Full Retirement Age Table
| If your birth date is | Full retirement age |
|---|---|
| Before 1/2/1938 | 65 years |
| 1/2/1938 – 1/1/1939 | 65 years and 2 months |
| 1/2/1939 – 1/1/1940 | 65 years and 4 months |
| 1/2/1940 – 1/1/1941 | 65 years and 6 months |
| 1/2/1941 – 1/1/1942 | 65 years and 8 months |
| 1/2/1942 – 1/1/1943 | 65 years and 10 months |
| 1/2/1943 – 1/1/1955 | 66 years |
| 1/2/1955 – 1/1/1956 | 66 years and 2 months |
| 1/2/1956 – 1/1/1957 | 66 years and 4 months |
| 1/2/1957 – 1/1/1958 | 66 years and 6 months |
| 1/2/1958 – 1/1/1959 | 66 years and 8 months |
| 1/2/1959 – 1/1/1960 | 66 years and 10 months |
| 1960 or later | 67 years |
Full retirement age (FRA) is when Social Security pays undiscounted benefits - and it is not one age: the ladder slides from 65 for anyone born before 1938 to 67 for the 1960-and-later cohorts, with two-month steps between. This table is the regulation verbatim from 20 CFR 404.409, and the calculator runs the claiming-age percentages on top.
Claim at 62 and a 1965-born collects 70% of the full benefit; hold to 70 and delayed retirement credits push it to 124% - an eight-year decision worth more than most retirement accounts contribute in that span.
How to use
- Enter your birth year and the age you plan to claim; the result shows the percent of full benefits the SSA schedule pays.
- Find your exact cohort row in the table - the boundaries are hard: born January 1, 1955 is 66 and 2 months, born January 2 is still 66 even.
- Compare the 62-vs-70 spread on your own cohort; the gap widens as FRA rises.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I claim before my full retirement age?
Benefits are permanently reduced: 5/9 of one percent per month for the first 36 early months, then 5/12 of one percent beyond - a 1960-born claiming at 62 collects 70% of their PIA for life. The reduction is not canceled later; claiming at 62 sets the baseline forever.
Do delayed retirement credits really add 8% per year?
Yes - two-thirds of one percent per month from FRA to age 70: 24% for a 67-FRA cohort. Combined with any ongoing earnings test effects, deferring is the closest thing the program has to a guaranteed annuity purchase, priced at 8% per year of delay.
Does Medicare still start at 65 if my FRA is 67?
Yes - Medicare eligibility is its own track at 65 regardless of Social Security FRA. The gap years (65 to 67 for younger cohorts) need separate health coverage, which is one of the practical arguments for claiming earlier or bridging with an employer plan.
How do the January 1 and January 2 boundaries work?
The regulation writes cohorts as running from January 2 to January 1: a person born January 1, 1955 belongs to the 1943-1954 band (FRA 66), while January 2, 1955 starts the two-month-step climb. The rule comes from the statute counting attainment the day after the birthday.