Social Security FRA changed from 66 years 8 months to 66 years 10 months for July 1958 birthday?
I'm getting close to retirement and trying to plan my SS benefits. I was under the impression that my Full Retirement Age (FRA) would be 66 years and 8 months since I was born in July 1958. But yesterday my neighbor (born 1956) said something about the SSA changing some of the FRA calculations recently, and now I'm worried mine shifted to 66 years and 10 months? I can't find a straight answer on the SSA website, and when I try to call, I just get the automated system. Does anyone know if the FRA for 1958 birthdays actually changed? I had March 2025 marked on my calendar as my FRA date but now I'm confused.
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StarStrider
No, your FRA hasn't changed. For people born in 1958, the FRA is still 66 years and 8 months. The gradual increase in FRA follows a schedule set by law that hasn't been modified recently. Here's the breakdown: 1955: 66 years, 2 months 1956: 66 years, 4 months 1957: 66 years, 6 months 1958: 66 years, 8 months 1959: 66 years, 10 months 1960 and later: 67 years Your neighbor probably confused you with the 1959 birth year FRA, which is indeed 66 years and 10 months. Your March 2025 date is correct based on a July 1958 birth date.
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Zara Ahmed
•That's such a relief, thank you! I've been stressing about this for the past week. So I can still stick with my original retirement planning timeline. Much appreciated!
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Luca Esposito
Your FRA is definitely 66+8 if born in July 1958. Your neighbor is probably confused. The SSA hasn't changed these rules in years. I made the same mistake when planning - thought mine was 66+6 but it was actually 66+8. Almost cost me $$$!
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Nia Thompson
•This is why it's so important to double-check everything with Social Security! They never notify you about these age differences. My sister waited until what she thought was her FRA but was actually 2 months shy, and it permanently reduced her benefits. Even Social Security representatives sometimes give incorrect information. I always recommend getting any advice in writing and from multiple sources.
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Mateo Rodriguez
Hav u tried checking your my social security account online? it should show ur exact FRA date there. That's how i found mine. way easier than calling them
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Zara Ahmed
•I created an account last year but forgot my password, and now for some reason it won't let me reset it. Says my information doesn't match their records, which is strange because nothing has changed. I'll keep trying though.
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Aisha Abdullah
If you're struggling to reach someone at Social Security to confirm your FRA or fix your online account, I'd recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com). It helped me get through to an actual SSA agent in about 20 minutes instead of waiting for hours or getting disconnected. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU I was in a similar situation where I needed to confirm my benefit calculation before making retirement decisions, and the online calculator wasn't matching what I expected. Getting a real person on the phone made all the difference.
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Zara Ahmed
•Thanks for the suggestion! I've never heard of this service, but at this point I'm desperate enough to try anything. The waiting and disconnecting is so frustrating. I'll check out that video.
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Mateo Rodriguez
•does that actually work?? i tried calling SS like 5 times last month and gave up
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Ethan Wilson
I'm a retired financial advisor who specialized in Social Security planning, and I can definitively state that your Full Retirement Age is 66 years and 8 months if you were born in July 1958. This has not changed. A common source of confusion is that FRA increases by 2 months for each birth year from 1955 to 1960, so: 1957 → 66y6m 1958 → 66y8m (your FRA) 1959 → 66y10m (what your neighbor might have confused you with) To calculate your exact FRA date: Take your birth month (July 1958), add 66 years (July 2024), then add 8 months (March 2025). So March 2025 is indeed your correct FRA. I recommend confirming this through your my Social Security account, which will show your exact FRA date and projected benefit amounts at different claiming ages.
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Zara Ahmed
•Thank you for such a clear explanation! That makes perfect sense about the 2-month increments. I think my neighbor (who talks really fast) probably said 66 and 10 while referring to someone else, and I misunderstood. This thread has been so helpful.
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NeonNova
THE SSA KEEPS CHANGING EVERYTHING!!! I wouldn't be surprised if they changed your FRA and didn't tell anyone. They increased my Medicare premium THREE TIMES without any notice. The whole system is designed to confuse us seniors!!
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Ethan Wilson
•To clarify, the Full Retirement Age schedule was established by the 1983 Social Security amendments and hasn't changed since then. What you're experiencing with Medicare premiums is likely related to IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount), which adjusts premiums based on your tax returns from two years prior. This isn't the same as changing the fundamental FRA rules.
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Luca Esposito
My wife is also July 1958 and we just went through this whole thing with planning her retirement. Her FRA is definitely 66+8 months, so March 2025 is right. But remember that Social Security pays a month behind, so her first FULL payment at FRA would be in April 2025 (for March).
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Zara Ahmed
•Oh that's a really good point about the month behind payment! I hadn't factored that into my cash flow planning. Looks like I need to account for that one-month delay. Thanks for mentioning it!
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Nia Thompson
Everyone here is focusing just on your FRA date, but have you considered whether waiting until your FRA is actually the best strategy for you? Depending on your health, family longevity, current savings, and whether you're still working, filing before or after FRA might be better. I initially planned to file at my FRA (66+4mo), but after running the numbers, I decided to wait until 70 for the maximum benefit since I'm still working part-time and don't need the income yet. Just something to think about beyond just confirming your correct FRA date.
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Zara Ahmed
•That's a really good point. I'm actually planning to work until 68, but I wanted to confirm my FRA first as a baseline. My financial advisor suggested I might want to start spousal benefits at FRA while delaying my own benefit until later. It's complicated but knowing the exact FRA date helps with the planning.
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Ethan Wilson
•I should point out that restricted application for spousal benefits only (while delaying your own) is no longer available for people born after January 1, 1954. For someone born in 1958, when you file, you'll be deemed to be filing for all available benefits. This is a common misconception that persists among many financial advisors who haven't kept up with the rule changes from the 2015 Bipartisan Budget Act.
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