Index-linking refers to the practice of adjusting financial values, such as wages, pensions or prices, in line with inflation or other economic indices. Synonyms for index-linking may include terms such as inflation-adjusted, price-linked, or CPI-based. Another term is cost-of-living adjustments (COLA), which specifically refers to wage or benefit increases tied to changes in the cost of living. Other related terms include wage escalations, salary indexing, and inflation-indexed investments. Index-linking provides a valuable tool for maintaining the real value of assets, incomes and payments, and helps to ensure that people are not left behind in times of economic change.