Millions of retirees face growing financial uncertainty as early projections suggest Social Security's 2026 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) could drop to 2.1%. This is the lowest increase since

Social Security serves as a crucial income for millions of retired Americans. And in a recent Gallup poll, 23% of retirees called Social Security their only major income source. But many retirees have been struggling to make ends meet in recent years.

The latest cost-of-living projection for 2026 shows that seniors could see less of an increase than last year, according to the nonpartisan Senior Citizens League