As we drift through this adventure that we call life, there are a number of birthdays that stick out. There's the honor of being able to drive when you turn 16. The respect of becoming an adult at 18. The ability to enjoy a glass of wine with dinner when you reach 21. 
As you grow older, the excitement seems to wane a bit, but there is still something to celebrate when a person has reached 65 years old. While some things have changed, one thing that has remained constant is that age-old question ... what now? To help you figure it out, let's look at some things you'll be able to enjoy.
Hello, Special Treats
Everyone loves to save money, and for seniors, the discounts have always been plentiful. You can buy movie tickets for less. Enjoy an Early Bird special at the diner down the street. And take advantage of tax benefits, which we'll discuss below. Now that you've reached 65, a whole slew of similar discounts and specials will be available. Keep in mind, however, that many discounts are now available even earlier, so you don't have to wait for all of them.
Hello, Medicare
Millions of Americans are taking advantage of the Medicare program. Designed to assist seniors and disabled persons with their medical bills and needs, Medicare can be a great asset. For this, you don't have to wait until you're 65. Instead, you can apply for benefits three months prior, and once they're activated, you can enjoy the full benefits on the first day of the month in which you were born. If you forget to enroll right away, you will have three months following your 65th birthday to enroll without any penalties. And if you have health benefits through an employer, you can stay with that insurance until such time that you need to switch. In fact, you are given eight months to apply once you've lost other medical coverage.
Hello, Bonus Payments
This little bonus will only count if you haven't applied for Social Security yet. Although you can legally apply when you hit 62, you'll probably be better off if you wait. That's because retiring before your full retirement age (which, for a Baby Boomer like yourself will be either 66 or 67 years old) will cause a decrease in your benefit amounts. On the flip side, if you delay your application, your will receive bonus payments. All the way up until the age of 70. Which means that putting off your retirement can be quite beneficial.
Hello, Tax Deductions
Once you've hit the age of 65, you will be able to enjoy additional tax deductions, depending on how you file and your current marital status. For example, if you are unmarried and do not itemize, you will see your standard deduction raise from $5700 to $7100. If you are married and only one of you are over 65, the normal $11,400 deduction will now be $12,500. If you are married and you're both at least 65, you can expect your standard deduction to raise all the way up to $13,600.
But that's not all. Depending on the state in which you reside, you may be eligible for a property tax break. A total of 45 states, in addition to the District of Columbia, are currently offering a break of some kind. This break may vary from state to state, but your tax assessor's office can provide you with all the details.
Source: http://firstsecurityfinancialshow.com/blog/bid/160897/I-m-65-Now-What
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