What Is Full Retirement Age for Social Security?

04.13.2026 | Category: Navigating Your Retirement

Reviewed by: Mark Zagurski, CLU®, ChFC®, CMFC® and CRPC®

Summary: Your Social Security full retirement age (FRA) is the age when you may receive the full calculated benefit you’ve earned based on your work history. For many people today, that age falls between 66 and 67, depending on birth year. Knowing your FRA can help you understand how claiming earlier or later may affect your monthly income over time.

Key takeaways

Full retirement age is when you may receive 100% of your Social Security benefit
FRA depends on your birth year, typically ranging from 66 to 67
You can claim benefits as early as 62 or delay up to age 70
Claiming early may reduce your monthly benefit, while delaying may increase it
Your claiming age can affect your monthly income for the rest of your life.

What is the full retirement age for Social Security?

Full retirement age (FRA) is the point when you become eligible to receive your full Social Security retirement benefit, based on your lifetime earnings. Reaching full retirement age does not mean you need to retire at that exact time. It simply marks when you may receive your full scheduled benefit.

For people born in 1960 or later, the full retirement age is 67. For those born earlier, FRA may be slightly lower.

While FRA is often seen as a benchmark, you can choose to claim benefits earlier or later depending on your situation.

How do I calculate my full retirement age?

You can determine your full retirement age by matching your birth year to the Social Security full retirement age chart below. That gives you the age when you may receive your full scheduled benefit, but it does not determine the best time for everyone to claim.

Mark Zagurski, director of strategy and operations at Mutual of Omaha Advisors and host of the Make it Personal Podcast, explains, “There is no best age for everyone. Ultimately, it’s your choice and you should make an informed decision based on your personal situation.”

Social Security full retirement age chart

If you were born in:	Your full retirement age is:
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	67

Even a difference of a few months can affect how much you may receive each month and over time

What age can you collect Social Security?

You can begin collecting Social Security retirement benefits at different ages:

Age 62: Earliest eligibility
Full retirement age (66–67): Full benefit amount
Age 70: Maximum delayed benefit

As Zagurski notes, “Taking benefits at age 62, at full retirement age… or waiting until age 70, carries unique risks and rewards.”

If you claim before full retirement age

You can claim as early as age 62, but your monthly benefit will be reduced compared to claiming at full retirement age.

Reductions are permanent
The earlier you claim, the larger the reduction
Your benefit is still based on your highest 35 years of earnings

This approach may be considered by those who need income sooner or have other planning considerations.

If you claim at full retirement age

Claiming at full retirement age allows you to receive your full calculated benefit amount without reductions or increases.

No reduction for early claiming
No additional increase for delaying
Your benefit reflects your earnings history at the time you claim

Zagurski describes this as “a dependable middle ground option that might work for your average retiree with other resources.”

If you delay beyond full retirement age

Delaying benefits beyond full retirement age increases your monthly benefit each year until age 70.

Benefits may increase by about 8% per year
This may result in a higher monthly benefit later in retirement
Higher benefits may help offset longer lifespans
Additional working years may further increase your benefit if they replace lower-earning years in your 35-year calculation

According to a 2025 Mutual of Omaha Retirement Study, many retirees don’t follow a perfectly planned timeline, with a significant portion retiring earlier than expected.* As a result, comparing ages like 62, 65 and 67 can be a helpful step when deciding when to start benefits.

Social Security full retirement age chart

Claiming age	What it generally means
62	Earliest age to claim retirement benefits. Your monthly benefit will be reduced compared with claiming at full retirement age. For many people today, the reduction at 62 may be as much as about 30%.
63	Your benefit is still reduced, but less than it would be at 62.
64	Your benefit remains reduced if this is before your full retirement age, though the reduction is smaller than at younger claiming ages.
65	For many people today, claiming at 65 still means a reduced benefit because full retirement age is often later than 65. The exact reduction depends on your birth year.
66	This may be full retirement age for some people, but for others it is still slightly early. Your exact result depends on your birth year.
67	Full retirement age for people born in 1960 or later. At this age, you may receive 100% of your scheduled benefit.
68	If you’ve already reached full retirement age, delaying may increase your monthly benefit through delayed retirement credits.
69	Delaying beyond full retirement age may continue to increase your monthly benefit until age 70.
70	This is the latest age at which delayed retirement credits increase your benefit. For many people today, waiting until 70 may raise benefits to about 124% of the full retirement age amount.

Does your Social Security benefit change over time?

Your benefit doesn’t reset at full retirement age, but it can change based on your earnings history.

Benefits are calculated using your highest 35 years of earnings
If you continue working, higher earnings may replace lower-earning years
This can lead to adjustments in your benefit over time

This is one reason why timing and work decisions can both play a role in your long-term income.

