We mentioned several weeks ago the average Social Security check will go up about $24 bucks next year.  The increase is based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) the government reports each year.   One economist thinks the CPI numbers are completely wrong.

Expert says feds stealing half of seniors' paychecks
Contends government manipulating data to keep cost-of-living index low

John Williams contends the U.S. government statistics intentionally understate inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index, or CPI.

By understating CPI data, Williams argued, government officials are able to avoid increases in Social Security payments that are mandated by law as "cost of living adjustments."

The government's calculation of core inflation now excludes items such as food and energy, because food and energy "face volatile price movements."

In other words, since food and energy prices can spike, as they have this year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics calculates "core inflation" without them. The rationale is that the price shocks are temporary and, therefore, would distort the measurement of underlying long-term inflation.