right. 61-62 is not retirement age
You can start at 62. You just recieve less.
Source social security page download
If you live to the average life expectancy for
someone your age, you’ll receive about the same
amount in lifetime benefits. It doesn’t matter if
you choose to start receiving benefits at age 62,
full retirement age, age 70, or any age between.
The amount of your monthly benefit, however,
can differ considerably based on your retirement
age. You can get lower monthly payments for a
longer period of time or higher monthly payments
over a shorter period of time. The amount you
receive when you first get benefits sets the base
for the benefits you’ll get for the rest of your life.
You’ll get annual cost-of-living adjustments and,
depending on your work history, may receive
higher benefits if you continue to work.
The following chart provides an example of
how your monthly benefit can differ based on the
age you decide to start receiving benefits.
Monthly Benefit Amounts Differ Based on the
Age You Decide to Start Receiving Benefits
This example assumes a benefit of
$1,000 at a full retirement age of 66
$750 $800 $866 $933 $1,000 $1,080 $1,160 $1,240 $1,320
62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70
Age You Choose to Start Receiving Benefits
Monthly Benefit Amount
$0
$300
$600
$900
$1,200
$1,500
Let’s say your full retirement age is 66 and your
monthly benefit starting at that age is $1,000. If
you choose to start getting benefits at age 62, we’ll
reduce your monthly benefit 25 percent to $750 to
account for the longer period of time you receive
benefits. This decrease is usually permanent.
If you choose to delay getting benefits until age
70, you would increase your monthly benefit to
$1,320. This increase is from delayed retirement
credits you earn for your decision to postpone
receiving benefits past your full retirement
age. The benefit at age 70 in this example is 32
percent more than you would receive each month
if you had chosen to start getting benefits at full
retirement age.