Common mistakes to avoid when planning your Social Security timing

One of the most common mistakes is focusing only on when benefits start, without understanding how claiming age affects income over time.

Common pitfalls include:

Claiming too early without understanding the reduction
Waiting too long without a clear income plan
Overlooking how benefits fit into your overall retirement income

Zagurski highlights an important point: “You cannot easily undo your claiming decision.”

Taking time to understand how full retirement age fits into these decisions can help reduce confusion and support more informed choices.

Why full retirement age matters in a broader retirement plan

Social Security is a source of retirement income for 96% of retired respondents, making it one of the most common sources of retirement income.*

That’s one reason the full retirement age matters. It helps frame when you may receive your full benefit and how claiming earlier or later can affect your monthly income over time.

Knowing your full retirement age can help you:

Set realistic income expectations
Coordinate work and retirement timing
Understand how benefits fit alongside other income sources

Rather than serving as a single decision point, full retirement age can work as a planning reference within a broader retirement strategy. Understanding what to know before claiming Social Security benefits can also help put these decisions in context.

Planning around your full retirement age

Your Social Security full retirement age is not a deadline. It is a guide that helps explain how benefit timing can shape your income over time.

That matters because claiming Social Security is only one part of retirement planning. You may also need to consider when you plan to stop working, what other income sources you’ll have, and how much flexibility you want in your monthly budget.

That decision can become even more important when viewed alongside the rest of your retirement income plan. As Nate Hobson, Mutual of Omaha Advisors national sales director, notes, “Determining the right withdrawal strategy in retirement is really the million-dollar question because it’s a moving target.”

As you weigh your options, it may help to evaluate when you can retire and how Social Security fits into your broader financial picture. Reviewing retirement saving milestones by age with a Mutual of Omaha financial professional can also provide useful context as you compare your options.

Wondering what your Social Security claiming age could mean for your retirement income?

A Mutual of Omaha financial professional can help you look at how benefit timing, other income sources and your retirement timeline may fit together. Not sure how long your money will last in retirement? Use our calculator to see how you’re tracking.

How long will my money last?

Frequently asked questions about full retirement age

At what age can you collect 100% of your Social Security?

You can typically collect your full calculated Social Security benefit at your full retirement age, which ranges from 66 to 67 depending on your birth year.

Is it better to take Social Security at 62, 67 or 70?

It depends on your personal situation, including your income needs, health and other financial resources. Each option involves trade-offs between receiving income sooner and potentially receiving a higher monthly benefit later.

How does Social Security increase after full retirement age?

If you delay benefits beyond full retirement age, your monthly benefit may increase each year until age 70 because Social Security provides delayed retirement credits for waiting to claim. These credits are designed to increase your monthly benefit in exchange for starting payments later.

Does Social Security recalculate at full retirement age?

Social Security does not automatically recalculate your benefit at full retirement age. However, if you continue working, higher-earning years may replace lower ones in your record, which can lead to adjustments over time.

What is one of the biggest mistakes people make with Social Security?

A common mistake is making a claiming decision without understanding how it affects long-term income. Because the decision can be difficult to reverse, it’s important to consider both short- and long-term needs.

Reviewed by: Mark Zagurski, CLU®, ChFC®, CMFC® and CRPC®

Mark is Mutual of Omaha Advisors’ Director of Strategy & Communications. With more than 30 years of experience, he has worked extensively in advisor development, strategy, and communications, focusing on helping advisors and their clients make informed financial decisions. He is also the host of the Mutual of Omaha Advisors podcast, “Make it Personal,” which explores personal finance and strategies to help you take control of your money and future.

Sources:

*Mutual of Omaha worked with research vendor, quantilope, to conduct research related to Decumulation – the strategic drawdown of assets during retirement years. This research had a sample size of 496 respondents aged 50+ who were already retired (n=327) or nearing retirement (n=169) within the next 10 years. Respondents who stated they did not have at least some assets to draw down during retirement were excluded from the survey. The research was conducted in a 10-minute online survey from October 6-15, 2025. All data included in this report are based on Mutual of Omaha proprietary research unless otherwise noted.

Disclosures:

Registered Representatives offer securities through Mutual of Omaha Investor Services, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment Advisor Representatives offer advisory services through Mutual of Omaha Investor Services, Inc. Mutual of Omaha Advisors is a division of Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company.

All investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal, and there can be no assurance that any investment strategy will be successful.

Mutual of Omaha and its representatives do not provide tax and/or legal advice, and the information provided herein is general in nature and should not be considered tax and/or legal advice.

Not all Mutual of Omaha agents are registered representatives or financial advisors.

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