Full Retirement Age (FRA) is the age at which you are entitled to 100 percent of your primary Social Security benefit. For the 2026 tax year, the FRA is a critical benchmark because it is the point at which the Social Security Administration ceases to apply the “earnings test” and allows you to collect your full benefit regardless of how much you earn from work.

FRA by Year of Birth

Your specific Full Retirement Age is determined entirely by the year you were born.

  • 1959: Your FRA is 66 years and 10 months.
  • 1960 or later: Your FRA is 67. Since the FRA has been gradually increasing since the 1983 Social Security Amendments, 2026 marks a period where most individuals reaching retirement age will have an FRA of exactly 67.

The Financial Impact of Timing

Claiming benefits before or after your FRA results in a permanent adjustment to your monthly payment amount.

  • Early Claiming (Age 62): If your FRA is 67 and you claim at age 62, your monthly benefit is permanently reduced by 30 percent.
  • Delayed Claiming (Age 70): For every year you wait past your FRA (up to age 70), your benefit increases by 8 percent annually through “Delayed Retirement Credits.”
  • Maximum Benefit: In 2026, the maximum possible monthly benefit for someone retiring at FRA is $4,152, while those who waited until age 70 can receive up to $5,181.

The 2026 Earnings Test

Reaching your FRA in 2026 changes how the IRS treats your wages if you are still working.

  • Before FRA: If you are under your FRA for all of 2026, the Social Security Administration will deduct $1 from your benefits for every $2 you earn over $24,480.
  • Year of FRA: In the months leading up to the month you hit your FRA in 2026, the limit is much higher at $65,160, with $1 deducted for every $3 earned over that limit.
  • Month of FRA and Beyond: Starting the month you reach your Full Retirement Age, there is no limit on your earnings, and your benefits will no longer be reduced no matter how much you earn.

Medicare Alignment

It is important to note that while the Social Security Full Retirement Age has moved to 67, the eligibility age for Medicare remains 65. Even if you plan to delay your Social Security benefits until age 67 or 70 to maximize your monthly check, you should generally still sign up for Medicare at age 65 to avoid permanent late-enrollment penalties, unless you have “creditable” coverage through a current employer.

Source: Social Security Administration (SSA), “Benefits Planner: Retirement | Full Retirement Age” and “Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Information for 2026.”