about the rise in medical premiums that offset COLA

United Health Care CEO. Rummer is he needs a pay raise .

Had this discussion in the office with the usual "Social Security will probably won't be around for me". Stated it will be there, its just a few questions of when you retire, reduction in benefits and how they decide to calculate for inflation.

Increase the age and you automatically reduce benefits. Change a few calculations and boom, the COLA never exceeds inflation and continues to fall behind.

between 2005 and 2010 there were no raises and despite union rallies and negotiating we were told year after year "be grateful you did not get a pink slip". With no COLA we ended up with a pay cut if you figure inflation. Our health insur co-pays almost doubled and 40% of support staff was let go. This effected everyone's retirement in the long run.

COLA.

I don't pay, but then I don't go to the hospital either. (knocks on wood)
The extra $16 bucks in my COLA will pay for my monthly trash pick-up.

that from SS and if it wasn't for a work pension I couldn't even pay my bills let alone eat.

my sweetheart pays the electric and cable. I pay the taxes and propane and
cut all the firewood (our source of heat).
We live well, peacefully in the semi-country. When I first bought the 40 acres,
I had the only mailbox on my street. No neighbors for a couple of miles.
Now there is a big bank of mailboxes and neighbors only a quarter mile away.

Was behind by $1.00 a month for this year. (Have a very small Soc.Sec. check)

Just found out our local Utility board ( water, garbage, sewer) will be increasing the rates automatically by
2% EVERY year from now on. Built in 2% monthly increase year after year.

Don't spend it all in one place! I'll be getting my first SS check in January.

That is bitterly funny, have to admit.

...so you can spread some of that wealth around

So no one can really nail the true rate. Also many food companies have shrunk sizes to maintain “affordable” pricing. Many people buy hamburger, instead of steak, for instance.

Generally, take a look at prices around early 1965. You will find that prices are generally 10 times as high now in 2017. The BLS inflation calculator confirms that roundabout figure.

The problem is that salaries have not increased by the same figure for most people.

(Just a bit of sarcasm)

I thought I was supposed to get a mailing from Social Security telling me precisely what my new benefit and Medicare deduction should be. I got one last year. Haven't gotten one so far this year.

In the past several years the COLA and the Medicare adjustment has meant that almost all of us have seen almost no change in our benefit for about five years.

For some reason I'm mis-remembering that it came in November last year.