Technologies

2026 Social Security COLA Predictions: How Much More Money Will You Get Next Year?

What will the 2026 COLA be? Here’s what the experts are predicting.

As we near the official 2026 COLA announcement from the Social Security administration, recipients are wondering how much more they will receive in their monthly payments next year. We’re still a few months out before we have an official answer, but you don’t have to wait until the expected October announcement to get some insight.

Experts in the field have been making predictions for the 2026 COLA since the beginning of this year, and an initial prediction of a 2.1% bump next year has been followed by a slight shift upward month by month. Whether these expert takes will match the official number remains to be seen — especially with the economic uncertainty spurred by the Trump administration’s tariffs agenda — but we’ll break down the latest for you below.

I’ve been steeping myself in all things Social Security for the past year, writing timely articles that surface the most relevant details for existing and soon-to-be beneficiaries and their families. Even if, like me, you’re a long way from retirement, staying up to date with expert takes will keep you informed for when it’s time for you or your loved ones to retire. The COLA adjustment will be one of the most important announcements of the year.

For more, don’t miss the Social Security and SSDI cheat sheet.

What is the COLA?

The cost-of-living adjustment, otherwise known as the COLA or COLA increase, is an annual change in the payment scale made by the Social Security Administration. It’s pegged to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, which measures the average changes in prices for consumer goods and services and is updated monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These monthly snapshots in the changes to prices of goods and services allow the SSA to see the overall average and determine the COLA for the following year as a percentage of the current payment levels.

For Social Security and Supplemental Security Insurance recipients, the COLA percentage represents how much more you’ll receive in monthly benefits in the new year. It takes effect Jan. 1 and stays in effect for the calendar year.

The official COLA announcement typically takes place sometime in October.

Some are not happy with how the COLA is calculated

How the COLA is calculated has become a hot topic, given that the model sets the adjustment for the entire year ahead.

The Senior Citizens League, a nonpartisan advocacy group for older adults, last year conducted a study of 3,000 older adults. A key takeaway: 72% of respondents said that Congress should prioritize changing the COLA calculation to an index that’s more reflective of the changing expenses for seniors, like the CPI-E.

Government benefits that are affected by the COLA

There are multiple government benefits that use the COLA to make adjustments. In addition to Social Security, the adjustment applies to Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income, Medicare, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to account for inflation when setting benefits.

Expert predictions for the 2026 COLA increase

The League provides monthly predictions of the upcoming COLA for the following year, and they were spot on for 2025, predicting a 2.5% COLA.

In January, the League predicted a 2.1% increase for 2026 and has adjusted that upward since then. In May 2025, the prediction was pushed to 2.4%. The prediction came after the recent executive order by the Trump administration, targeting pharmaceutical companies and pushing for cheaper drug costs.

Its latest prediction, released last month, bumped the COLA to 2.5%. Each prediction for the past four months has been raised slightly, and we may get a new prediction from The League any day now.

COLA Increases 2020 — 2025

Year	COLA Increase	% change vs. the previous year
2025	2.50%	-0.70%
2024	3.20%	-5.50%
2023	8.70%	2.80%
2022	5.90%	4.60%
2021	1.30%	-0.30%
2020	1.60%

For more, don’t miss the Social Security and SSDI cheat sheet.

Technologies

Drop Into Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4, Now on Xbox Game Pass

High on Life also returned to Xbox Game Pass.

The Tony Hawk games were some of my favorites when I was growing up. The soundtracks helped form my musical taste and the games helped propel me and my friends to learn to skateboard. So I’m grabbing my (virtual) deck and returning to some familiar gaps and rails in the revamped Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4, which are on Xbox Game Pass now as one game.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, a CNET Editors’ Choice award pick, offers hundreds of games you can play on your Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One and PC or mobile device for $20 a month. A subscription gives you access to a large library of games, with new titles, including Doom: The Dark Ages, added monthly, plus other benefits such as online multiplayer and deals on non-Game Pass titles.

