Social Security is a financial lifeline for retirees, but the way you access it is shifting. As 2025 unfolds, administrative priorities are changing how millions of people interact with the program day-to-day.

It seems the only constant in life is change. Let's take a look at why the 2026 COLA is both good and bad for Social Security recipients.

Actions taken now will affect your Social Security benefits later. Here are seven things every 30-something should know about Social Security today.

The two main ways to fix Social Security are to shrink benefits or increase revenue coming into the coffers. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) created The Reformer -- a clever tool that lets any of us enter various proposed changes to the program to see what percentage of the projected shortfall will be closed by each of them.

Social Security benefits are a critical source of income for many people. Unfortunately, some of the individuals who are reliant on benefits may soon find themselves facing one of the biggest benefit cuts in history.

The cost-of-living adjustment for 2026, known as COLA, came in slightly higher than the prior year's hike of 2.5%. Over the past decade, the average COLA clocked in at 3.1%.

The maximum taxable earnings are the amounts of income subject to Social Security payroll taxes in a given year. In 2025, it's $176,100. This will rise to $184,500 in 2026. This is often the step that bars people from taking home the max benefit. The average person simply doesn't make enough to do this.

The Social Security Administration will continue distributing disability and SSI payments, but some services are unavailable during the government shutdown.