Social Security recipients could get a 2.7% raise next year, up from last month's estimate of 2.5%, based on the latest inflation report, according to a new estimate. The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W),

Regardless of which of these is right, however, the COLA is about to buck a 29-year trend. That's because, for the first time since 1996, the COLA is going to be above 2.5% for five consecutive years. This is a once-in-a-generation shift for today's retirees, and it is not something that most people will probably see again in their lifetime.