Retirement timing
Full retirement age
Full retirement age is the age when a person can receive their basic retirement benefit without an early-claiming reduction. It depends on the year you were born.
The one-minute answer
What this number means
For people born in 1960 or later, full retirement age is 67. People born earlier can have a full retirement age between 65 and 66 years and 10 months.
At a glance
The important numbers
Reference table
Social Security full retirement age by birth year
| Birth year | Full retirement age |
|---|---|
| 1937 or earlier | 65 |
| 1938 | 65 and 2 months |
| 1939 | 65 and 4 months |
| 1940 | 65 and 6 months |
| 1941 | 65 and 8 months |
| 1942 | 65 and 10 months |
| 1943–1954 | 66 |
| 1955 | 66 and 2 months |
| 1956 | 66 and 4 months |
| 1957 | 66 and 6 months |
| 1958 | 66 and 8 months |
| 1959 | 66 and 10 months |
| 1960 or later | 67 |
Plain-language guide
How the rule works
Why this age matters
Your full retirement age is the reference point for your retirement benefit. Claiming before it can permanently reduce the monthly amount. Claiming after it can add delayed-retirement credits until age 70.
This is a timing rule, not a promise about your personal check. Your work record, earnings history and other benefit rules still matter.
Do not confuse FRA with Medicare age
Full retirement age and Medicare eligibility age are different questions. Many people become eligible for Medicare around age 65, even when their Social Security full retirement age is 66 or 67.
If both topics apply to you, check each deadline separately so a retirement decision does not make you miss a health-coverage enrollment step.
Make it concrete
A simple example
- A person born in 1965 falls in the 1960-or-later row.
- That person’s full retirement age is 67.
- Claiming at 62 is five years before FRA; claiming at 70 is three years after FRA.
Bottom line: The exact dollar change depends on the person’s record, but the age comparison tells you which rules to ask SSA about.
Quick answers
Common questions
What is full retirement age in 2026?
For people who reach age 62 in 2026, full retirement age is 67. The exact FRA for an older person depends on birth year.
Can I claim Social Security at age 62?
Many people can start retirement benefits at 62, but starting before full retirement age can reduce the monthly benefit.
Does waiting past age 70 increase retirement benefits?
Delayed-retirement credits generally stop at age 70. Waiting past 70 does not create additional delayed credits.
This is an independent plain-language reference. Rules and personal amounts can change. Use the linked official source for the current rule that applies to your record.