Goodbye to Retirement at 67: The core message: the timeline for full Social Security benefits is shifting, with the Full Retirement Age (FRA) entering a new phase that starts at 66 years and 10 months in 2025—nudging plans and payouts for millions who expected a simpler “retire at 67” rule of thumb. The change may sound small, but it alters the math on when to file and how much you actually receive, especially if you’re still earning income while claiming. Here’s what’s changing, why it matters, and how to plan around it.
What’s changing
Starting in 2025, the FRA moves to 66 years and 10 months, a two‑month increase that affects when you can claim full benefits without a reduction. This subtle shift matters because claiming even a few months early reduces monthly checks for life, while delaying past FRA unlocks higher payments through delayed retirement credits. The update reframes the long-assumed “67” milestone and forces a closer look at timing, work, and payout strategy.
Why it matters
- Filing early gets more expensive: With the FRA moving later, taking benefits before that new age widens the reduction gap, trimming monthly checks compared with waiting. Over a long retirement, that adds up to a meaningful lifetime difference in total benefits.
- Delaying can still pay: If you can wait past FRA, delayed retirement credits continue to boost your monthly amount, making the later start potentially more lucrative for those with longer life expectancy or strong savings.
Key ages and timing
- New FRA in 2025: 66 years and 10 months. This applies to those hitting the relevant birth‑year brackets tied to the 2025 schedule. It’s a modest calendar shift that nonetheless resets filing assumptions.
- Longstanding benchmark: For many born in 1960 or later, the commonly cited FRA remains 67; the 2025 change underscores that practical filing ages depend on exact birth dates and program adjustments. Cross‑checking your specific FRA remains essential.
Working while claiming
If you work and claim before FRA, earnings tests can withhold part of your benefit; once you reach FRA, the rules ease. The site’s related coverage emphasizes that these thresholds and penalties change at FRA, reinforcing how even a two‑month shift can alter withholdings and the break‑even math for part‑time or full‑time earners. Planning around the earnings test is crucial if you intend to draw benefits while staying in the workforce.
How to decide when to file
- Know your exact FRA: Small calendar changes can have outsized effects on reductions, earnings tests, and delayed credits. Verify your FRA before choosing a filing month.
- Run the early vs. delay trade‑off: Filing a few months early may seem harmless, but permanent reductions stack up; delaying can increase the monthly payout for life. The “right” answer depends on health, savings, and income needs.
- If working, model withholding: Crossing earnings limits before FRA can temporarily reduce benefits, then adjust at FRA; the later FRA pushes that relief point slightly further out.
The bottom line
The headline isn’t hype: nudging the FRA to 66 years and 10 months in 2025 changes the filing landscape, especially for those cutting it close on dates or planning to work while claiming. The safest move now is to anchor your plan to your exact FRA, weigh the lifetime value of waiting, and watch how the earnings test interacts with your work plans as the calendar turns.