The social security full retirement age (FRA) is the age at which you collect 100% of your earned benefit with no reduction. For anyone born in 1960 or later that age is 67, and for the 1959 birth cohort it is 66 and 10 months (Source: SSA Benefits Planner, 2026).
Full retirement age is 67 for people born in 1960 or later and 66 and 10 months for those born in 1959. You can claim as early as 62, which permanently reduces the benefit by up to 30%, or delay past FRA to age 70, which raises the monthly amount by roughly 24% above the full benefit (Source: SSA Benefits Planner, 2026).
What is the Social Security full retirement age?
Full retirement age, also called normal retirement age, is the age at which the Social Security Administration pays 100% of your primary insurance amount with no early-claiming reduction. For workers born in 1960 or later it is 67 (Source: SSA, 2026). Claiming before that age lowers the monthly check permanently.
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The earliest you can start retirement benefits is age 62; between 62 and 70 the age you choose sets the percentage of your full benefit you keep for life, and FRA is the pivot point for every reduction and credit (Source: SSA, 2026).
Full retirement age by birth year
Your full retirement age depends only on the year you were born. The 1983 Social Security Amendments phased FRA up from 65 (for people born 1937 or earlier) to 67 (for people born 1960 or later), rising in two-month steps for the birth years in between (Source: SSA official age chart, 2026).
| Year of birth | Full retirement age |
|---|---|
| 1937 or earlier | 65 |
| 1938 to 1942 | 65 and 2 to 10 months (2 months added per year) |
| 1943 to 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 |
The January 1 birthday rule: the SSA treats anyone born on January 1 as if they were born in the prior year, so use the earlier year to read the chart (Source: SSA, 2026). Someone born January 1, 1960, for example, uses the 1959 row and reaches FRA at 66 and 10 months.
Claiming before or after full retirement age
Filing before FRA cuts your benefit, and delaying past FRA increases it. The reduction for early filing is 5/9 of 1% per month for the first 36 months before FRA and 5/12 of 1% for each earlier month; delayed retirement credits add 2/3 of 1% per month (8% per year) from FRA up to age 70 (Source: SSA Office of the Chief Actuary, 2026). Both adjustments are prorated by the exact number of months.
The table below shows the percentage of the full benefit at each filing age for a worker whose FRA is 67, from a 30% cut at 62 to a 24% increase at 70.
| Age you claim (FRA 67) | Percent of full benefit |
|---|---|
| 62 | 70% |
| 63 | 75% |
| 64 | 80% |
| 65 | 86.7% |
| 66 | 93.3% |
| 67 (full retirement age) | 100% |
| 68 | 108% |
| 69 | 116% |
| 70 | 124% |
Delayed retirement credits stop accruing at age 70, so there is no benefit to waiting beyond that age. For a worker with an FRA of 66, waiting to 70 produces 132% of the full benefit, because there are 48 months of credits instead of 36 (Source: SSA, 2026).
The retirement age is changing in 2025 to 2027
The phase-in is reaching its final step right now. The 1959 birth cohort, with an FRA of 66 and 10 months, is the group hitting full retirement age across 2025 and 2026, while people born in 1960 or later, whose FRA is a flat 67, first reach it in 2027 (Source: SSA, 2026).
The 1983 Social Security Amendments authorized the increase, with lawmakers citing rising life expectancy and program solvency as the reasons for moving FRA from 65 to 67. Proposals to raise the FRA further have been studied, including a Bipartisan Policy Center recommendation to gradually lift it to 69, but no such change is in current law (Source: Bipartisan Policy Center, Social Security’s Full Retirement Age explainer; SSA, 2026).
Full retirement age is not the same as Medicare at 65
Medicare eligibility and Social Security full retirement age are two separate rules that readers often merge. Medicare eligibility begins at age 65 for nearly everyone, regardless of your FRA, which is 66 and 10 months or 67 for recent cohorts (Source: SSA; CMS, 2026). Turning 65 does not mean you have reached full retirement age.
Because the two are decoupled, some enroll in Medicare at 65 while delaying Social Security to grow the benefit. Higher income can raise Medicare Part B premiums through IRMAA, based on the tax return from two years prior (Source: CMS, 2026). Our Medicare IRMAA 2026 brackets guide covers those surcharge tiers.
