Hi, I'm Cent! Every Monday I round up what is new and what is coming from official U.S. sources, in plain words. This week: a tax deadline, two health-plan sign-up seasons and a Social Security number to watch.
Social Security's 2027 cost-of-living adjustment is due Wednesday
Expected Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026
As of Oct. 13, the Social Security Administration (SSA) had not announced the 2027 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA); its page says only that it comes out in October. It normally arrives the same morning the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes the September consumer price index, which is Oct. 14.
The COLA is based on the change in the average CPI-W for July through September and takes effect with January 2027 payments (SSI recipients see it on Dec. 31, 2026). The 2026 COLA was 2.8%. We skip unofficial estimates; the official number will be on SSA's page, and SSA is expected to post it on Oct. 14 (see ssa.gov/cola).
Source: Social Security Administration, Cost-of-Living Adjustment (checked Oct. 13, 2026).
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Oct. 15 is the last day to file an extended 2025 federal return
Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026
If you asked for an extension, your 2025 federal return is due Thursday. An extension gives you more time to file, not to pay: tax owed was due April 15, so interest and penalties may already be adding up. IRS Free File guided software is open through Oct. 15 for a 2025 adjusted gross income of $89,000 or less, and Free File Fillable Forms work at any income. The same date is the deadline to elect to claim a 2025 disaster loss on a 2024 return.
Some federally declared disaster areas have more time, for example until Nov. 2, 2026 or Feb. 1, 2027. Relief is generally automatic for addresses in covered areas but does not cover 2025 tax payments that were due April 15, 2026. Check your county on the IRS page.
Source: IRS news release IR-2026-101 (Aug. 26, 2026) and IRS, Tax relief in disaster situations (checked Oct. 13, 2026).
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Medicare Open Enrollment starts Thursday
Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2026
From Oct. 15, people with Medicare can join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D drug plan, or move between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage. The plan must receive your request by Dec. 7; changes start Jan. 1, 2027.
CMS projects that the average monthly Medicare Advantage premium will fall from $14.37 in 2026 to $12.00 in 2027, while the average stand-alone drug plan premium rises from $35.09 to $36. The 2027 Part B standard premium had not been published as of Oct. 13 (2026: $202.90 a month). Plans differ by county, so compare them in the Medicare Plan Finder.
Source: CMS press release (Sept. 28, 2026); Medicare Plan Finder.
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The Federal Reserve meets Oct. 27–28
Oct. 27–28, 2026
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) is the Federal Reserve group that sets the target range for the federal funds rate, the short-term rate banks charge each other. Its decisions can influence what you pay on credit cards and home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) and what savings accounts pay. The statement usually comes out the afternoon of the second day. There is no November meeting; the last 2026 meeting is Dec. 8–9. We make no prediction about the decision.
Source: Federal Reserve, FOMC meeting calendars (updated Oct. 7, 2026).
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Clocks fall back Sunday, Nov. 1
Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, 2 a.m.
Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. local time and clocks go back one hour. Hawaii, most of Arizona and the U.S. territories do not change. Europe falls back earlier, on Oct. 25, so the gap with relatives there differs for about a week. For places that never change clocks, such as Vietnam, the Philippines and China, the gap grows by one hour on Nov. 1.
Source: NIST, Daylight Saving Time rules (checked Oct. 13, 2026).
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HealthCare.gov Open Enrollment opens Nov. 1, with bigger rule changes
Nov. 1, 2026 – Jan. 15, 2027
Enroll by Dec. 15 for coverage starting Jan. 1, or by Jan. 15 for coverage starting Feb. 1. Prices preview shortly before Nov. 1. Three changes to know:
- From tax year 2026, the IRS no longer caps how much excess advance premium tax credit you repay at tax time, so HealthCare.gov asks enrollees to report income changes promptly.
- The enhanced credits that ran through 2025 have ended, so households above 400% of the federal poverty level generally do not qualify for a credit.
- HealthCare.gov says that from Jan. 1, 2027, only people with certain immigration statuses qualify for premium tax credits. See its official pages for the list.
Source: HealthCare.gov, immigration status, HealthCare.gov, dates and deadlines and IRS Fact Sheet FS-2025-10 (checked Oct. 13, 2026).
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The 2027 HSA limits are official
Announced May 29, 2026
The IRS set the 2027 health savings account (HSA) contribution limits at $4,500 for self-only high-deductible health plan (HDHP) coverage and $9,000 for family HDHP coverage, up from $4,400 and $8,750 in 2026. The catch-up for people 55 and older stays $1,000 because it is fixed in law. Many workplace benefit choices for 2027 are made this fall.
Source: IRS Rev. Proc. 2026-24, Internal Revenue Bulletin 2026-25 (May 29, 2026).
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The 2027–28 FAFSA is open
Open since Sept. 23, 2026
The U.S. Department of Education says the 2027–28 FAFSA is available to everyone at fafsa.gov, its earliest launch on record. It covers aid for July 1, 2027 to June 30, 2028. New: parents with several children can reuse their information, and students can invite a parent or spouse by QR code. The Department of Education notes that some state and school aid is first come, first served.
Source: U.S. Department of Education press release (Sept. 23, 2026).
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