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Cola

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john999

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  • HadIt.com Elder

I see that our cola is about 2% for the year so far. This is preposterous considering the cost of homeowners insurance,gas, electric, food, clothing, housing and all the rest. In my neighborhood where I have access to VA care and doctors who can help me I could not afford to buy my own house if it was on the market today. I feel under seige. My private medical insurance and Part B and homeowners insurance continue to climb. For anyone trying to live just on VA and SSA the prospects are dim. I have really pulled in my horns when it comes to spending and I am thinking how to make my money last. This is not what I had in mind ten years ago when I was making good money and had a 401K and a pension. Now I feel like a beggar/

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At another Veterans site they are predicting over 3%. As high as 3.8%.

I don't think 3.8% is gonna happen. I hope that other site is correct but my best guess if I had to make one is 3.2%. The other poster is right that cost of gas /oil is not considered in CPI/W but those costs are part of the other goods and services that are part of cpi/w. In other words oil prices raise or lower other stuff because of transport costs etc.

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  • HadIt.com Elder

Complain, complain, complain. Just like being in the military. Ya ain't happy unless you're complaining. For me I'd hate to think how I'd be living without my VA comp. SSDI doesn't go very far these days. I feel sorry for those that don't get VA comp. Can you imagine living on about $850 a month? jmo

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  • HadIt.com Elder

If the november shuffle happens, the COLA will come in at 3.5 to 4%. If the house does not change, its a crap shoot.

At least the GI bill was raised by 4%.

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actually in FACT the COLA was 3.5% through August with the CPI that was released on Sept 15th. http://www.narfe.org/departments/leg/guest...cles.cfm?ID=942

We have one month to go, the Cola for Sept will be released on Oct 18th at 8:30 am - http://www.bls.gov/cpi/cpireldates2006.htm Our COLA's run from Oct 1 to Oct 1 each year with the payment beginning in the Dec check which is paid in the Jan 1 of each year.

With gas falling 50-60 cents a gallon this month, with walmart announcing the $4 prescription drug, with the housing market falling through, I'd guess that we will not see over a 3% COLA, probably less. If you haven't noticed, it seems every year that the last couple months something happens to cause the COLA to drop. I know and every one here knows that the COLA's don't keep up with the REAL cost of living, my homeowners, auto, health insurance, property taxes, groceries, utility bills have all gone up considerably...but i don't think they count these things. The American Legion magazine had a Letter to the Editor article this month about why NONE of the Veterans Service Organizations question Congress about the 11 cents a mile the VA pays us to travel for treatment for service-connected conditions while the government pays employees per diem 44.5 cents per mile. see http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentVi...tType=GSA_BASIC

======

Some of the things counted in cost of living raises

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm

The index for recreation declined 0.1 percent in August, largely

reflecting a decline in the index for video and audio. Within this

category, the index for televisions declined 2.2 percent.

Declines in the indexes for tobacco and

smoking products and for personal care products--each down 0.1 percent--

were more than offset by increases in personal care services. The index

for legal services rose 1.2 percent in August.

Within the index for public

transportation, airline fares declined 1.9 percent in August after

advancing 12.6 percent in the first seven months of the year,

The other two

components of the food and beverages index--food away from home and

alcoholic beverages--increased 0.3 percent and were virtually unchanged,

respectively.

The index for apparel, which declined 1.2 percent in July, increased

0.9 percent in August. (Prior to seasonal adjustment, apparel prices

advanced 2.0 percent, as price increases associated with the introduction

of fall-winter wear more than offset the decline in prices for discounted

spring-summer clothing. Prior to seasonal adjustment, prices for women's

clothing, which declined 7.4 percent in July, increased 3.3 percent in

August.)

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actually in FACT the COLA was 3.5% through August with the CPI that was released on Sept 15th. http://www.narfe.org/departments/leg/guest...cles.cfm?ID=942

We have one month to go, the Cola for Sept will be released on Oct 18th at 8:30 am - http://www.bls.gov/cpi/cpireldates2006.htm Our COLA's run from Oct 1 to Oct 1 each year with the payment beginning in the Dec check which is paid in the Jan 1 of each year.

With gas falling 50-60 cents a gallon this month, with walmart announcing the $4 prescription drug, with the housing market falling through, I'd guess that we will not see over a 3% COLA, probably less. If you haven't noticed, it seems every year that the last couple months something happens to cause the COLA to drop. I know and every one here knows that the COLA's don't keep up with the REAL cost of living, my homeowners, auto, health insurance, property taxes, groceries, utility bills have all gone up considerably...but i don't think they count these things. The American Legion magazine had a Letter to the Editor article this month about why NONE of the Veterans Service Organizations question Congress about the 11 cents a mile the VA pays us to travel for treatment for service-connected conditions while the government pays employees per diem 44.5 cents per mile. see http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentVi...tType=GSA_BASIC

======

Some of the things counted in cost of living raises

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm

The index for recreation declined 0.1 percent in August, largely

reflecting a decline in the index for video and audio. Within this

category, the index for televisions declined 2.2 percent.

Declines in the indexes for tobacco and

smoking products and for personal care products--each down 0.1 percent--

were more than offset by increases in personal care services. The index

for legal services rose 1.2 percent in August.

Within the index for public

transportation, airline fares declined 1.9 percent in August after

advancing 12.6 percent in the first seven months of the year,

The other two

components of the food and beverages index--food away from home and

alcoholic beverages--increased 0.3 percent and were virtually unchanged,

respectively.

The index for apparel, which declined 1.2 percent in July, increased

0.9 percent in August. (Prior to seasonal adjustment, apparel prices

advanced 2.0 percent, as price increases associated with the introduction

of fall-winter wear more than offset the decline in prices for discounted

spring-summer clothing. Prior to seasonal adjustment, prices for women's

clothing, which declined 7.4 percent in July, increased 3.3 percent in

August.)

I think your quoted website should check their math. Here's the formula for calculating CPI/W

(192.7 - 185.1) / 185.1 x 100 = 4.1 This represents last year's COLA

This year's so far is:

July and Aug 2005 avg=191.55

July and Aug 2006 avg=199.4

Now plug these into the formula. (199.4 - 191.55) /191.55 x 100 = 4.098%

I really don't know where they got their figures.

Here's the link to the actual bureau of labor statistics where the cola is calculated.

http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/STATS/cpiw.html

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