The Social Security administration announced there will be a 1.5% increase in social security benefits next year. The cost of living adjustment is fairly low, but if chained CPI had passed Congress and was used, the situation for social security increases would be much worse.
The August Consumer Price Index increased 0.1% from July. CPI measures inflation, or price increases. Take away food and energy out of the picture and inflation still only increased 0.1%, mainly on housing cost increases and medical care. A 0.1% monthly increase is a low rate of inflation.
The June Consumer Price Index increased 0.5% from May. CPI measures inflation, or price increases. This is the largest monthly CPI increase since February where inflation rose 0.7%. The culprit this time is gasoline, which caused two thirds of the increase in CPI and by itself rose 6.3%. Take food and energy items out of the index and core inflation rose 0.2% from May.
The May Consumer Price Index increased 0.1% from April. CPI measures inflation, or price increases. The culprit this time isn't gasoline, but shelter, which increased 0.3% for the month. This is the largest monthly increase in the shelter index since July 2011 and was responsible for half of the overall 0.1% inflation monthly increase. Take food and energy items out of the index and CPI actually rose 0.2% from April. Shelter is part of this figure.
The April Consumer Price Index dropped -0.4% from March. CPI measures inflation, or price increases. The culprit is gas prices again, which plunged -8.1% for the month. This is the biggest monthly decline in overall CPI since December 2008, when the economy was at risk of a deflationary spiral. Take food and energy items out of the index and CPI actually rose 0.1% from March, so once again volatile retail gasoline prices are wreaking havoc in the overall consumer price index, as well as consumer's monthly budgets.
The February Consumer Price Index jumped 0.7% from January. CPI measures inflation, or price increases. The culprit is gas prices again, which skyrocketed 9.1% for the month and is 75% of the monthly increase. This is the biggest monthly jump in CPI since June 2009. Take food and energy items out of the index and CPI actually rose 0.2% from January.
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