💵 One Day to the Official COLA — How to See It Safely, Spot a “Boost” Offer, and a Soft Tuesday Pump

Or: Tomorrow Morning’s Real Raise Number, Hang Up on Utility Refund Callers, and Chattanooga Gas Near $3.80

Good morning, neighbor. Pour the coffee and take your time. Money news today is less like a fire drill and more like checking the mailbox before the first frost — notice what is coming tomorrow, what is trying to hurry you, and what can wait for a quiet call on your own schedule.

Here is the short stack: Social Security’s official 2027 COLA is still unpublished as of this morning and is expected tomorrow, Wednesday, Oct. 14, after the September inflation reading. Nobody can “boost” or “unlock” that raise for a fee — SSA’s inspector general said so in plain words. Utility “refund” and disconnect callers are still fishing for bank numbers in East Tennessee. And AAA shows Chattanooga regular near $3.80 this morning — about three cents softer than Monday.

⏱️ What this means for you in 30 seconds

• Wed., Oct. 14: Official 2027 Social Security COLA expected after BLS September CPI (8:30 a.m. Eastern). Check ssa.gov/cola — not a text, a stranger or a “boost” ad. 2026 COLA was 2.8%.
• “Boost / unlock / maximize” offers: Hang up. The raise is automatic. SSA never asks for a processing fee, gift cards or your bank number to turn it on.
• Utility calls: Real co-ops and utilities do not cold-call for bank or routing numbers to “send a refund,” and they do not demand immediate phone payment to avoid a same-day shutoff. Call the number on your bill — SVEC 888-421-7832; EPB 423-648-1372.
• Pump: AAA Chattanooga regular about $3.80; Tennessee about $3.92 (as of Oct. 13).
• Thu., Oct. 15: Medicare Open Enrollment begins (through Dec. 7). Type Medicare.gov yourself. Free TN SHIP: 1-877-801-0044.

📝 Jot This Down

1. Tomorrow, Oct. 14 — official COLA day. Wait for Social Security’s own number at ssa.gov/cola. Outside percentages (including forecasts near 3.5–3.6%) are estimates only until then.
2. Hang-up rule for this week: If anyone offering a COLA “boost,” a utility “refund,” an unpaid-toll text link or a Medicare “new card” wants money, a weird link or your bank or Social Security number first — hang up, delete the text and call back from a number you looked up yourself.
3. How you will see the real raise later: After the percentage is public, your personal new amount typically shows up in the Message Center of a my Social Security account and by mailed notice later in the fall — not in a hurry-up phone call. Set up or open your account at ssa.gov/myaccount when you have a quiet morning.

📅 Tomorrow’s COLA Number — How to See It Safely

As of this Tuesday morning, Social Security’s COLA page still shows only the 2.8% increase that took effect for 2026. There is no official 2027 percentage posted yet.

That usually changes mid-October. The Bureau of Labor Statistics releases September’s Consumer Price Index — the last reading Social Security needs — and the official COLA is expected the same day. The BLS schedule and multiple reports point to Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. Any number floating around social media — including outside forecasts near 3.5–3.6% — is an estimate until Social Security announces it.

When the raise is final, it applies to benefits payable in January 2027. Some SSI and longtime Social Security recipients may see related timing around the Dec. 31 / Jan. 1 holiday window, as in prior years. You do not apply, “claim” or pay anyone to turn it on. Sister editions already reminded readers that the raise is automatic.

What is different for this money edition is the kitchen-table follow-through. After the percentage posts at ssa.gov/cola, your own new monthly amount typically arrives later as a notice in the Message Center of a my Social Security account and by mail — the same pattern Social Security used for the 2026 COLA notices. Treat that notice like a church bulletin you can read twice: glance at the new benefit line, then remember that Medicare Part B premiums and other deductions can change year to year. Do not invent a “take-home” figure from a stranger’s text. Wait for Social Security’s number and, when published, Medicare’s own premium announcements before you rewrite the grocery or heating budget.

What it means for you: Circle tomorrow the way you circle a church supper. After 8:30 a.m. Eastern, look at ssa.gov/cola yourself — type the address; do not tap a link from a text or ad. If you do not yet have a my Social Security account, setting one up at ssa.gov/myaccount is a calm chore that also helps lock down your record against identity thieves. Questions about your own record? Call 1-800-772-1213 from a number you found, not from a caller.

👉 Read more (Social Security COLA) · BLS CPI release schedule · my Social Security

🛡️ “Boost,” “Unlock,” “Maximize” — The Fee That Never Belongs

Scammers love the day before a big Social Security announcement. Yesterday’s edition covered gift cards, fake badges and phony “call transfers.” Today’s watchword is softer-sounding and just as empty: someone offers to boost, unlock or maximize your benefits for an upfront fee.

