Imagine that after completing your economics course (you get an A, of course) you are at a family gathering. Your grandmother asks you about a news story she read this morning. The story explained that when the government adjusts Social Security payments for inflation, it generally uses the CPI-W, which is the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. Because senior citizens spend a lot more than average on medical care, adjustments to their Social Security payments are not keeping up with their cost of living.
Last year I received $15,000 per year from the government. The story said that the CPI increased from 144 to 162. How much will I get this year?