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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteYour Social Security full retirement age (FRA) is the age at which you qualify for your unreduced retirement benefit. It depends on your birth year: FRA is 67 for people born in 1960 or later, and ranges from 66 to 66 years and 10 months for people born from 1943 through 1959. If your birthday is January 1, use the previous birth year when checking the schedule.
Find your full retirement age
Use this Social Security Administration (SSA) schedule to look up your FRA. The SSA’s Retirement Age Calculator can also confirm the result using your birth date.
| Year of birth | Full retirement age |
|---|---|
| 1943–1954 | 66 |
| 1955 | 66 years and 2 months |
| 1956 | 66 years and 4 months |
| 1957 | 66 years and 6 months |
| 1958 | 66 years and 8 months |
| 1959 | 66 years and 10 months |
| 1960 or later | 67 |
If you were born on January 1, the SSA says to use the previous year in its chart and calculator. For example, someone born January 1, 1960, checks the row for 1959.
FRA used to be 65 for many people. Congress raised it gradually for people born in 1938 or later, reaching 67 for those born in 1960 or later. The SSA explains the change on its Retirement Age Calculator page.
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What FRA means—and what it does not
FRA is the point at which you can receive your full retirement benefit under Social Security’s age-based adjustment rules. It does not mean you must stop working, and it is not necessarily the age you choose to retire. You may start retirement benefits as early as 62 or wait beyond FRA; your start date affects the monthly amount.
Your actual benefit also depends on your earnings record. The SSA generally calculates retirement benefits using your highest 35 years of earnings. If you continue working, additional earnings can change that record and may increase your benefit if they replace lower-earning years. See the SSA’s guidance on the age you start benefits and the age you stop working.
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How claiming before or after FRA changes your benefit
Claiming before FRA reduces your monthly retirement benefit. The reduction depends on your birth year and how many months before FRA you start. For someone whose FRA is 67, starting at 62 can mean a benefit up to 30% lower than the FRA amount, according to the SSA’s 2026 Retirement Benefits publication. That figure is not a universal reduction for every birth year.
Waiting past FRA can increase your monthly benefit through delayed retirement credits, but the credits stop at 70. For people born in 1960 or later, the SSA’s delayed-retirement table shows 124% of the FRA benefit at age 70, compared with 100% at FRA 67. The percentages are rounded.
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There is no single best claiming age for everyone. Compare your own estimates and circumstances, including how long you expect to rely on benefits, other income, and whether you plan to work. The SSA’s retirement planning page provides access to personal estimates.
If you work while receiving benefits
Before FRA, earnings above the applicable annual limit can result in some benefits being withheld under Social Security’s earnings test. That withholding is distinct from the earnings record used to calculate your benefit. After you reach FRA, the SSA recalculates benefits to account for months in which benefits were withheld because of earnings. See the SSA’s working and retirement benefits guidance for the relevant rules.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Keep Medicare timing separate
Medicare eligibility generally begins at 65, even if your Social Security FRA is later or you plan to delay retirement benefits. If you delay Social Security, consider Medicare enrollment at 65; late enrollment may cost more in some circumstances. The SSA distinguishes the two ages in its full retirement age FAQ.
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