Introduction
This Social Security Retirement Age Calculator shows you two things: your Full Retirement Age (FRA) and how much your monthly check changes based on when you claim.
Your FRA depends on the year you were born. For people born in 1960 or later, it is 67. For people born from 1943 to 1959, it falls between 66 and 66 years and 10 months. At your FRA, you get 100% of your benefit.
You can start Social Security as early as age 62, but your check will be smaller for life. If you wait past your FRA, your check grows by 2/3 of 1% each month, which is 8% per year. That growth stops at age 70.
Pick your birth year and month, choose the age you plan to claim, and add your FRA benefit amount from your Social Security Statement at ssa.gov. The calculator returns your adjusted monthly benefit, the math behind it, a table of every claiming age from 62 to 70, and a chart so you can compare your choices side by side.
How to use our Social Security Retirement Age Calculator
Enter your birth date, the age you plan to claim Social Security, and your estimated benefit at Full Retirement Age. The calculator shows your Full Retirement Age, how much your benefit goes up or down, and your adjusted monthly payment.
What year were you born? Pick your birth year from the list. This sets your Full Retirement Age, which is 66 for people born in 1954 or earlier and 67 for people born in 1960 or later.
What month were you born? Choose your birth month. This tells you the exact month and year you reach Full Retirement Age.
At what age do you plan to claim benefits? Pick the years and months. You can start as early as age 62. Waiting past your Full Retirement Age adds credits, but they stop at age 70.
Your estimated monthly benefit at Full Retirement Age. Type the dollar amount from your Social Security Statement at ssa.gov. You can leave this blank if you only want to see percentages.
Fine-tune your claiming age. Drag the slider to change your claiming age one month at a time. Use the arrow keys to move by a month, or Page Up and Page Down to move by a year.
Calculate My Benefits. Click this button to see your results, a step-by-step solution, a table of every claiming age, and a chart of your monthly benefit. Click Reset Calculator to start over.
Social Security Retirement Age: What It Means
Social Security pays a monthly check when you retire. The size of that check depends a lot on when you start it. You can start as early as age 62, or wait as late as age 70. The longer you wait, the bigger each monthly check gets, and that change lasts for life.
Full Retirement Age (FRA)
Your Full Retirement Age is the age when you get 100% of the benefit you earned. It is set by the year you were born. People born in 1960 or later have an FRA of 67. People born in 1954 or earlier have an FRA of 66. Birth years in between land somewhere between those two ages.
| Year of Birth | Full Retirement Age |
|---|---|
| 1943–1954 | 66 years |
| 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 or later | 67 years |
Claiming Early Cuts Your Check
If you start before your FRA, Social Security lowers your monthly payment. The cut is based on how many months early you start:
- The first 36 early months cut your benefit by 5/9 of 1% each month (about 0.556% per month).
- Every month beyond those 36 cuts it by 5/12 of 1% each month (about 0.417% per month).
For someone with an FRA of 67, starting at 62 means a 30% cut that never goes away.
Waiting Past FRA Grows Your Check
If you wait past your FRA, you earn delayed retirement credits. Each month you wait adds 2/3 of 1%, which comes to 8% for a full year. These credits stop at age 70, so there is no reason to wait longer than that. Someone with an FRA of 67 who waits until 70 gets 124% of their full benefit.
How to Pick Your Age
There is no single right answer. Starting early gives you money sooner but smaller checks. Waiting gives you fewer years of checks but larger ones. Think about your health, your job, your savings, and whether a spouse will one day claim a survivor benefit based on your record. If you live a long life, waiting usually pays more in total. If you need income now or have health problems, claiming early can make sense.
Other Things to Know
- Working while claiming early: If you start before FRA and keep working, the earnings test may hold back part of your check. That money is added back later once you reach FRA.
- Medicare is separate: Medicare starts at 65 no matter what your FRA is.
- Your real amount: Your benefit is based on your 35 highest earning years. Check your Social Security Statement at ssa.gov for your own numbers.
- Cost-of-living raises: Benefits get yearly raises for inflation, whether you have started them or not.