The full retirement age for Social Security – the age in which you get 100% of the program's benefits – has risen over recent years.

The full retirement age to collect full Social Security benefits changed in 2025. Starting this year, U.S. citizens born in 1960 will have to retire at 67 years old instead of 65 in order to receive 100% of benefits.

Very few people will qualify for the maximum Social Security benefit. According to the Social Security Administration, only around 6% of people earn over the wage base limit in a given year. That leaves a ton of people who will never qualify for the maximum benefit.