Many retirees are seeing smaller Social Security checks than expected this January. The 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment didn’t translate to the increase they anticipated due to rising Medicare premiums. Premiums jumped from $185 to $202.90 monthly, a nearly 10% increase. This means a substantial portion of the COLA raise is eaten up by higher Medicare costs. Unfortunately, there’s not much retirees can do about this, but it’s essential to invest wisely to supplement Social Security income. Discover “Social Security secrets” that could boost retirement income by up to $23,760 annually.

Read more at Nasdaq: Is Your 2026 Social Security Check Smaller Than You Expected? Here’s Why,