Updated October 30, 2026. Quick answer: Connecticut Teachers’ Retirement Board retirees get an annual COLA in January or July, depending on when they retired. For 2026 the Board granted 2.8% to retirees from September 1992 on, in both January and July. A 2027 COLA is not set yet.
More on public pension retirement ages and eligibility: the Connecticut TRB retirement age and eligibility rules.
When the COLA is paid
The Board states that it “provides for an annual cost of living adjustment (COLA) once a member has been retired for at least a minimum of nine months.” It adds: “The annual COLA date for members retiring November through April is January and the annual COLA date for members retiring May through October is July.”
The three groups
The Board uses three COLA groups, and the rules differ. For members retired before September 1992: “The COLA increase ranges from a minimum of 3% to a maximum of 5% annually.” For members retired on or after September 1, 1992 who joined before July 1, 2007, the Board says the COLA is “subject to a maximum of 6%. If the investment performance of the retirement fund for the preceding fiscal year is less than 6.9%, the cost of living adjustment will be capped at 1.5%.” For members who joined on or after July 1, 2007: “subject to a maximum of 5%. If the investment performance of the retirement fund is less than 6.9%, the cost of living adjustment will be capped at 1%.” The Board also says, for the same group: “If the investment performance of the retirement fund for the prior fiscal year is between 6.9% and 9.9%, the cost of living will be capped at 3%.” “If the investment performance of the retirement fund is over 9.9%, the cost of living will be capped at 5%.”
The 2026 increase
The Board announced: “Social Security has announced that they will be granting a cost of living increase of 2.8% for 2026. The investment performance for the preceding fiscal year is 10.15%.”
| COLA group | January 2026 | July 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| “Members retired prior to September 1992” | 3% | 4.4% |
| “Members retired on or after September 1, 1992 and joined the Teachers’ Retirement System prior to July 1, 2007” | 2.8% | 2.8% |
| “Members retired on or after September 1, 1992 and joined the Teachers’ Retirement System on or after July 1, 2007” | 2.8% | 2.8% |
Who is left out, and where 2027 stands
For members who chose the extra annuity option, the Board says “the COLA does not apply to the annuity portion of the retirement benefit.” No 2027 COLA is set yet: the January 2027 and July 2027 increases depend on the Social Security increase and fund performance, and this page updates when the Teachers’ Retirement Board publishes them. The Board’s page is undated and does not cite the statute text.
Common mistakes
- Looking for one COLA date. January applies to members who retired from November through April and July to those who retired from May through October.
- Applying the Social Security rate to everyone. Retirees from before September 1992 follow a CPI rule, and the later groups are capped by fund performance.
- Expecting the COLA on an extra annuity balance. The Board says the COLA does not apply to the annuity portion.
Related: Connecticut TRB retirement decisions, how public pension decisions work, and whether Connecticut taxes pensions.
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Answer againSources
- Connecticut Teachers’ Retirement Board, Cost of Living Adjustments: portal.ct.gov
- Related official page (not quoted): IRS Tax Topic 410, Pensions and annuities: www.irs.gov
- Related official page (not quoted): IRS Tax Topic 411, Pensions: the General Rule and the Simplified Method: www.irs.gov
Read from the primary documents linked above on October 30, 2026. General information, not tax advice. Your own facts decide the outcome, and a preparer or the IRS itself is the right place to confirm anything consequential.