Here’s How Much You Need Invested to Replace a Social Security Check

Douglas Sacha / Getty Images

To counter the steady accretion of inflation in America, the Social Security Administration (SSI) recently announced a 2.8% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients. Per the AARP, this will increase the average retiree’s benefits by approximately $56, increasing the SSA checks from $2,015 to $2,071 monthly (or $24,852 yearly).

For those retirees who do not receive SSI benefits (or for those who do and wish to double their monthly income) that COLA of 2.8% changes how much you have to invest in various ventures in order to now receive payouts of $2,071 monthly. Here’s how much you need to have invested to replace the 2026 Social Security check — and how to calculate it.