I will be 66 (my retirement age) Dec 2 2018. Does this mean I will not be able to collect until Jan. 2019?

Hi,

If you want to receive your full retirement age rate you can file effective with December 2018, which would be the payment that Social Security normally issues in January 2019. Before filing, however, you should strongly consider using the maximization software available on this website in order to explore your filing options and determine your best strategy.

Best, Jerry