Planning to Claim Social Security at 65? You May Need to Rethink That

For many people, the age of 65 is considered the standard retirement age for a few different reasons, including the fact that Medicare becomes available then. One reason 65 is often thought of as the standard retirement age is that it used to be the full retirement age (FRA), or the age when you could claim your standard Social Security benefit. If you were anticipating retiring at 65 and getting your standard Social Security benefit, you'll probably be surprised to discover your full retirement age is actually later.