Jan 3, 2026
Many people wonder what the “perfect” age is to claim Social Security retirement benefits.
Truthfully, the answer is different for everyone. It depends largely on a person’s financial needs, savings and health status. But one thing that applies to all retirees is the timing of your filing can significantly affect your income.
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With that in mind, here are some ages when it’s common to apply for benefits, but you should probably avoid them if you don’t want to permanently trim your benefit check.
62
The age of eligibility is also one of the most popular ages to claim benefits. According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, 29% of retirees claimed benefits at 62 in 2022. (1)
Claiming as early as possible gives you more time to enjoy a steady and fixed monthly source of income. However, that income is guaranteed to be smaller. If you start receiving Social Security once you turn 62, your monthly benefits will be 30% lower than if you wait until the full retirement age (FRA) of 67.
A 30% reduction in monthly income is highly consequential in retirement. Early claims expose individuals to higher longevity risk, or, in other words, less lifetime benefits if you live longer. It can also have a tangible impact on your survivor benefits for your spouse and dependent children.
These factors make 62 potentially the least beneficial age to claim Social Security.
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65 to 67
In the minds of many, 65 seems like a good age to stop working. But if you’re only a year or two away from your FRA, it may be worth waiting to claim Social Security.
The reductions for claiming early are smaller the closer you are to FRA, but even waiting just a short time can result in a noticeably higher monthly benefit. And if you’re able to delay taking benefits past FRA, you can permanently boost your monthly payout by 8% per year until age 70.
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Simply put, if you’re close to FRA, delaying by a couple of years can be a financially beneficial strategy.
Timing is highly subjective
There are more things to consider than the financial aspect when it comes to applying for retirement benefits. For instance, if you suffer from a chronic health condition that may impact your life expectancy, claiming benefits earlier could allow you to better enjoy your payout. In this case, it makes financial sense to claim.
Besides health, your personal circumstances could also warrant an early claim. For example, if you’re laid off from work just a few years before your planned retirement, you could face a sudden need for stable cash flow.
Alternatively, applying for Social Security as soon as you can may be a way to retire early and enjoy travelling and certain activities that get harder to do as you age.
This is why, despite all the math involved, your decision about when to start claiming benefits from a system you’ve contributed to for your whole career is highly personal and subjective.
Article sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.
Bipartisan Policy Center (1)
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Vishesh Raisinghani is a financial journalist covering personal finance, investing and the global economy. He's also the founder of Sharpe Ascension Inc., a content marketing agency focused on investment firms. His work has appeared in Moneywise, Yahoo Finance!, Motley Fool, Seeking Alpha, Mergers & Acquisitions Magazine and Piggybank.
