If you are eligible to receive Social Security benefits, you can begin collecting reduced benefits as early as age sixty-two.  As you can see from the chart below, however, most people (all 78 million baby boomers included), will need to be on the downhill slide to seventy before becoming eligible for full benefits.

 

Year of BirthFull Retirement Age
1937 or earlier65
193865 and 2 months
193965 and 4 months
194065 and 6 months
194165 and 8 months
194265 and 10 months
1943-195466
195566 and 2 months
195666 and 4 months
195766 and 6 months
195866 and 8 months
195966 and 10 months
1960 or later67
*Source: Social Security Administration
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