The Daily Editor

Millions of retirees may be in for disappointment next year. Early estimates suggest the Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for 2026 could be significantly smaller than the 3.2% raise beneficiaries received in 2024, according to new projections released this month.

COLA Forecast Points to Modest Increase

The Senior Citizens League,

 » Read more about: Social Security COLA 2026: Current Forecast Predicts Lower Raise for Retirees  »

The Hang Seng Index fell 0.4 per cent to 23,950.45 at 10.10am local time, though it was still heading for a small weekly gain following a temporary de-escalation of US-China trade tensions.

 » Read more about: Hong Kong stocks fall slightly on rising geopolitical tensions  »

 » Read more about: Tops stocks to watch: YES Bank, Adani stock, HCL Tech, NTPC, Torrent Power, Jubilant stocks  »

The S&P 500 ended higher on Thursday after a strong outlook from Oracle fueled optimism around artificial intelligence, offsetting worries about tension in the Middle East and a drop in Boeing shares. Oracle surged to record highs after the cloud service provider raised its annual revenue growth forecast,

 » Read more about: S&P 500 ends higher as Oracle reignites AI rally; Boeing drops  »

Israel has attacked Iran in the largest recent escalation of tensions in the region. Markets reacted swiftly to the news, with the three major gauges all plunging over 1%.

Gold (GC=F) and oil prices surged with investors scurrying to safer assets, hoping to avoid the worst of a financial shake up.

 » Read more about: Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq futures sink, oil surges as Israel launches strike against Iran  »

US Stock Market Live: Futures on Wall Street have tanked following reports of Israel’s strikes on Iranian locations, also leading to a surge in crude oil prices.

 » Read more about: US Stock Market Live: Dow futures tank 700 points after Israel attacks Iran; Brent surges 8%  »

Amid this year’s market turmoil, I’ve heard investors wonder if they should hit pause on 401(k) contributions until things settle down.

Though this approach sounds tempting, it’s better to stick with your investment strategy instead of waiting for conditions to improve.

Running the numbers

To test how a “wait and see” approach would have fared compared with continuing to invest,

 » Read more about: It might be tempting to put 401(k) contributions on hold, but sticking with it is a better strategy  »

Arguably, one of the most essential factors everyone must consider when setting aside money for retirement is taxes. While there is no way to get out of paying taxes at the end of the day,

 » Read more about: We’re on track to spend our brokerage money until 59½ – how do we minimize the tax hit on our equity funds?  »

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes ticked higher on Thursday following another encouraging update on inflation across the country.

The S&P 500 rose 0.4% to pull back with 1.6% of its record. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 101 points, or 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.2%.

 » Read more about: Wall Street ticks closer to its record after Oracle rallies  »

Social Security payments are expected to rise by around 2.5% next year, but a new and significant concern is looming for 2026.

The Senior Citizens League predicts the 2026 Cost of Living Adjustment will be 2.5%, up from last month’s 2.4% prediction. TSCL’s model prediction has increased for four consecutive months.

 » Read more about: Social Security benefit update: COLA estimate reveals a new and big concern  »