Full retirement age (FRA)
Also called: Normal retirement age, FRA
The age when you can claim your full Social Security benefit — 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later. Claiming earlier or later changes the amount.
You can claim Social Security as early as 62, but your benefit is permanently reduced — by 30% if your full retirement age is 67. Waiting past full retirement age earns delayed retirement credits of 8% a year until 70.
Your benefit at full retirement age is called your primary insurance amount (PIA). It's based on your highest 35 years of earnings, indexed for wage growth, run through a formula that replaces 90% of your first dollars of average earnings and a smaller share of higher earnings. The maximum benefit at full retirement age in 2026 is $4,152 a month.
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Disclaimer: Definitions are general education, not financial, tax, or legal advice. Figures are for the 2026 tax year unless noted.