Good Question: How Do We Measure Inflation?
Starting next year, Social Security benefits will rise 1.7 percent -- or about $20 a month based on an average monthly Social Security payment of $1,192. That increase, or cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), has been pegged to the consumer price index (CPI) since 1975. It's one of several ways to measure inflation. So, how do we measure the CPI?
