s with applications)
• Branding opportunities (online, on quests, and IRL) & mentions on social channels
• Optional add-ons: branded coffee service, happy hour, swag store, private event in La Rural

→ Fill out the Supporter interest form to secure your spot.

Open initiatives

Visas

Need a Visa to visit Argentina? We’re happy to help.
After getting your ticket to the main events, you can ask for a visa invitation letter via our form here.

What’s next

Over the coming weeks, we’ll publish more ways to get involved and shape the event:

• Community Hubs – create a hub for your tribe at Devconnect
• Volunteer roles – help run the largest Ethereum gathering

Follow along at devconnect.org and @EFDevcon (on X, Instagram, and Farcaster).

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Let’s bring Argentina onchain

– Devconnect team