Your Full Retirement Age by Birth Year — And Why 1 Month Matters

Born in December 1959? Your Full Retirement Age is 66 and 10 months. Born one month later, in January 1960? It is 67. One month of birth becomes two months of Full Retirement Age — a deeper cut if you claim at 62 (70.8% vs 70% of your benefit) and a smaller bonus if you wait to 70 (125.3% vs 124%). This video puts the complete FRA table by birth year on one screen (1943–1954: 66 → 75% at 62 / 132% at 70; 1955: 66+2 months; 1956: 66+4; 1957: 66+6; 1958: 66+8; 1959: 66+10; 1960 or later: 67 → 70% / 124%), explains the official reduction formula (5/9 of 1% per month for the first 36 months early, 5/12 of 1% per month after that), works the Frank & Susan example in dollars on a $2,000 benefit, and ends with a 4-step checklist to find your own exact FRA and benefit estimates on ssa.gov. 📊 Chapters 0:00 Born 1 month apart — two different finish lines 0:40 The short answer: the FRA staircase, 66 to 67 1:27 First, your 100% number: what PIA means 2:02 The full table: Full Retirement Age by birth year (% at 62 and at 70) 3:23 Why the % falls: the 5/9 and 5/12 reduction formula 4:29 Waiting past FRA: the delayed credit (+8%/yr to 70) 5:18 Frank (Dec 1959) & Susan (Jan 1960): one household, two rulebooks 6:01 Frank & Susan in dollars: $1,416 vs $1,400 at 62 — $2,506 vs $2,480 at 70 7:00 Why 1 month of birth = 2 months of FRA 7:53 The honest notes: FRA is not a must-claim age, and it is not Medicare's 65 8:50 Your checklist: find your exact FRA and benefit on ssa.gov 9:42 The whole table on one screen (+ what's next) 🔗 Official sources - Social Security Administration — Full Retirement Age by birth year: https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/agereduction.html - Social Security Administration — Retirement Age and Benefit Reduction: https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/agereduction.html - Social Security Administration — Delayed Retirement Credits: https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/credits.html - my Social Security account (your own estimates at 62, FRA and 70): https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/ Retirement Check Explained breaks down Social Security and Medicare in plain English — new videos every Tuesday and Thursday. ⚠️ Education only — not financial advice. Frank and Susan are an illustrative example using a $2,000/month primary insurance amount (PIA) each. Percentages are as published by the SSA, rounded to one decimal place. Your benefit depends on your own earnings record, birth date, and claiming month — confirm your personal numbers at ssa.gov.