Good morning. The clocks fell back this weekend, and 5 PM already looks like bedtime. On the bright side — one extra hour of sleep, one week of election coverage to survive, and the couch has never been more inviting.
In this issue:
- Social Security's 2026 COLA: what you'll actually keep
- Worth Knowing: an inheritance trap, Open Enrollment, Thanksgiving savings
- From the Archives: your 10-step retirement checklist
- Slice of Life: the upside of early darkness
The Social Security Administration announced the 2026 Cost-of-Living Adjustment last month, and the number is 2.5%.
For the average retiree collecting about $1,976/month, that works out to roughly $49 more per month starting in January. Not nothing — but not a windfall either.
Here’s the context. The 2025 COLA was also 2.5%. Before that, it was 3.2% in 2024. And the big one everyone remembers — 8.7% in 2023 — was a one-time catch-up from the inflation spike. We’re back to normal-sized adjustments now.
The takeaway: Don’t budget that $49 yet. Medicare Part B premiums for 2026 are expected to be announced later this month, and if they go up — which they usually do — a chunk of your COLA increase gets absorbed before it hits your bank account. Last year, the Part B premium rose to $185/month. We’ll know the 2026 number by mid-November.
Your new benefit amount will show up in your my.ssa.gov account in December. Your first increased check arrives in January 2026. If you haven’t logged in recently, now’s a good time to verify your info is current.
Check your benefit at my.ssa.gov →
🏦 The inheritance tax trap most families miss. Your kids might owe taxes on the house you leave them — not because of estate tax, but because of how capital gains work. If you bought your home for $80,000 and it’s worth $350,000 now, that gap creates a tax bill most families don’t see coming until it’s too late. Benjamin Wells walks through the strategies that can protect your family.
→ Read Benjamin’s estate planning guide
📋 Open Enrollment: 33 days left. Medicare Open Enrollment closes December 7. If you haven’t compared plans yet, do it this week. Go to medicare.gov/plan-compare, enter your medications, and look at total annual cost — not just the monthly premium. That number is what actually matters. Free help: SHIP counselors (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) at shiphelp.org or 1-877-839-2675.
🦃 Thanksgiving dinner costs are up — here’s how to stretch it. The American Farm Bureau estimates the average Thanksgiving meal for 10 runs about $65-70 this year. Three moves that help: buy your turkey now (prices peak the week of), swap name brands for store-brand staples, and check your grocery store’s loyalty app for coupons before you shop. Or go potluck — guests bring a side, you handle the bird. Nobody’s keeping score.
Master Your Retirement: 10 Crucial Steps Before You Bid Adieu to Work — by Benjamin Wells
We’re in COLA season, so this felt right. Benjamin’s guide covers the 10 steps to take before you retire — or the 10 things to review if you already have. It starts where it should: with a financial blueprint. Then it moves through clearing debt, exploring Social Security timing, updating your will, and planning for the part nobody talks about — what you’ll actually do with your time.
One detail I keep coming back to: most people plan for the money side of retirement but completely skip the purpose side. Benjamin covers both. If you’re within five years of retiring, or if you retired and skipped a few of these steps, it’s worth 10 minutes.
There’s a strange thing that happens every November when the clocks change. You look out the window at 5:15 PM and it’s pitch black, and your brain says “well, the day is over.” So you make tea, turn on a lamp, and sit down with a book or a blanket or whatever’s on TV. And honestly? It’s not bad. The world gives you permission to slow down for a few months. Take it.
Until next Tuesday,
Nino
P.S. Next week: Medicare Part B premium numbers should be out. I’ll break down what it means for your actual take-home Social Security. Forward this to someone who could use it — and hit reply if you’ve got questions. I read every reply.
