Find your US Social Security Full Retirement Age (FRA) by date of birth. See the exact date you reach FRA, the earliest age you can claim reduced benefits (62), and the age past which delayed retirement credits stop accruing (70).
Full Retirement Age (FRA) is the age at which the US Social Security Administration pays your full retirement benefit, with no early-claiming reduction. FRA is set by federal law and depends only on your birth year. Anyone born in 1960 or later has an FRA of 67. Anyone born before 1938 has an FRA of 65. Between those years, FRA rises in two-month increments.
You can claim Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62, but the monthly amount is permanently reduced. Waiting beyond FRA earns delayed retirement credits that increase your benefit by roughly 8% per year, up to age 70. Past 70 there are no further credits, so there is no financial benefit to delaying any longer.
The Social Security Administration's official Full Retirement Age schedule, by year of birth:
| Year of Birth | Full Retirement Age |
|---|---|
| Before 1938 | 65 years, 0 months |
| 1938 | 65 years, 2 months |
| 1939 | 65 years, 4 months |
| 1940 | 65 years, 6 months |
| 1941 | 65 years, 8 months |
| 1942 | 65 years, 10 months |
| 1943–1954 | 66 years, 0 months |
| 1955 | 66 years, 2 months |
| 1956 | 66 years, 4 months |
| 1957 | 66 years, 6 months |
| 1958 | 66 years, 8 months |
| 1959 | 66 years, 10 months |
| 1960 and later | 67 years, 0 months |
Source: US Social Security Administration. This calculator applies only to US Social Security retirement benefits; survivor and disability benefits use different rules.
Full Retirement Age is the age at which you become eligible for 100% of your calculated Social Security retirement benefit. Claiming before FRA reduces your monthly amount permanently; claiming after FRA increases it through delayed retirement credits until age 70.
Yes. Age 62 is the earliest you can claim Social Security retirement benefits, regardless of your FRA. However, your monthly benefit will be permanently reduced. The reduction depends on how many months before your FRA you claim: roughly 25 to 30% less if your FRA is 66 or 67.
Anyone born in 1960 or later has an FRA of 67. Congress phased in this change with the Social Security Amendments of 1983 to address rising life expectancy and program solvency. FRA rose gradually from 65 for people born before 1938 to 67 for people born in 1960 onwards.
Delaying past your FRA earns delayed retirement credits, increasing your monthly benefit by about 8% per year of delay. These credits stop accruing at age 70, so there is no advantage to waiting any longer. Claiming at 70 instead of 67 (the FRA for people born in 1960+) gives you roughly 24% more per month for life.
No. This calculator shows only your own retirement benefit FRA based on the SSA's published schedule. Spousal, survivor, and disability benefits use different rules and reduction formulas. For a full estimate including those, use the SSA's official tools at ssa.gov or speak to a financial adviser.