# What is my full retirement age?

Finds your Social Security full retirement age from your date of birth, the dates you reach it, 62 and 70, and how much of your full benefit you get at each claiming age.

- Page: https://www.acalculator.org/days/retirement-age-calculator
- JSON spec: https://www.acalculator.org/days/retirement-age-calculator.json
- Version: f9bbf37e9e8d

## Default answer

Example with the default inputs (Date of birth June 15, 1965, Claiming age: years 67, Claiming age: months 0): Born June 15, 1965, your full retirement age is 67, reached on June 14, 2032.

## Inputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| birth | Date of birth | Your date of birth, from 2 January 1943. |
| cy | Claiming age: years | The age at which you plan to start benefits, from 62 to 70. |
| cm | Claiming age: months | Extra months on top of the years, from 0 to 11. |

## Outputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| fra | Full retirement age | Years and months, from the law’s table for your birth date. |
| fraDate | You reach it on | The day you reach full retirement age. |
| earliest | Earliest month to start | The first month you are 62 for the whole month: the earliest month retirement benefits can start. |
| at62 | Share at 62 | Your benefit at 62 as a percent of your full benefit. |
| at70Date | You reach 70 on | The day you reach 70, when delayed credits stop. |
| at70 | Share at 70 | Your benefit at 70 as a percent of your full benefit. |
| claimShare | Share at your claiming age | Your benefit at the claiming age you typed, as a percent of your full benefit. |
| monthsFromFra | Months from full retirement age | Claiming age minus full retirement age, in months; negative is early. |

## Method

Full retirement age from the 20 CFR 404.409 table for your birth date (a 1 January birthday counts as the year before). Dates: the birthday at that age (birth date plus the years and months), then the day before. Share of the full benefit: 100% − 5/9% × the first 36 months early − 5/12% × each month more; or 100% + 2/3% × each month late, to 70.

## Assumptions

- Social Security retirement benefits for workers born on or after 2 January 1943 (delayed credits of 8% a year).
- You reach an age on the day before your birthday (20 CFR 404.102). A birthday that does not exist that year (29 February, or the 31st in a shorter month) counts as the 1st of the next month, so the age is reached on the last day of the month.
- The shares apply to your own retirement benefit; spouse and survivor benefits use other reductions.
- The share at your claiming age is the benefit as a percent of your full benefit (primary insurance amount), before rounding to the dollar.

## Worked examples

1. birth = 1965-06-15, cy = 67, cm = 0 gives fra = 67, fraDate = 2032-06-14, earliest = 2027-07-01, at62 = 70%, at70Date = 2035-06-14, at70 = 124%, claimShare = 100%. Source: 20 CFR 404.409 (born 1960 or later: 67), https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/20/404.409; 20 CFR 404.410 (5/9 of 1% for 36 months, 5/12 of 1% beyond), https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/20/404.410; 20 CFR 404.313 (2/3 of 1% a month to 70), https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/20/404.313.
2. birth = 1959-03-10, cy = 62, cm = 0 gives fra = 66 and 10 months, fraDate = 2026-01-09, earliest = 2021-04-01, at62 = 70.833333%, monthsFromFra = -58. Source: 20 CFR 404.409 (born 1959: 66 and 10 months), https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/20/404.409.
3. birth = 1960-01-01, cy = 70, cm = 0 gives fra = 66 and 10 months, fraDate = 2026-10-31, earliest = 2022-01-01, at70 = 125.333333%. Source: 20 CFR 404.409 (1/2/1959 to 1/1/1960: 66 and 10 months), https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/20/404.409; 20 CFR 404.102 (you reach an age the day before your birthday), https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/20/404.102.
4. birth = 1950-07-02, cy = 64, cm = 6 gives fra = 66, earliest = 2012-07-01, at62 = 75%, claimShare = 90%, at70 = 132%. Source: 20 CFR 404.311 (first month 62 throughout the whole month), https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/20/404.311; 20 CFR 404.410, https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/20/404.410.

## FAQ

### What is my full retirement age?

It depends on your year of birth: 66 for 1943 to 1954; 66 and 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10 months for 1955 to 1959; 67 for 1960 and later. Someone born on 1 January uses the year before.

### Why does a 1 January birthday count as the year before?

Social Security says you reach an age on the day before your birthday. Born 1 January 1960, you reach each age on 31 December, so you are treated like someone born in 1959.

### When can I start Social Security retirement benefits?

At 62 at the earliest, from the first month you are 62 for the whole month. If you were born on the 1st or 2nd of a month, that is your birth month at 62; otherwise it is the next month.

### How much less do I get if I claim at 62?

The benefit falls by 5/9 of 1% for each of the first 36 months before full retirement age and 5/12 of 1% for each month more. With a full retirement age of 67, claiming at 62 (60 months early) pays 70% of the full benefit.

### How much more do I get if I wait until 70?

Each month after full retirement age adds 2/3 of 1%, or 8% a year, until 70 (born 1943 or later). With a full retirement age of 67, waiting to 70 pays 124%. Nothing more is added after 70.

### Does this calculator give my benefit in dollars?

No. It gives the share of your full benefit (your primary insurance amount). Your Social Security statement shows the dollar amount; the Social Security calculator estimates it from your earnings.

## Sources

- 20 CFR 404.409, What is full retirement age? (table of full retirement age by date of birth, Social Security Amendments of 1983). https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/20/404.409 (retrieved 2026-10-01)
- 20 CFR 404.102, How we determine your age (you reach an age the day before your birthday). https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/20/404.102 (retrieved 2026-10-01)
- 20 CFR 404.311, When you are entitled to old-age benefits (the first month you meet all requirements throughout the month). https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/20/404.311 (retrieved 2026-10-01)
- 20 CFR 404.410, How does SSA reduce my benefits when my entitlement begins before full retirement age? (5/9 of 1% for each of the first 36 months, 5/12 of 1% for each month more). https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/20/404.410 (retrieved 2026-10-01)
- 20 CFR 404.313, What are delayed retirement credits? (2/3 of 1% a month for people born after 1 January 1943, to age 70). https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/20/404.313 (retrieved 2026-10-01)