Updated for 2026. Your Social Security full retirement age (also called normal retirement age) is the age when you can claim your full benefit — not a reduced early check, and not an increased delayed one. For anyone born in 1960 or later, that age is 67. For people born in the late 1950s, it is somewhere between 66 and 67.
This guide explains how full retirement age works in 2026, how much claiming early or late changes your check, how the latest COLA and earnings-test limits fit in, and the practical tradeoffs before you lock in a claiming age. It is educational, not personalized tax or benefits advice — always confirm your own numbers in your my Social Security account.
Quick take: waiting until full retirement age protects your full primary insurance amount. Claiming at 62 permanently reduces the monthly check (about 30% if your FRA is 67). Delaying past FRA can raise it by up to about 24% by age 70 if your FRA is 67. The “right” age still depends on cash needs, health, work plans, marital status, and other income — not a one-size slogan.
What Is Full Retirement Age for Social Security?
Full retirement age (FRA), also called normal retirement age (NRA), is the age at which your retirement benefit equals your primary insurance amount (PIA) before early-claim reductions or delayed-retirement increases. The Social Security Administration sets FRA by year of birth. It is not the same as Medicare eligibility age (usually 65) and not the same as the earliest claiming age (62).
Two birthday rules matter:
- If you were born on January 1, SSA uses the previous year’s FRA row.
- If you were born on the 1st of any month, SSA generally treats your birthday as falling in the previous month for benefit-timing purposes. You must also be at least 62 for the entire month to receive retirement benefits for that month.
Social Security Full Retirement Age Chart by Birth Year
Here is the official SSA full retirement age schedule still in effect for 2026 claimants:
| Year of birth | Full retirement age |
|---|---|
| 1937 and earlier | 65 |
| 1938 | 65 and 2 months |
| 1939 | 65 and 4 months |
| 1940 | 65 and 6 months |
| 1941 | 65 and 8 months |
| 1942 | 65 and 10 months |
| 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 and later | 67 |
Most people claiming for the first time in 2026 fall in the 1958–1964 birth range, which means an FRA of 66 and 8 months to 67. If Congress later raises FRA further, that would be a future-law change — it is not the current schedule above. For context on reform talk, see our related piece on proposals to raise the Social Security retirement age.
How Your Benefit Is Calculated (PIA Basics)
SSA does not simply take your last paycheck and turn it into a benefit. In plain English:
- SSA looks at your lifetime earnings record and indexes older wages to national wage growth.
- It averages your highest years (up to 35) into Average Indexed Monthly Earnings (AIME).
- It runs AIME through a progressive formula with annual “bend points” to get your PIA.
- Then it adjusts the PIA for early claiming, delayed claiming, COLAs, and family benefits.
For workers first becoming eligible in 2026, SSA’s PIA bend points are $1,286 and $7,749. Those dollar cutoffs change with the national average wage index; the percentage brackets in the formula stay fixed by law.
You generally need enough work credits to be insured. In 2026, one Social Security credit requires $1,890 in covered earnings, and you can earn up to four credits per year. Most people need 40 credits (about 10 years of work) for a retirement benefit.
The 2026 Social Security contribution and benefit base — the maximum annual earnings subject to Social Security tax and counted for benefits — is $184,500.
Claiming at 62: How Much Does Early Social Security Reduce Benefits?
You can start retirement benefits as early as age 62, but every month before FRA reduces the check. SSA’s published chart uses a $1,000 full benefit example so the percentage math is easy to compare.
If your full retirement age is 67 (born 1960 or later) and you claim at 62:
- There are 60 months of early claiming.
- Your own worker benefit is reduced by about 30% (a $1,000 FRA benefit becomes about $700).
- A spouse benefit based on your record is reduced even more in percentage terms after the automatic 50% spouse formula — about 35% at 62 in SSA’s $500 spouse example ($325).
If your FRA is still in the 66-and-some-months band, the age-62 cut is a little smaller than 30%, but it is still permanent for as long as you receive that benefit on that claiming decision.
| Year of birth | FRA | Months early at 62 | Age-62 benefit if FRA benefit = $1,000 | Approx. reduction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1943–1954 | 66 | 48 | $750 | 25.00% |
| 1955 | 66 and 2 months | 50 | $741 | 25.83% |
| 1956 | 66 and 4 months | 52 | $733 | 26.67% |
| 1957 | 66 and 6 months | 54 | $725 | 27.50% |
| 1958 | 66 and 8 months | 56 | $716 | 28.33% |
| 1959 | 66 and 10 months | 58 | $708 | 29.17% |
| 1960 and later | 67 | 60 | $700 | 30.00% |
Important nuance: retiring from work at 62 and claiming Social Security at 62 are different decisions. You can leave a job and bridge expenses from savings, a pension, or part-time work without locking in the early-claim reduction. For the broader lifestyle tradeoffs, see pros and cons of early retirement and what happens if you retire at 62 but hoped for a full benefit at 67.
