When Are You Eligible For Social Security?
The eligibility depends on the year you were born.
- Born before 1938? Your full, or “normal,” retirement age is 65.
- Born between 1938 and 1942? The age ranges from 65 and 2 months to 65 and 10 months.
- Born between 1943 and 1954? It’s 66.
- Born between 1955 and 1960? It ranges from 66 and 2 months to 66 and 10 months.
- Born in 1960 or later? It’s 67.
Of course, you can choose to get Social Security as early as age 62, but your monthly benefits will be reduced for good. For instance, if you receive benefits at 62 and your full retirement age is actually 66, your Social Security benefits will be reduced by 28.3 percent and that’s a lot.
On the other hand, if you decide to postpone taking benefits past your full retirement age, you will actually have with a higher benefit—up to age 70, when benefits max out, and there is no further incentive to delay.
