doug holtz eken is a former c bchtcbo director and advisor. explain how the cost of living adjustment is determined and the law that decides whether an adjustment happens or not. >> it is in the law that you do it look at inflation over the previous year, look from the previous september to the current september, and in this case there wasn't any cost of living increase. inflation's flat. in those circumstances those who are already retired do not see their retirement checks bumped up because there is no inflation. >> how do they measure this? i'll be honest, i talk to my own family members who are on social security, their condo fees have gone up, their cable bill as gone up, internet be, different things that's their cost of living, power, has gone up. they haven't seen it flat-line. how does this -- what measurement does this use to decide cost of living increase? >> we have an alphabet soup of