Delaying Past Full Retirement Age: Credits to Age 70
If you wait past FRA, SSA adds delayed retirement credits. For anyone born in 1943 or later — which is essentially everyone still deciding now — the rate is:
- 8% per year, or
- 2/3 of 1% per month (about 0.67% per month)
Credits stop at age 70. There is no extra bump for waiting longer than 70.
Example if your FRA is 67 and your PIA is $1,000:
- Claim at 67: about $1,000/month (before COLAs after entitlement).
- Claim at 70: about $1,240/month (three full years × 8% = +24%).
- Claim at 62: about $700/month (−30%).
That is a large monthly gap — but early claimers receive checks for more years. Longevity, marital benefits, and whether you need the cash now all matter. SSA also notes that if you start benefits after FRA but before 70, some delayed credits may not fully appear until the January after you begin benefits; their online calculators can show the fully credited estimate.
If you delay Social Security past 65, still handle Medicare on time. Waiting on Social Security does not automatically protect you from Medicare late-enrollment problems in every situation.
2026 COLA and What It Means for Your Check
Social Security’s latest cost-of-living adjustment is 2.8%. That increase applies to Social Security benefits beginning with the December 2025 benefit, which is payable in January 2026. Federal SSI payment levels also rose 2.8% for January 2026 payments.
COLA is calculated from the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). It preserves purchasing power after you are on benefits; it is not a substitute for delayed-retirement credits, and it does not undo an early-claim reduction percentage.
If you are still only estimating future benefits, remember that future COLAs are unknown. Use SSA’s estimators for planning ranges, then revisit annually. Our older Social Security COLA overview covers the concept; the live figure for benefits paid in early 2026 is the 2.8% adjustment above.
Working While Collecting: 2026 Earnings Test Limits
You can work and receive Social Security at the same time. Whether SSA withholds part of your benefit depends on your age and earnings.
- If you are under FRA for the entire year, SSA deducts $1 in benefits for every $2 earned above the annual limit. For 2026, that lower exempt amount is $24,480.
- In the year you reach FRA, SSA deducts $1 for every $3 above a higher limit, counting only earnings in months before you hit FRA. For 2026, that higher exempt amount is $65,160.
- Starting with the month you reach FRA, the earnings test no longer reduces your benefits no matter how much you earn.
SSA counts wages and net self-employment earnings (including bonuses, commissions, and vacation pay). It does not count pensions, annuities, investment income, interest, VA benefits, or many other retirement payments when applying the earnings test.
Withheld benefits are not simply “lost forever” in the long run. After you reach FRA, SSA can recalculate to credit months that were withheld because of excess earnings. Still, the cash-flow hit before FRA is real, so high earners often wait to claim until FRA if they plan to keep a big paycheck.
When Should You Take Social Security? A Practical Framework
There is no universal best age. Use a decision framework instead of internet absolutes:
Reasons people claim earlier
- They need the income now and lack other bridge resources.
- Health or family longevity suggests a shorter claiming window.
- They want to reduce portfolio withdrawals during a weak market.
- They are coordinating with a spouse’s higher benefit and survivor plan (this needs case-by-case math).
Reasons people wait until FRA or 70
- They can cover spending without the benefit and want a higher guaranteed floor later.
- They are still working above the earnings-test limits.
- They are the higher earner and want a larger survivor benefit for a spouse.
- They expect a long retirement and value longevity insurance.
A balanced way to decide: estimate monthly benefits at 62, FRA, and 70 from your SSA account; stress-test cash flow if one spouse dies; check health coverage before Medicare; and only then pick a date. For more decision factors, see when to take Social Security and our broader retirement income guide.
Taxes on Social Security Benefits
Some people owe federal income tax on part of their Social Security benefits. Under current SSA/IRS combined-income thresholds long used by SSA educational materials:
- Individuals may face tax on benefits if combined income exceeds $25,000.
- Joint filers may face tax on benefits if combined income exceeds $32,000.
