COLA News: The 2027 Cycle, As It Happens
Coming up (scheduled milestones)
| When | Event | Source / status |
|---|---|---|
| November 2026 (expected) | CMS announces the official 2027 Part B premium, deductible and IRMAA brackets. The $209.50 projection used across this site is replaced the same day, with a dated entry here. | CMS — pending |
| November 18, 2026 | Paperless deadline: last day to opt in to electronic notices in my Social Security to get your COLA notice online-only for this cycle. | SSA |
| Late November 2026 | Individual 2027 amounts posted in the my Social Security Message Center. | SSA |
| December 2026 | Paper COLA notices mailed throughout the month. | SSA |
| December 31, 2026 | First SSI payment with the 3.6% COLA (the January payment, moved up because January 1 is a holiday). First VA and military retiree deposits with the increase also land this day. | SSA / VA / DFAS |
| January 4, 2027 | First increased federal retiree (CSRS/FERS) annuity payment. | OPM |
| January 13 / 20 / 27, 2027 | First Social Security payments with the 3.6% COLA, by birth-date cohort (pre-May-1997 and dual-eligible beneficiaries are paid in the December 31 / early-January 3rd-schedule cycle). | SSA |
The log
October 29, 2026 — This site completes its one-stop expansion
Cola2027Calculator.com grows to 114 pages: 51 state pages, the VA / federal / railroad / military COLA hubs, a history data center built from SSA/CMS/BLS datasets, and 24 additional reference pages (earnings-test and tax calculators, IRMAA brackets, hold harmless, the 2028 schedule, glossary and more). One correction was folded in along the way: the 2007 COLA in our history table was fixed to the SSA's official 2.3%. Source: this site.
October 2026 — Federal and railroad COLAs published
The Office of Personnel Management confirms CSRS annuitants receive the full 3.6% and most FERS annuitants 2.6% under the diet-COLA formula (first increased payment January 4, 2027). The Railroad Retirement Board (News Release No. 26-7) confirms Tier I +3.6% and Tier II +1.2%, with the average employee annuity rising $106 to $3,761. Sources: OPM; RRB.
October 21, 2026 — This site launches
Cola2027Calculator.com goes live with the 2027 COLA calculator, per-benefit-type calculators and the complete guide — one week after the announcement. Source: this site.
October 14, 2026 — SSA announces the 2027 COLA: 3.6%
The Social Security Administration announces a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment for 2027, computed from the third-quarter CPI-W (Q3 2026 average 328.746 vs. Q3 2025 average 317.265). The accompanying fact sheet sets the 2027 taxable wage base at $192,300, earnings-test limits at $25,560 / $67,920, the maximum benefit at full retirement age at $4,188, and federal SSI standards at $1,029 / $1,544. The average retired worker's benefit rises from $2,095 to $2,170. The announcement, the forecasts it settled, and the full record are archived on the 2027 announcement page. Source: SSA news release and 2027 COLA fact sheet.
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Frequently asked questions
What is this page?
A dated, sourced log of everything that happens in the 2027 COLA cycle — official announcements, this site's updates when figures change, and the deadlines that matter. New entries are appended as events occur; nothing is silently edited, and projections are always labeled until the official figure replaces them.
What is the next event in the 2027 COLA cycle?
The CMS announcement of the official 2027 Medicare Part B premium and IRMAA brackets, expected in November 2026. On that day this site replaces the $209.50 projection everywhere it appears and logs the change here.
How will I know when my exact 2027 amount is ready?
The SSA posts individual amounts in the my Social Security Message Center in late November 2026 and mails paper notices during December. The full timeline is on the COLA notice page.