Craig was born in 1961 according to the Social Security Act what is Craigs full retirement age

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What is the Social Security Retirement Age?

Social Security’s full-benefit retirement age is increasing gradually because of legislation passed by Congress in 1983. Traditionally, the full benefit age was 65, and early retirement benefits were first available at age 62, with a permanent reduction to 80 percent of the full benefit amount. Currently, the full benefit age is 66 years and 2 months for people born in 1955, and it will gradually rise to 67 for those born in 1960 or later. Early retirement benefits will continue to be available at age 62, but they will be reduced more. When the full-benefit age reaches 67, benefits taken at age 62 will be reduced to 70 percent of the full benefit and benefits first taken at age 65 will be reduced to 86.7 percent of the full benefit.

There is a financial bonus for delayed retirement. An individual reaching the full-benefit age in 2017 (66 years and 2 months old) receives a monthly benefit that is 8 percent higher for each year he or she delays collecting benefits until the latest claiming age of 70, at which point benefits are 132% of what they would have been at the normal retirement age. (When the full benefit age reaches 67, benefits claimed at age 70 will be 24 percent higher because of that delay.) The maximum retirement benefit in 2017 for someone who waits until age 70 to collect benefits is $3,538 a month.

For more information, see:

  • Social Security Benefits, Finances, and Policy Options: A Primer
  • Toolkit: When to Take Social Security: It Pays to Wait
  • INFOGRAPHIC: Can You Wait to Receive Social Security Benefits?
  • When to Take Social Security: Questions to Consider, Social Security Brief No. 31
  • Economic Status of the Elderly in the United States
  • Strengthening Social Security for Workers in Physically Demanding Occupations
  • Social Security and Retirement Income Adequacy, Social Security Brief No. 25
  • Increasing the Early Retirement Age under Social Security: Health, Work, and Financial Resources, Health and Income Security for an Aging Workforce Brief No. 7

Read what some Academy members think:*

  • Tatsuko Go Hollo: Delaying Retirement: Should Average Life Expectancy Determine Retirement Age?” (2013)
  • Thomas N. Bethell: “World’s best investment? Delaying Social Security” (2012)
  • Anna Rappaport: “Understanding Mortality Improvement” (2011)
  • Eric Kingson:  “Social Security and the Vanishing 401(k)” (2008)

* The views of Academy members are their own and not an official position of the National Academy of Social Insurance or its funders.

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What is my Social Security full retirement age?

The full retirement age is 66 if you were born from 1943 to 1954. The full retirement age increases gradually if you were born from 1955 to 1960, until it reaches 67. For anyone born 1960 or later, full retirement benefits are payable at age 67.

Can I retire at 62 if I was born in 1961?

If you were born between 1960 your full retirement age is 67 (En español) You can start your Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62, but the benefit amount you receive will be less than your full retirement benefit amount.

What is my full retirement age if I was born in 1962?

Full Retirement Age for Survivors Born In 1962 or Later: 67 (En español)

How do I calculate my retirement age?

Full retirement age is the age at which you have access to your full Social Security benefits. Your life's earnings determine this amount. If you were born between 1943 and 1954, for example, your FRA is 66. The full retirement age in the U.S. for those born in or after 1960 is 67.