“Combined income” is generally your adjusted gross income + nontaxable interest + half of your Social Security benefits. Depending on income, up to 50% or 85% of benefits can become taxable at the federal level. State tax treatment varies — some states exclude Social Security entirely.
If you expect a tax bill, you can ask SSA to withhold federal tax from your monthly payment (common voluntary withholding rates include 7%, 10%, 12%, or 22%) or make estimated payments to the IRS. This is one reason a “gross” benefit estimate can overstate spendable income.
Spouses, Survivors, and Why Claiming Age Still Matters
Your claiming age can affect more than your own check:
- A spouse benefit is generally based on the worker’s benefit level and can be reduced for early claiming by the spouse.
- Survivor benefits are often tied to the deceased worker’s benefit amount, so a higher earner who delays can leave a larger survivor benefit.
- Divorced-spouse benefits may be available if the marriage lasted at least 10 years and other SSA rules are met.
Married couples should not optimize one birthday in isolation. Run both records. If one spouse has a much higher earnings history, protecting that survivor amount is often a bigger deal than squeezing an extra year of the lower check.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in 2026
- Assuming full retirement age is still 65. For anyone born 1960+, FRA is 67.
- Confusing Medicare age with claiming age. Medicare planning often starts at 65 even if you delay Social Security.
- Ignoring the earnings test. A big paycheck before FRA can withhold benefits you were counting on for monthly bills.
- Forgetting COLA is not a claiming strategy. COLA adjusts benefits for inflation; delayed credits permanently raise the base before future COLAs stack on top.
- Using old blog numbers. Earnings limits, taxable maximums, and credit amounts change almost every year.
- Falling for “file now, get a bonus” scams. Official business happens through SSA.gov or SSA phone/office channels — see our guide to retirement scams.
How to Check Your Own Numbers
Before you pick a month to claim:
- Create or sign in to your my Social Security account.
- Review your earnings record for missing years.
- Compare estimated benefits at 62, FRA, and 70.
- Use SSA’s retirement and earnings-test calculators if you will keep working.
- If you live abroad part-time or full-time, confirm payment and tax rules — start with our expat tax considerations overview and SSA’s international materials.
When you are ready, you can apply online, by phone, or with an appointment. Apply a few months before you want benefits to start so processing does not leave a gap.
FAQ: Social Security Full Retirement Age in 2026
What is my Social Security full retirement age if I was born in 1960 or later?
67. That is the current-law FRA for birth year 1960 and every year after.
Can I get full benefits at 65?
Not if your FRA is 66–67. Age 65 is still central for Medicare for many people, but it is no longer full retirement age for most current claimants.
If I claim at 62, do my benefits jump back up at 67?
No. An early worker’s retirement benefit stays reduced. You do get COLAs, and SSA may adjust for later high earnings or certain withheld months, but you do not automatically reset to an unreduced FRA amount just by turning 67. Details: If I retire at 62, will I receive full benefits at 67?
Is it always better to wait until 70?
No. Waiting maximizes the monthly check and can help a surviving spouse, but it is a poor fit if you need income now, have shorter life expectancy, or would drain higher-cost debt or essential expenses to delay.
What is the Social Security COLA for benefits paid in 2026?
2.8%. It applies beginning with December 2025 benefits, payable in January 2026.
How much can I earn in 2026 before Social Security withholds benefits?
If you are under FRA all year: $24,480 before the $1-for-$2 withholding. In the year you reach FRA: $65,160 before the $1-for-$3 withholding on pre-FRA months. From the month you hit FRA onward, earnings no longer reduce retirement benefits.
Do investment dividends count against the earnings test?
No. SSA’s earnings test focuses on wages and self-employment income, not pensions, annuities, investment income, or interest.
Where can I verify these rules?
Primary sources: SSA’s pages on normal retirement age, early benefit reduction, delayed retirement credits, latest COLA, and automatic determinations (earnings limits, taxable maximum, credit amounts).
Bottom Line
In 2026, full retirement age is still the pivot point of Social Security claiming math: 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later, and 66-plus-months for the late-1950s birth years. Claiming at 62 can cut a worker benefit by as much as about 30%. Waiting from FRA to 70 can raise it by up to 24% through delayed credits. Layer on the 2.8% COLA for benefits paid in early 2026, the updated earnings-test limits, and your household’s cash needs, and you can make a calmer, numbers-first decision instead of guessing from outdated rules of thumb.
Next step: pull your personalized estimates from SSA, then decide whether 62, FRA, or sometime between FRA and 70 actually funds the retirement you want.