Read more: Play Classic Games From the ’80s and ’90s on Xbox Game Pass Now

Here are the games Microsoft added to Game Pass recently. You can also check out what games Microsoft brought to the service in June, like Call of Duty: WWII.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4

Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can play now.

Tony Hawk is back to shred in new areas, perform gnarly tricks and bring you more great music along the way. This revamped version of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4 also brings new skaters to the roster. Game Pass subscribers who bought the Deluxe Edition Upgrade also get the Doom Slayer as a playable skater and other perks.

High on Life

Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass and Game Pass Standard subscribers can play now.

Microsoft removed this game from Xbox Game Pass in June 2024 but the company is bringing the potty humor-filled game back to the service. You’ve just escaped an alien invasion and have befriended an alien that’s also a talking gun. You and other talking guns — and a talking, psychotic knife named Knifey — will team up to stop the invasion of Earth and bring an end to an intergalactic drug cartel.

Legend of Mana (console)

Game Pass Standard subscribers can play now.

As soon as you embark on a quest to find the mythical Mana Tree, you discover the world map is empty! So the only way to find it is to explore the world, talk to people and take on fearsome monsters in this remastered, classic RPG. This version of the game also has graphical improvements, a rearranged soundtrack and other modern enhancements.

Trials of Mana (console)

Game Pass Standard subscribers can play now.

If you enjoyed the remastered version of Legend of Mana, you’ll likely enjoy this remastered version of Trials of Mana, another entry in the Mana series. You set off on an adventure to find the Mana Tree and protect the world from chaos. This version of the classic RPG includes graphic improvements, character voiceover support and a new ability system.

Ultimate Chicken Horse

Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass and Game Pass Standard subscribers can play now.

The name of this game was enough to draw my attention and the in-game raccoon sealed the deal for me. This party-platforming game has you race against others to see who can get to the end of the level first. But each player gets to build the level as they play. So you can set traps for others — just make sure you don’t take yourself out.

The Ascent

Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass and Game Pass Standard subscribers can play now.

Microsoft is bringing this game back to Game Pass almost a year after the company removed it from the service. In this cyberpunk-themed, Diablo-style action RPG, you control a formerly enslaved worker after the collapse of the megacorporation The Ascent Group. The area devolves into chaos with criminal factions vying for control over the different districts. It’s up to you to stop these other factions and uncover what happened to the defunct corporation.

Minami Lane

Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can play now.

Welcome to the cozy world of Minami Lane! This cute management game puts you in charge of maintaining the titular street, opening new shops and making sure everyone is enjoying their stay in the area. Build ramen shops for the foodies, open book stores for the bookworms and customize the street in whatever way you want.

Retro Classics gets 5 more games

Microsoft launched its Retro Classics collection of games in May and Microsoft said more than 1 million people have already enjoyed some nostalgic games. To celebrate this milestone, the company brought these five classic games to the collection.

Cosmic Commuter
Heart of China
Skiing
Solar Storm
Subterranea

Games that left Game Pass

While Microsoft added those games to Game Pass, the company also removed six other games from the service. So you’ll have to buy these games separately now if you still need to finish your campaign or any sidequests.

For more on Xbox, discover other games available on Game Pass now, read our hands-on review of the gaming service and learn which Game Pass plan is right for you. You can also check out what to know about upcoming Xbox game price hikes.

Technologies

PlayStation Plus Subscribers Can Play Cyberpunk 2077 and More Games Now

Subscribers — and their kids — can also play other games on PlayStation Plus, like the Bluey game, now.

When CD Projekt Red launched Cyberpunk 2077 in 2020, the game was plagued by bugs and glitches. Since then, the company has provided free updates and patches to the game to make it a fun, engaging and award-winning experience. And some PlayStation Plus subscribers can now play this dystopian sci-fi roleplaying game.

PlayStation Plus is Sony’s version of Xbox Game Pass, and it offers subscribers a large and constantly expanding library of games. There are three PlayStation Plus tiers — Essential ($10 a month), Extra ($15 a month) and Premium ($18 a month) — and each gives subscribers access to games. However, only Extra and Premium tier subscribers can access the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog.

