Dear Liz: Is it mandatory to sign up for Medicare at age 65, and how is it paid for? I’m 64, don’t have any assets and I’m not working (I’m living with a friend for free). I’d like to wait until 70 to collect Social Security. Is that possible? Someone just told me that I have to sign up for Medicare, and to pay for it, I have to sign up for Social Security. Is that true?
Answer: No.
You’re not required to get Medicare at 65. You should, however, at least sign up for Medicare Part A. Part A is the portion of Medicare that’s free and covers hospital visits. You sign up for Medicare through Social Security, either online or in a Social Security office, but you don’t have to start your Social Security benefit to do so.
The other parts of Medicare — Part B, which covers doctor’s visits, and Part D, which covers prescription drugs — require paying premiums, but you can pay those without signing up for Social Security. Some people are confused about this, because most people who get Medicare have those premiums deducted from their Social Security checks. But that’s not required.
Today’s top story: How student loan fees work and what they cost. Also in the news: Making renting work for your financial goals, what millennials get wrong about Social Security, and does the new Apple credit card live up to the hype?
Today’s top story: Make renting work for your financial goals. Also in the news: Why this investment account is becoming more popular, what millennials get wrong about Social Security, and the common money regimen that can backfire and leave you worse off. 
Today’s top story: What millennials get wrong about Social Security. Also in the news: How to save more money for your next vacation, the best rewards credit cards for family travel, and why you should think of your finances in terms of what you’re not buying.