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C-CPI-U

Proposed Changes to the Inflation Index

Image by darkmatter via Flickr One of the many proposed changes that is being considered to help resolve the current budgetary issues is to change the index used to adjust Social Security benefits from the current method, using the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, or CPI-W, to a much more conservative index known as the Chained Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers (or C-CPI-U).  (See this article on How Social Security COLAs are Calculated for more information.) Unfortunately, the reason behind making this is change is the fact that it will ultimately save money for the Social Security system, directly at the expense of the beneficiaries of that system.  Here’s what you can expect: As an example, the CPI-W indicates a year-over-year increase from June 2010 to June 2011 of 4.1%.  Over the same period, the C-CPI-U only shows an increase of 3.4%. This […]