Most retirees expect their Social Security benefits to rise each year. After all, that’s what the Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) is designed for (1). On paper, this annual increase is meant to help benefits keep pace with inflation. However, in practice, many retirees see part of that adjustment offset by federal income taxes triggered when their total income crosses certain thresholds. Because these thresholds are not indexed to inflation, a growing number of Social Security recipients are affected eac ...