Here are all the games Extra and Premium subscribers can play now. You can also check out the games all PS Plus subscribers can play in July, including Diablo 4. Note, Sony will add Abiotic Factor to the PS Plus Game Catalog on June 22.

Cyberpunk 2077

Welcome to Night City, where corporations control everything, crime is around every corner, and almost everyone has cybernetic implants called chrome. You play as a local mercenary named V, and after a heist goes bad, you have to figure out a way to survive with everyone gunning for you. And if that wasn’t enough, Keanu Reeves is in this game as a terrorist named Johnny Silverhand, because, well, he has a silver cybernetic hand.

Bluey: The Videogame

The game, based on the popular animated series, is on the PS Plus Game Catalog now. You can play as Bandit, Chili, Bingo or Bluey as you explore areas from the show, like the Heeler house, the playground and the creek. You can also play games from the show, like Keepy Uppy and Chattermax Chase. And who knows, maybe you’ll see some gray nomads while you’re playing.

Abiotic Factor

Science meets violence in this 1990s-inspired sci-fi survival game. You and up to five other players can choose your areas of expertise, build your scientist and explore a massive, top-secret underground complex filled with artifacts and supernatural horrors that could tear you limb from limb. And remember, safety, security and secrecy are of the utmost importance… usually.

PS Plus Extra and Premium subscribers can play this game on July 22.

Other games on PS Plus now

PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium subscribers can play all of the games listed above, as well as the ones listed here.

*Premium subscribers only.

For more on PlayStation Plus, here’s what to know about the service and a rundown of PS Plus Extra and Premium games added in June. You can also check out the latest and upcoming games on Xbox Game Pass and Apple Arcade.

Technologies

Don’t Want to Upgrade to Windows 11? Microsoft Offers Free Windows 10 Security Updates

If you don’t want to upgrade to Windows 11, you can still get support for a year, but it requires linking your OneDrive account to your PC.

The era of Windows 10 is almost at an end. In October 2025, Microsoft is ending support for Windows 10 and stopping security support. Initially Microsoft was offering a one-year extended security update for $30, but we’ve got good news. Microsoft has added a free option, allowing you to stick with Windows 10 for another year. However, in order to access it, users will need to use cloud backup and connect it with their OneDrive account.

The ability to get free updates on Windows 10 is a pretty big deal because it is still the most widely used Windows OS, accounting for just over 53% of installs as of May 2025. That leaves millions of people without security support in just a few months unless they upgrade. So the cloud backup option gives users a way out without costing them any money.

The only potential issue is OneDrive. Anyone with a Microsoft account gets up to 5GB of storage for free. However, as The Verge points out, some backups may exceed this limitation, requiring users to purchase a monthly or yearly plan. At $1.99 per month for 100GB of cloud storage, a year of OneDrive still costs less than the $30 for a year of additional security updates, but it still may cause frustration among some users.

Windows 10 was released in July 2015, more than a decade ago.

How to get Windows 10 security updates for free

Per Microsoft’s blog post, there are now three options for people who want to stay on Windows 10 and still receive security updates.

Use Windows Backup to sync settings to the cloud via OneDrive.
Redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points. Redeeming those points can buy you one year of security updates.
Pay $30 for the extended security updates program.

Users will be presented with these options starting in July, which is when Microsoft plans to roll out the sign-up wizard for the Extended Security Updates program. Signing up for this option will guarantee updates until Oct. 13, 2026, although businesses will have the option to purchase up to three years of additional updates. So, this isn’t a long-term solution, but rather gives consumers more time to upgrade to Windows 11.

It’s been an uphill battle for Microsoft as people have been resilient in upgrading their existing hardware. There are myriad differences between the two operating systems, but Microsoft’s string of unpopular decisions along with Windows 11 compatibility issues have kept the prior generation OS around a lot longer than it normally would be.