
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 New Grads Can Buy Health Insurance
insurance 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 Published
insurance -
What to Do With a 529 Plan When a Child Doesn't Go to College
529 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 Published
529 Plans -
Your New Flood Insurance Options
insurance Most homeowners with flood insurance still get it from the federal government. But private insurers are starting to offer policies with higher coverage – and sometimes even lower premiums.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
insurance -
How Couples Can Share Long-Term-Care Benefits
Long-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 Published
Long-Term Care Insurance -
Help with Tracking IRA Contributions
retirement Your investment firm will send you a form to verify any contribution you make to an IRA. This can come in handy later if you’re trying to figure taxes on withdrawals.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
retirement -
Don't Sweat Small Changes in Your Credit Scores
credit & debt Credit scores typically fluctuate a little from month to month, often because of changes in credit card balances. Here’s what to do when fluctuations in your scores are more dramatic.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
credit & debt -
Health Insurance for College Students
college Young adults can stay on the family health policy until age 26. But if they go away to college and are outside the insurer's network of doctors, families need to reconsider their insurance options.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
college -
Free Credit Report Freezes
credit & debt A new federal law will soon allow everyone to freeze -- and thaw -- their credit report free. A freeze can deter identity theft.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
credit & debt -
How to Protect Your Home from Hurricanes
real estate Hurricane season begins June 1, and scientists at Colorado State University expect 2018 to be another big year, forecasting seven hurricanes—three of them major.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
real estate -
How to Fund a Memorial Scholarship to Honor a Veteran
Paying for College With the help of a college or community foundation, you can establish a scholarship in the name of a loved one to help students in perpetuity.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
Paying for College -
Withholding Taxes From Social Security
social security Older taxpayers can avoid a big bill at tax time or a penalty for underpaying taxes by having the government withhold taxes from their Social Security benefits.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
social security -
Taxes When Using the Back Door Into a Roth IRA
IRAs The new tax law still allows high earners to contribute indirectly to a Roth IRA. But the tax bill for doing so will depend partly on whether they have other money in a traditional IRA.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
IRAs -
Getting Affordable Flood Insurance
insurance Even if your mortgage company doesn’t require you to get flood insurance, it can be worthwhile to protect against the risk.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
insurance -
Why Families Need a Plan for Caregiving
retirement Adult children need to work with their parents to put aside funds for unexpected costs.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
retirement -
How to Disaster-Proof Your Home
real estate Natural disasters are going to happen. Take steps to prepare—and see if you can get help with the costs.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
real estate -
How to Bequeath a Health Savings Account
insurance It's important to name a beneficiary on the account.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
insurance -
Should You File a Small Auto Insurance Claim?
insurance You could pay more in extra premiums than you receive from your insurer for the claim.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
insurance -
How a Grandparent's 529 Account Affects College Financial Aid
529 Plans Distributions from a grandparent-owned 529 savings plan could reduce a grandchild's financial aid. But using one of these strategies can limit the impact.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
529 Plans -
How to Calculate Tax-Free and Taxable IRA Withdrawals
IRAs If you haven't filed Form 8606 with the IRS to track your nondeductible IRA contributions over the years, it will take a bit of detective work.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
IRAs -
IRS Revises HSA Contribution Limit for 2018 -- Again
savings The maximum contribution families can make to health savings accounts for 2018 is $6,900, after the IRS reversed its March decision to lower the limit by $50.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
savings -
How to Search for Old Savings Bonds
savings If you lost track of U.S. savings bonds purchased decades ago for you when you were a child, the Treasury Department can help you find them.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
savings -
Tapping an IRA for Charity
spending Donating by transferring money directly from an IRA to charity can lower your tax bill whether you file an itemized tax return or not.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
spending -
How Your Home Sale Will Be Taxed
taxes Singles don't have to pay taxes on up to $250,000 in profits on the sale of their home, and couples can shelter twice that amount from taxes. But even if the gain is much higher, there are ways for home sellers to minimize the tax bite.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
taxes -
Shopping for a 529 Plan for a Grandchild
529 Plans When searching for a 529 college-savings plan for a grandchild, first check whether your state offers a tax break for your contributions.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
529 Plans