Social Security just changed for anyone born before 1967. What you must know (even if you think it doesn’t apply to you)

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If you were born anytime before 1967, you'll probably be over the age of 60 by the end of this year. This might not seem like a major milestone, but for the Social Security Administration, it certainly is.

For decades, the SSA has been gradually changing the full retirement age (FRA) for calculating benefits based on your birth year. In 2026, this process is set to be completed, which could impact the way you time your claim.

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Here's a closer look at how this subtle change could cost you money, even if you think it doesn't apply to you.

In an effort to shore up the Social Security system's underlying finances, Congress enacted a law in 1983 (1) to gradually raise the full retirement age. Until then, the FRA was 65 years old. Since 2021, the FRA has been rising two months every year, per CBS (2). The final step in this process concludes in 2026, which is when FRA fully moves to 67 years.

How this impacts you depends on your age: If you were born in 1960, you would reach full retirement age at 67 in 2027. If you were born earlier, this doesn't impact you. But if you were born after 1960, this could change the calculations you need to apply to get either reduced or enhanced benefits in retirement.

This also impacts those who have already claimed benefits but are still working before FRA. The SSA applies a retirement earnings test (3) every year to determine if some of your benefits need to be withheld due to the size of your income. This calculation, again, hinges on FRA so the move could expose you to a little extra benefits withheld.

If all this sounds confusing and convoluted, you're not alone.

Only 21% of seniors surveyed by Nationwide (4) in 2025 were able to correctly identify their FRA. When asked about all the factors that determine their maximum benefit in retirement, only 8% answered all five correctly. Simply put, there's a wide knowledge gap and an easy way to fix it.