Social Security’s Office of the Inspector General put out a Sept. 21 alert on exactly that pitch. The offer may arrive as a call, ad, letter, text or social-media message. It often asks you to “verify” your benefits and may point you to an official-looking website or form. The real goal, the OIG says, is to collect personal information and bank account details. Social Security does not increase benefits in exchange for money. Amounts are set by law from your earnings record — they are not negotiated over the phone — and you never pay a “processing” or “administrative” fee.

ssa.gov/scam adds the same red flag in COLA language: anyone who claims they need personal information or payment to activate a cost-of-living adjustment is a scammer. Real agencies also cannot “transfer” your call straight to Social Security or the OIG — that July 29 warning still stands.

What it means for you: The COLA works like sunrise over Walden Ridge — it happens on its own. If a stranger needs gift cards, gold, crypto, a wire, secrecy or your Social Security number before you have checked at the kitchen table, hang up. Report Social Security-related scams at oig.ssa.gov/report.

👉 Read more (SSA OIG: don’t pay for increased-benefit promises) · SSA: protect yourself from scams · Report to SSA OIG

💡 Fake Utility Refunds and “Pay Now or We Shut You Off”

Two sides of the same coin are circulating around East Tennessee utilities — one smiling, one scowling.

The smiling version: On Oct. 9, the City of Maryville warned utility customers about callers falsely claiming to represent City of Maryville Utilities. The callers say you are owed a refund for overcharges, then ask for bank account numbers, routing numbers or other financial details “to process the refund.” The city said its employees will never call and ask for financial or personal information to issue a refund. Hang up and call the real customer-service line yourself.

The scowling version (and the local rule): Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative says on its scam page that it will not call members and threaten immediate disconnection, and it will not demand payment over the phone. If you choose to pay by phone, you start the call to the co-op. SVEC does make automated courtesy reminders about unpaid bills — but it says never to give bank information to someone who calls claiming to be SVEC. Hang up and call your local office or 888-421-7832. Anyone at the door claiming to be from the co-op should have an ID badge, SVEC-logo clothing and a marked vehicle.

EPB in the Chattanooga area has issued the same hang-up rule for callers who demand immediate payment (sometimes with a Walmart barcode trick) to avoid a same-day shutoff. EPB’s verify-yourself number is 423-648-1372.

What it means for you: A real refund shows up as a bill credit or a letter you can verify — not a cold call asking for your routing number. Keep your latest bill on the fridge so the real phone number is always handy.

👉 Read more (City of Maryville: utility refund scam, Oct. 9) · Sequachee Valley Electric: Beware of Scams · EPB / Times Free Press: hang up on payment demands

📱 Unpaid-Toll Texts and Other Hurry-Up Links

Whether you have driven through a toll recently or not, you may get a text saying you owe money for unpaid tolls and must pay through a link right now. The Federal Trade Commission says that pattern is probably a scam. The text may show a dollar amount and a link that leads to a page asking for bank or card information — and sometimes more personal details.

Tennessee’s Department of Safety and Homeland Security has also warned about texts and messages claiming outstanding traffic tickets or license problems. The same kitchen-table rule applies: do not click the link in the message. Check with the real agency using a phone number or website you already trust — not the one in the text. Report junk texts with your phone’s tools or forward them to 7726 (SPAM), then delete.

What it means for you: A real toll or ticket matter will wait while you look up the agency yourself. A crook cannot stand to wait.

👉 Read more (FTC: unpaid-toll text scam) · TN Safety: outstanding-ticket scam warning

⛽ Tuesday Pump Check: Chattanooga Near $3.80

AAA’s Tuesday, Oct. 13, reading puts Chattanooga (TN only) regular at about $3.80 a gallon (current average $3.7951) — roughly three cents softer than Monday’s $3.8258. Tennessee’s statewide regular average is about $3.92 ($3.9190), a penny or so under Monday. The national average sits near $4.34 ($4.3413). Cleveland is about $3.85; Nashville about $3.92.

Chattanooga diesel averages about $5.84; Tennessee diesel about $6.01. Prices remain well above this time last year. Treat a soft local reading like finding a spare five in the dryer — appreciate it, combine errands, keep tires inflated, and fill up on a trip you are already making.

What it means for you: Check AAA before a Chattanooga, Cleveland or Jasper run and fill where it is cheapest on that route. Do not rebuild the whole gas budget around one Tuesday average.

👉 Read more (AAA Tennessee gas prices)

📌 Still On the Fridge: Heating Help, Taxes, Medicare Thursday

A few calm carryovers from Monday — updated only where the calendar moved.

