We now know that for the second straight year, Social Security recipients will be receiving historically small benefit hikes in January. It looks like roughly a 1.5 percent cost of living (COLA) increase for the nearly 58 million recipients. Since 1975, annual Social Security raises have averaged 4.1 percent. This could be the new normal–or no hike at all when inflation is too low. That is until means-testing inevitably kicks in.