The Full Retirement Age (FRA) for Social Security is no longer 65 years old in the United States. It used to be in the past, but it has been gradually increasing to make the funding sustainable over time because people live longer than when the SSA was funded back in 1935, and the first payments were distributed in 1942. So, the Agency has had to adapt its requirements over time to match the needs of each epoch.
Even if 67 will soon be the normal Age to retire for those workers who were born in 1960 or later, it is not the full retirement age for workers who reach normal retirement age in 2025. As a matter of fact, it is less than that. Hence, it is really important to have been born in a specific year or month to reach the age to retire and get 100% of your benefits.
Current full retirement age in 2025 in the U.S.
If you would like to know if you will reach the normal retirement age in 2025, all you have to do is use a Social Security online tool. It will show you the exact age you must file for benefits to collect 100%.
Nevertheless, it is 66 years and 8 months old through September 1, 2025. If you were born a little later, the moment you get 100% of your Social Security benefits will be at 66 years and 10 months old.
This age will be the FRA from November 2, 2025 and through November 1, 2026. Thus, it will not be until 2027 when the first workers born in 1960 or later will have their FRA at 67.
If you still want to check when the Social Security Administration shows you the age you reach FRA, you can do two simple things. Both are free and they can be done online.
Social Security online tools and resources
The SSA Age Calculator for workers thinking about retiring will allow you to check the exact moment when you can file and collect 100% of your benefits. To find out your FRA you will need to select the year you were born on the following SSA website: https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/ageincrease.html
It would also be interesting to have a close look a the retirement age chart (https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/agereduction.html) to know how much your benefits can be reduced. Needless to say unreduced benefits will be ideal to cope with inflation and soaring prices over time.
A bonus tip would be to use the Social Security Statement to find out when you can file for retirement benefits and how much you can collect by age. It is very easily to obtain a Statement if you have a my Social Security account. Of course, it is free and you will get a better idea of when is the best moment for you to file, depending on your financial situation, retirement savings, and investments.
