Social Security’s annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) helps keep retirees afloat as inflation erodes purchasing power. But this year, it’s sparking some anxiety. Millions of Americans are facing tough questions about how to stretch their money with a modest 2.

When the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced last October that benefits would only be rising by 2.5% in 2025, a lot of people were disappointed. Now the reality is that a smaller COLA is indicative of cooling inflation.

Starting in January, Social Security recipients saw a 2.5% increase in their monthly payments as the annual cost of living adjustment (COLA) took effect. Benefits for February were sent out Wednesday. Social Security payments are sent on the second, third and fourth Wednesday of the month, depending on the recipient's birth date.

Social Security serves as a financial lifeline for millions of retired Americans. And there are a lot of retirees who don't have access to any income outside of those monthly checks. That's why the idea of Social Security cuts is so scary.

Social Security benefits back in 1975 were puny -- at least by today's standards. Most of us will need more than Social Security income in retirement. There are multiple ways to increase your future benefits.

If you are a Baby Boomer who feels like your Social Security benefit doesn’t quite stretch far enough, there’s a very good reason for that. Your benefits have been losing ground for decades and, had they kept pace with inflation,