Social Security Retirement Age Increase

Dear Dr. Dave and Dr. Dee,

Coworkers are complaining about the increase in retirement age. I understand that it went from 65 to 67. What does this mean?

Signed,

Insecure about social security

Dear Insecure about social security,

The age at which full social security benefits could be received depends on when a person was born. Age 65 still applies for people born before 1938.

However, people born in 1938 and after will have a gradual age increase until the full retirement age reaches 67. For example, those born in 1938, the full retirement age increases from 65 years to 65 years and 2 months; those born in 1950, the age increase is from 65 to 66 years.

The age at which a person can receive start receiving Social Security retirement benefits is still 62. But, the benefits are reduced for each month a person receives benefits before full retirement age. The reduction amount also depends on the year born. For example, if you were born between in 1960 or later and wish to receive retirement benefits at age 62, then your benefits will be reduced by 30%; at age 63 the reduction is 25%; age 64 has a reduction of 20%; age 65 the reduction is 13.3%; and age 66 has a reduction of 6.7%.

Full Retirement Age Chart (www.ssa.gov)

The Social Security Administration website (www.ssa.gov) calculates full retirement age or normal retirement age as follows:

Born 1937 or earlier, full retirement age 65

Born 1938, full retirement age 65 and 2 months

Born 1939, full retirement age 65 and 4 months

Born 1940, full retirement age 65 and 6 months

Born 1941, full retirement age 65 and 8 months

Born 1942, full retirement age 65 and 10 months

Born 1943-1954, full retirement age 66

Born 1955, full retirement age 66 and 2 months

Born 1956, full retirement age 66 and 4 months

Born 1957, full retirement age 66 and 6 months

Born 1958, full retirement age 66 and 8 months

Born 1959, full retirement age 66 and 10 months

Born 1960 and later, full retirement age 67

See the Social Security Administration webpage for updated information at www.ssa.gov

The AARP (Association for Retired Persons), an advocacy group for senior citizens in the United States, also has updated information about social security issues. For more information, see www.aarp.org