An informal poll of friends and neighbors got me a range of responses, from grimaces to laughs to snarls. My question was about how they were going to spend the approximate extra $56 that Social Security beneficiaries will be receiving as of January when the new COLA kicks in.

That 2.8 percent increase in the average Social Security benefit ($2,071 for individuals, $3,208 for couples) won’t get us much when compared

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