What Is the Full Retirement Age for Social Security?
Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.
The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments.
Age may be just a number, but it’s an important one for Social Security retirement benefits. After paying into the federal program throughout your working life, you can start collecting benefits in your 60s. How much you receive monthly depends in part on how old you are when you apply for benefits.
What age is full retirement age for Social Security?
Full retirement age for Social Security is the age at which a person is entitled to 100% of their monthly Social Security retirement benefit. It ranges from 66 to 67. The Social Security Administration determines a person’s full retirement age based on their birth year .
If you were born in 1960 or later, your full retirement age is 67. However, if you were born before 1960, use the table below to find out when you can celebrate and start cashing out.
» Get started: Social Security, explained
Full retirement age for Social Security
Year you were born | Full retirement age | If you start receiving benefits at 62, your retirement benefit is reduced by... |
|---|---|---|
1943 through 1954 | 66. | 25%. |
1955 | 66 and 2 months. | 25.83%. |
1956 | 66 and 4 months. | 26.67%. |
1957 | 66 and 6 months. | 27.5%. |
1958 | 66 and 8 months. | 28.33%. |
1959 | 66 and 10 months. | 29.17%. |
1960 and later | 67. | 30%. |
Source: Social Security Administration
Finding the age at which you get 100% of your Social Security
The earliest you can begin claiming Social Security benefits is age 62, but there is a catch: By claiming early, you’ll get a reduced monthly benefit. For someone whose full retirement age for Social Security is 67, starting benefits at age 62 means taking a nearly 30% monthly hit. If that person were eligible for $1,000 per month at full retirement age, their monthly benefit would be reduced to $700.
On the flip side, if that person waits until age 67 to draw benefits, they’d get 100%. From there, it gets better; if they can hold off until 70, their monthly take could increase by as much as 8% a year. (There is no incentive to claim after age 70.)
In addition to your age at retirement, the size of your monthly benefit is determined by a formula based on your best 35 years of earnings before inflation. To get an estimate of your benefit, you can create an account with the Social Security Administration.
Estimate your Social Security retirement benefits
Your actual benefit may be lower or higher than estimate made with this calculator, because it does not take into account your actual earnings history.
We assume you have earnings every year until you begin receiving Social Security benefits. If you had several years of noncovered employment or your earnings changed significantly from year to year, this calculator will overestimate or underestimate your benefit.
How to determine when to start Social Security benefits
When you can retire depends on several personal factors, such as how much you have in savings and what your other sources of income will be. NerdWallet’s retirement calculator can show you whether your savings are on track. Here are a few things to consider as you figure out the right time to start Social Security benefits.
How long your family members tend to live
If you come from a healthy genetic stock — lots of relatives who became octo- and nonagenarians — and you also expect to live long and prosper, waiting to file until age 70 may be the better way to go. Extra padding on Social Security checks can come in handy if there's a good chance you might outlast the rest of your investment income.
But filing early can ease the financial burden if you're dealing with pricey health issues, especially if you stop working and lose access to employer-provided health insurance before you're covered by Medicare. If those health issues mean you may have a shorter life expectancy, waiting to take benefits simply may not be worth it — unless you're looking to boost your surviving spouse's future benefits.
Whether you're still working
Once you reach your full retirement age for Social Security, you can continue to work and still get your full Social Security benefits penalty-free.
Individuals under full retirement age for the entire year who have already begun claiming benefits and earn over the annual limit will be penalized with a $1 deduction from their benefit payment for every $2 earned above that limit ($19,560 in 2022 and $21,240 in 2023) .
You'll still get credit for those earnings, and the SSA will recalculate your benefit once you reach full retirement age.
» Find out how you can increase your Social Security benefit
via Zoe Financial
If you're eligible for benefits on someone else's record
If you're half of a twosome — even a divorced twosome (if married over 10 years) — the effect of all the issues above should be considered for both parties and, if living together, on you as a couple.
A spouse in poor health may want to start benefits earlier while the healthier one delays filing.
If you're the higher earner, you may want to delay receiving a heftier benefit while you're still alive and, if you die first, leave behind higher survivor protection for your spouse.
If you want to invest the cash
Nowhere does it say you're required to spend the money you get from Social Security. You can invest it in stocks, bonds, real estate or whatever. (We lay out a range of options in a piece on how to invest money.)
One investment-related thing you cannot do with Social Security money is count it as "earned income" to qualify for contributions to an IRA. However, you can still invest via a regular taxable account. Just remember that in the short term, some investments can be very volatile and not appropriate for any cash you know you'll need in the near term (the next five years or so). Weigh that against the guaranteed return you would get on your money by waiting to file and amassing more delayed retirement credits.
» MORE: 5 steps to retirement planning
Average retirement age
The average retirement age in the United States is 61, according to a 2022 Gallup survey . Though this roughly coincides with the earliest age you're eligible to draw Social Security, when you retire doesn't necessarily have to revolve around Social Security or retirement account rules. Often it will depend on how much you have saved.
According to the Insured Retirement Institute's 2021 Retirement Readiness Among Older Workers research series, about a quarter of respondents have no retirement savings. Half have saved less than $250,000 (with half of those respondents having less than $50,000) .
Many people consider their eligibility for various retirement benefits alongside their personal financial situation to pinpoint their optimal retirement age.
NerdWallet rating 5.0 /5 | NerdWallet rating 5.0 /5 | NerdWallet rating 4.7 /5 |
Fees $0 per trade | Fees $0 per trade | Fees $0 per trade |
Account minimum $0 | Account minimum $0 | Account minimum $0 |
Promotion None no promotion available at this time | Promotion Get up to 12 free fractional shares (valued up to $3,000) when you open and fund an account with Webull. | Promotion Get $50 when you open & fund a new account with $5K on Chase.com or the Chase Mobile® app. |
Other retirement ages to know
Medicare | 65 (you enroll during the seven-month period surrounding your 65th birthday). Missing the initial enrollment period for Medicare Part B can result in a late penalty — a 10% increase in monthly premium for each 12-month period. » Medicare enrollment: How to sign up |
Roth individual retirement account | Distributions are allowed beginning at age 59 ½. You can withdraw contributions to a Roth IRA penalty-free at any age. If you make a nonqualified distribution of earnings before age 59 ½, you may owe taxes and a 10% early withdrawal penalty. |
Traditional IRA, 401(k), 403(b), SEP IRA, SIMPLE IRA | Distributions are allowed beginning at age 59 ½. A 10% early withdrawal penalty for taking nonqualified distributions before age 59 ½. |
Think it through and get a second opinion
Deciding when to flip on the Social Security benefits switch isn't a decision to make lightly. Once you start taking benefits, the amount you receive generally sets the base for how much you'll get for the rest of your life. Also, annual cost of living adjustments will be based on that amount.
For context, the average monthly Social Security retirement benefit paid out in 2023 was just over $1,800. For today's seniors, that represents a major income artery — roughly one-third of the money they have to live on, according to SSA data.
You get one do-over in your lifetime: If you start receiving Social Security benefits, then decide you can hold out longer to get a higher payout, there's a 12-month window to change your mind and repay the money you've already received .
Not sure where you stand today? The SSA's retirement estimator provides a ballpark benefit amount based on your actual Social Security earnings record.
If you have more questions on Social Security issues, a financial advisor can help you run through various scenarios taking into account the income streams available to you, ongoing investment returns, taxes and other parts of retirement planning.
