Kimberly Lankford
As the "Ask Kim" columnist for Kiplinger's Personal Finance, Lankford receives hundreds of personal finance questions from readers every month. She is the author of Rescue Your Financial Life (McGraw-Hill, 2003), The Insurance Maze: How You Can Save Money on Insurance -- and Still Get the Coverage You Need (Kaplan, 2006), Kiplinger's Ask Kim for Money Smart Solutions (Kaplan, 2007) and The Kiplinger/BBB Personal Finance Guide for Military Families. She is frequently featured as a financial expert on television and radio, including NBC's Today Show, CNN, CNBC and National Public Radio.
Latest articles by Kimberly Lankford
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How to Find the Best Medicare Advantage Plan for You for 2019Medicare If you opt for a Medicare Advantage plan instead of traditional Medicare, this online tool can help you find the plan to fit your needs -- and budget.
By Kimberly Lankford
Medicare -
How to Find the Best Medicare Drug Plan for You for 2019Medicare Use these search tips to navigate the Medicare Plan Finder tool.
By Kimberly Lankford
Medicare -
Cost of Employer Health Coverage to Rise 5% in 2019insurance It's the sixth year in a row that costs have jumped at least that much.
By Kimberly Lankford
insurance -
10 RMD Mistakes to Avoidretirement After saving for years in an IRA, 401(k) or other tax-deferred retirement plan, you eventually have to take the money out and pay taxes on it.
By Kimberly Lankford
retirement -
Two Medigap Plans to Be Phased OutMedicare Insurers will no longer be able to sell Plan F and Plan C medigap policies to people who sign up for coverage in 2020 and later, but current enrollees won't have to switch.
By Kimberly Lankford
Medicare -
Volunteer Abroad in the Peace Corps in Retirementretirement There is no age limit in some volunteer organizations, including the Peace Corps.
By Kimberly Lankford
retirement -
Legal Documents for College Studentscollege You lose some of your parental rights once your offspring turn 18, but they can obtain legal documents that will allow you to intercede on their behalf, particularly when they go away to college.
By Kimberly Lankford
college -
The New Banking Law Has Perks for Youcredit & debt Provisions to the Dodd-Frank reform act gives small banks more discretion to make loans and mandates free credit freezes.
By Kimberly Lankford
credit & debt -
Tapping a Roth IRA for a Housereal estate You can withdraw contributions from a Roth IRA to help purchase your first home.
By Kimberly Lankford
real estate -
How to Buy Stocks for Kidsstocks Start investing on behalf of your kids by opening an account on Stockpile.
By Kimberly Lankford
stocks -
Smart Life Insurance Strategies for Young Buyersinsurance Buy the right life insurance plan now to avoid scrambling to find coverage later.
By Kimberly Lankford
insurance -
What to Do When Your Term Life Insurance Is Expiringinsurance Many families are discovering that a 20-year term for a life insurance policy isn’t enough.
By Kimberly Lankford
insurance -
How to Use a 529 Plan When Your Child Wins a Scholarship529 Plans Even if your child wins a full scholarship, you can use money from a 529 college-savings plan for things other than tuition without triggering taxes or a penalty.
By Kimberly Lankford
529 Plans -
How to Turn a Teen’s Summer Wages into Millionsretirement You’re never too young to open a Roth IRA if you earn money from a job. If you invest in a Roth IRA early—and continually over decades—modest sums can grow into seven figures.
By Kimberly Lankford
retirement -
Signing Up for Medicare When You’re Still Covered by an Employer’s Health PlanMedicare You don’t have to sign up for full Medicare coverage at age 65 if you’re still covered under an employer’s plan. But you’ll need to watch enrollment deadlines.
By Kimberly Lankford
Medicare -
6 Tax Breaks for College CostsTax Breaks Several tax breaks can ease the financial blow of college costs, whether you’re saving to send your kids to college, paying tuition bills for a child or yourself, pursuing graduate work, or repaying college loans.
By Kimberly Lankford
Tax Breaks -
Saving for Retirement When You Have a Side Hustleretirement Workers with side gigs can sock away even more for retirement in accounts designed for freelancers and other self-employed individuals.
By Kimberly Lankford
retirement -
Johnson City, Tenn.: A Great Place to Retire for Your Health
retirement Set amid the Appalachians, Johnson City offers low taxes on retirees and quality health care from the Ballad Health Network.
By Kimberly Lankford
retirement -
A Tax-Friendly Way to Get Income for Liferetirement You can use money in a traditional IRA to buy a deferred-income annuity — a move that can delay taxes and guarantee lifetime income.
By Kimberly Lankford
retirement -
Minimum Age for Tax-Free IRA Gifts to Charitytaxes You can donate money directly from a traditional IRA to a charity without triggering taxes – but only if you meet a strict age requirement.
By Kimberly Lankford
taxes -
How Tracking Rewards Good Driversinsurance A tracking device on your car reveals how you drive. Good drivers are rewarded with policy discounts.
By Kimberly Lankford
insurance -
How New Grads Can Buy Health Insuranceinsurance New college graduates can stay on their parent's health insurance plans, but they should check out a few other options before they do so.
By Kimberly Lankford
insurance -
What to Do With a 529 Plan When a Child Doesn't Go to College529 Plans Families can avoid taxes and a penalty on a 529 college-savings plan when a child develops a disability and likely won’t be using the money for college.
By Kimberly Lankford
529 Plans -
How Couples Can Share Long-Term-Care BenefitsLong-Term Care Insurance Spouses can choose a long-term-care policy with “shared” coverage, giving them a pool of benefits that they can split.
By Kimberly Lankford
Long-Term Care Insurance
