There's a reason seniors are told to think carefully before signing up for their Social Security benefits. The age at which you file your claim will have a direct impact on the amount of money Social Security pays you each month. Filing for Social Security at full retirement age (FRA) means you'll avoid any sort of reduction to your monthly benefits. FRA is 67 for people born in 1960 or later, but it varies slightly for earlier birth years—check SSA.gov for your exact age. However, you're allowed to claim S ...