Working before full retirement age: the earnings test
If you claim before FRA and keep working, the retirement earnings test can temporarily withhold part of your benefit. In 2026, someone under FRA for the whole year can earn up to $24,480 before the SSA withholds $1 for every $2 above the limit; in the year you reach FRA the exempt amount rises to $65,160 with $1 withheld for every $3 above it (Source: SSA, 2026).
Starting with the month you reach full retirement age, the earnings limit disappears entirely and you keep every dollar of benefit no matter how much you earn (Source: SSA, 2026). Withheld amounts are not lost: the SSA recomputes and raises your benefit after FRA to credit back the withheld months.
Spousal and survivor FRA differ from retirement FRA
Full retirement age is not a single number across every benefit type. The FRA for survivor benefits follows a separate schedule from the retirement FRA, so a widow or widower may reach full survivor benefits at a different age than their own retirement FRA (Source: SSA, Full Retirement Age for Survivor Benefits, 2026). Spousal benefits are also reduced for early claiming under their own formula.
The pre-FRA years and tax planning
The years between leaving work and claiming Social Security can be lower-income years, since no benefit is yet flowing. Some households use that window to consider a Roth conversion, because converting in a lower bracket may reduce future taxable balances, though the added income can affect MAGI, IRMAA, and later benefit taxation, depending on circumstances (Source: IRS Pub 915, 2025). This is general education, not a recommendation.
Our Social Security tax torpedo explainer covers how benefit taxation interacts with other income.
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Q3 Advisors is a registered investment adviser focused on retirement tax planning. This article is educational and is not advice; for guidance on your own circumstances, consult a qualified tax or financial professional.
Frequently asked questions
What is the full retirement age for Social Security?
Full retirement age is when you receive 100% of your Social Security benefit with no early-claiming reduction. It is 67 for people born in 1960 or later and 66 and 10 months for those born in 1959, on a phased schedule that reaches back to 65 for people born in 1937 or earlier (Source: SSA, 2026).
What is the full retirement age if I was born in 1960?
If you were born in 1960 or later, your full retirement age is 67 (Source: SSA, 2026). A special rule applies to a January 1, 1960 birthday: the SSA uses the prior year, so that date maps to the 1959 schedule and an FRA of 66 and 10 months. For every other 1960 birthday, FRA is a flat 67.
Is it better to take Social Security at 62 or 67?
Neither age is universally better; the tradeoff is a smaller check for more years versus a larger check for fewer years. Claiming at 62 gives about 70% of the full benefit for an FRA of 67, while waiting until 67 gives 100% (Source: SSA, 2026). The right choice depends on health, other income, and spousal factors.
Can I collect Social Security at 67 and still work full time?
Yes. Once you reach full retirement age, the retirement earnings test no longer applies, so you can work full time and keep your entire benefit regardless of earnings (Source: SSA, 2026). The earnings limit only affects people who claim before FRA. Your benefit may still be subject to federal income tax depending on your combined income (Source: IRS Pub 915, 2025).
At what age is Social Security no longer taxed?
There is no age at which Social Security benefits stop being taxable. Federal taxation depends on your combined income, not your age: up to 50% of benefits may be taxable above $25,000 single or $32,000 married filing jointly, and up to 85% above $34,000 or $44,000 (Source: IRS Pub 915, 2025).
Sources
SSA Benefits Planner, Retirement Age and Benefit Reduction / Increase (2026): ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/ageincrease.html, agereduction.html, delayret.html, whileworking.html.
SSA Office of the Chief Actuary, Early or Delayed Retirement and Exempt Amounts Under the Earnings Test (2026): ssa.gov/oact/quickcalc/earlyretire.html; ssa.gov/oact/cola/rtea.html.
SSA, Full Retirement Age for Survivor Benefits (2026): ssa.gov/survivor/full-retirement-age-survivor.
IRS Publication 915, Social Security and Equivalent Railroad Retirement Benefits (2025): irs.gov/publications/p915.
CMS, 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles fact sheet (Nov 14, 2025): cms.gov.
Bipartisan Policy Center, Social Security’s Full Retirement Age explainer: bipartisanpolicy.org/explainer/full-retirement-age/.
