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Updated October 16, 2026 · maintained, not published once
A maintained page, not a one-off story. Each figure links to the agency that sets it and carries the date we last checked it.
Each figure as of the date shown, from the source named.
| Measure | Value | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal funds target range | 3.75%–4.00% | Sep 16, 2026 | Federal Reserve |
| Next Fed decision | Oct 28, 2026 | — | Federal Reserve calendar |
| 30-year fixed mortgage, average | 7.40% | Oct 15, 2026 | Freddie Mac PMMS |
| 15-year fixed mortgage, average | 6.71% | Oct 15, 2026 | Freddie Mac PMMS |
| 3-month Treasury bill | 4.28% | Oct 15, 2026 | Treasury par yield curve |
| 2-year Treasury note | 4.77% | Oct 15, 2026 | Treasury par yield curve |
| 10-year Treasury note | 5.10% | Oct 15, 2026 | Treasury par yield curve |
| 30-year Treasury bond | 5.43% | Oct 15, 2026 | Treasury par yield curve |
Medicare's 2027 Part B premium had not been announced on the date shown.
| Measure | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consumer Price Index, 12 months | 3.7% | Sep 2026 | BLS |
| CPI excluding food and energy, 12 months | 2.6% | Sep 2026 | BLS |
| Social Security COLA | 3.6% | For 2027 | SSA |
| Social Security COLA, prior year | 2.8% | For 2026 | SSA |
| Social Security taxable maximum | $192,300 | For 2027 | SSA |
| Earnings test, under full retirement age | $25,560 | For 2027 | SSA |
| Earnings test, year reaching full retirement age | $67,920 | For 2027 | SSA |
The taxable maximum rises from $184,500. The earnings limits for working beneficiaries rise too.
The maximum amount of earnings subject to Social Security tax will rise to $192,300 in 2027, from $184,500 in 2026, the Social Security Administration announced alongside the 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment.
The largest cost-of-living adjustment since 2023 reaches checks in January. Medicare's 2027 Part B premium, which comes out of many of those checks, has not been announced yet.
Monthly Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income payments will rise 3.6 percent in 2027, the Social Security Administration announced October 14. The increase reaches nearly 72 million Social Security beneficiaries starting with January 2027 benefits, and about 7.3 million SSI recipients starting with payments on December 31, 2026.
The federal funds target is 3.75 to 4 percent. Inflation ran at 3.7 percent in September, well above the Fed's 2 percent goal.
The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate by a quarter point at its September 15–16 meeting, to a target range of 3.75 to 4 percent, on a 12–0 vote. Its next decision comes at the end of the October 27–28 meeting, followed by a final 2026 meeting December 8–9.
Gasoline led the monthly jump. Excluding food and energy, prices rose 2.6 percent from a year earlier.
The Consumer Price Index rose 0.6 percent in September on a seasonally adjusted basis and 3.7 percent over the past 12 months, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported October 14. Gasoline prices rose.
The window to switch drug plans or move between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage opens today.
Medicare's Open Enrollment period for 2027 coverage runs from October 15 through December 7. During it, people with Medicare can switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan or back, change Medicare Advantage plans, and join, switch or drop a Part D drug plan. Changes take effect January 1.
Retail and food services sales rose 0.8 percent in September from August, the Census Bureau's advance estimate released October 15 shows, after a revised 1.3 percent gain in August. The figures are not adjusted for price changes, so with consumer prices up 0.6 percent in September, much of the increase reflects higher prices rather than more buying. Advance estimates are revised in later months.
Figures come from the Federal Reserve, Treasury, Freddie Mac, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Social Security Administration.
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