Heating help: Tennessee’s LIHEAP heating season runs roughly Oct. 1 through April 30. In the Sequatchie Valley, call SETHRA at 423-949-2191 (toll-free 800-852-6155; P.O. Box 909, Dunlap, TN 37327). Bring ID, proof of income and a recent utility bill if you can.

Property taxes: Sequatchie County taxes were due the first Monday in October. You can still pay without interest through Feb. 28, 2027. Trustee Larry S. Lockhart: (423) 949-2526. Ask about statewide Property Tax Relief when you pay; Sequatchie County is not on the Comptroller’s Property Tax Freeze list (Bledsoe County and Whitwell are among those that are). Call ahead.

Medicare Open Enrollment starts Thursday, Oct. 15, through Monday, Dec. 7. This page sticks to the money/scam angle: type Medicare.gov yourself, scroll past “Ad”/”Sponsored” results, and use free TN SHIP at 1-877-801-0044. For Part D caps, Part B rebate math and Extra Help detail, see today’s Valley Boomers Health & Senior Services edition — do not invent premium figures from a cold call.

RMDs: If you are already taking required minimum distributions from a retirement account, the IRS general deadline for the 2026 distribution is Dec. 31, 2026 (first-year rules can differ — ask your tax preparer or plan administrator).

👉 SETHRA Housing & Energy · Sequatchie tax lookup/pay · Medicare Plan Compare · IRS: required minimum distributions

📅 Week-Ahead Money Dates (Oct. 13–20)

• Tue., Oct. 13 (today): Quiet day to open or check my Social Security, note Tuesday pump prices, and gather Medicare Annual Notice of Change papers for Thursday.
• Wed., Oct. 14: Expected official 2027 Social Security COLA announcement (after 8:30 a.m. Eastern CPI). Ignore unofficial percentages and any “boost” offer until you see ssa.gov/cola.
• Thu., Oct. 15: Medicare Open Enrollment opens (through Dec. 7). Type Medicare.gov yourself. Free burn permits also begin statewide (see Weather/Garden edition) — different topic, same fridge calendar.
• Fri., Oct. 16 – Sun., Oct. 18: Days of Yesteryear weekend nearby — enjoy, and leave the gift-card and refund callers unanswered.
• Mon., Oct. 19 – Tue., Oct. 20: Good days to call SETHRA about LIHEAP or TN SHIP if you have not yet. Remaining October SNAP/EBT deposits run through the 20th by SSN digits — DHS will not call asking for your PIN.
• Ongoing: Watch for COLA notices later in the Message Center / by mail after the percentage is public — not via a stranger’s text.
• Through Feb. 28, 2027: Sequatchie County property taxes payable without interest.
• Looking further: If you take RMDs, note Dec. 31, 2026, with your tax person. DEA National Prescription Take Back Day is Sat., Oct. 24 (see Health edition for drop-box detail).

✅ Your Money & Scam Checklist for This Week

• ✅ Tomorrow: wait for the official COLA at ssa.gov/cola before rewriting the budget.
• ✅ Create or open your my Social Security account so later Message Center notices have a safe home.
• ✅ If someone offers to boost, unlock or maximize Social Security for a fee — or wants gift cards, gold, crypto or a wire — hang up and report at oig.ssa.gov/report.
• ✅ Utility “refund” or “pay now or we disconnect” call? Hang up. Call the number on your bill (SVEC 888-421-7832; EPB 423-648-1372).
• ✅ Unexpected unpaid-toll or ticket text with a link? Do not tap it. Look up the real agency yourself; forward junk to 7726.
• ✅ Type Medicare.gov yourself starting Oct. 15; call TN SHIP 1-877-801-0044 for free help.
• ✅ Check AAA before a Chattanooga run — metro regular near $3.80 today.
• ✅ Call SETHRA 423-949-2191 about LIHEAP heating help (season open through April 30).
• ✅ If Sequatchie taxes are unpaid, note Feb. 28, 2027; ask about Tax Relief at the Trustee (423-949-2526).
• ✅ Report scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, oig.ssa.gov/report, ic3.gov, BBB Scam Tracker, or Tennessee Consumer Affairs 1-800-342-8385.

Practical rule: If a raise, a utility refund, a toll bill or a “special unlock” needs money or your Social Security number before you have checked with someone you trust, it is not help — it is a hurry-up scam.

— Dunlap.Today

📚 Plain-English Money & Scam Glossary

• COLA: Cost-of-living adjustment — the yearly percentage bump in Social Security and SSI benefits.
• CPI: Consumer Price Index — the inflation measure Social Security uses to set the COLA.
• my Social Security / Message Center: Your free personal account at ssa.gov where COLA notices and other secure messages often appear before or along with mail.
• “Boost / unlock / maximize” scam: A pitch that you must pay a fee or share bank details to enlarge or turn on a Social Security raise — which is automatic and free.
• Utility refund scam: A cold call claiming you are owed a bill credit, then asking for bank or routing numbers to “process” it.
• Fake call transfer: A trick where a retailer or other agency claims to connect you directly to SSA or OIG — which real agencies cannot do.
• Toll-text phishing: An unexpected text about unpaid tolls with a payment link meant to steal money or identity.
• Medicare Open Enrollment: The yearly window (Oct. 15–Dec. 7) to change Medicare health or drug coverage for the next year.
• TN SHIP: Tennessee’s State Health Insurance Assistance Program — free, unbiased Medicare counseling.
• LIHEAP / SETHRA: Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, delivered locally in our counties through Southeast Tennessee Human Resource Agency.
• RMD: Required minimum distribution — the amount the IRS generally requires you to withdraw each year from certain retirement accounts once you reach the applicable age.
• Property Tax Relief / Freeze: Statewide reimbursement (Relief) vs. optional local freeze of the tax-bill amount where a jurisdiction has adopted it.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Is the 2027 Social Security raise percentage official yet?

No. As of Tuesday, Oct. 13, ssa.gov/cola still shows only the 2026 increase of 2.8%. The official 2027 figure is expected Wednesday, Oct. 14, after the September CPI release. Outside forecasts (including figures near 3.5–3.6%) are estimates only.

How will I see my personal new benefit amount?

First watch for the percentage at ssa.gov/cola. Your own new amount typically appears later in the Message Center of a my Social Security account and by mailed notice — the same pattern Social Security used for 2026 COLA notices. Do not trust a stranger’s text with “your” new number.

Can someone charge a fee to unlock or boost my COLA?

No. SSA OIG says Social Security does not increase benefits in exchange for money, and you never pay a processing fee. Hang up and report at oig.ssa.gov/report.

Would my electric co-op call asking for my bank number to send a refund?

Real utilities say no. Maryville warned about exactly that refund pitch on Oct. 9. SVEC says it will not demand payment over the phone or threaten immediate disconnection — hang up and call 888-421-7832 (or EPB at 423-648-1372 if that is your utility).

I got a text about unpaid tolls. Should I tap the link?

No. The FTC says unexpected unpaid-toll texts with payment links are probably scams. Look up the real agency yourself; forward junk to 7726.

When does Medicare open enrollment start — and how do I avoid search scams?

Thursday, Oct. 15, through Monday, Dec. 7. Type Medicare.gov yourself, look for “Ad”/”Sponsored” labels, prefer .gov results, and use TN SHIP at 1-877-801-0044 for free help.

Who do I call about heating bill help in Sequatchie County?

SETHRA at 423-949-2191 (toll-free 800-852-6155; P.O. Box 909, Dunlap, TN 37327). Heating season help is open through April 30 for eligible households.

I already gave a caller my Social Security or bank number. What now?

Stop contact. For Social Security concerns, use ssa.gov/myaccount and report at oig.ssa.gov/report. Call your bank from the number on your card if you shared account details. Consider a fraud alert with the credit bureaus, visit identitytheft.gov, and report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. AARP’s Fraud Watch Network Helpline is free at 877-908-3360 (weekdays).

🔗 Other Resources

• Social Security COLA page
• SSA: Protect Yourself from Scams
• SSA OIG scam report
• my Social Security
• Medicare.gov · TN SHIP (1-877-801-0044)
• Sequachee Valley Electric: Beware of Scams · SVEC 888-421-7832
• FTC ReportFraud.ftc.gov
• FBI IC3.gov
• BBB Scam Tracker
• Tennessee AG: Scams, Schemes & Swindles · Consumer Affairs 1-800-342-8385
• AARP Fraud Watch Helpline (877-908-3360)
• AAA Tennessee gas prices
• SETHRA Housing & Energy
• Sequatchie County Trustee

🌄 Take a Breath. Real Help Will Wait for You

Every scam on this week’s list has the same tell: it cannot stand to wait. The real Social Security raise will still be posted at ssa.gov after tomorrow’s numbers. The real utility will still answer from the number on your bill. The real Medicare site will still load when you type it yourself. SETHRA will still pick up about heating help on a quiet afternoon. Only the crook needs you to move before you have checked with someone you trust.

Share this with a neighbor who is watching for the COLA, sorting a Medicare letter, or wondering about a strange utility call. We will keep watch and bring you what is new each week. Read Dunlap.Today and sign up for our newsletter for plain-English money news and scam alerts in the Sequatchie Valley.