
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 Much Can You Contribute to a Health Savings Account?
savings Even if you have a qualified health insurance policy only for a few months out of the year, you can still make a tax-deductible contribution to a health savings account.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
savings -
How to Undo a Roth IRA Contribution If Your Income Is Too High
Roth IRAs You can still recharacterize a Roth contribution and move the money to a traditional IRA.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
Roth IRAs -
Should You Get Cell Phone Insurance?
Smart Buying If you (or your teenager) often drop or misplace your cell phone, it may be worth it to buy coverage along with the phone.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
Smart Buying -
The Long-Term-Care Insurance Dilemma
Long-Term Care Insurance Premiums keep rising, but you may need a policy more than ever.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
Long-Term Care Insurance -
New Medicare Cards Are Coming Soon
retirement In April, Medicare will start mailing new cards that don't disclose Social Security numbers. But the rollout will take a year.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
retirement -
Health Insurance Options When Leaving a Job
insurance If leaving a job means losing your health insurance, you can get coverage through a government health care exchange or another insurer, or you can stick with your employer's plan for up to 18 months.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
insurance -
New Limit for Health Savings Account Contributions
insurance Using a new measure of inflation, the IRS has reduced the amount that people with family medical coverage can contribute to a health savings account in 2018.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
insurance -
Lottery Winnings' Impact on Social Security
retirement The sudden windfall won't reduce your benefits. Here's why.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
retirement -
What's the Penalty for Canceling a Rewards Credit Card?
credit & debt Why you might want to hold on to that account.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
credit & debt -
Insurance for Home Sharers
insurance Home-sharing services and your homeowners policy may cover liability and damages by tenants, but the insurance may fall short.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
insurance -
Invest in the Private College 529 Plan
Paying for College How you can use the money at colleges in the plan, and even at those who aren't.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
Paying for College -
Using a Health Savings Account to Pay for Long-Term-Care Insurance
Long-Term Care Insurance You can tap an HSA to pay for long-term-care insurance, but the amount you can withdraw tax-free depends on your age.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
Long-Term Care Insurance -
What to Do With Leftover Money in a 529 College-Savings Plan
529 Plans There's no time limit for spending money in a 529 college-savings plan, so leftover dollars in an account can be used by other family members now or by a new generation in the future.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
529 Plans -
How Long It Takes to Get Your Tax Refund
taxes Filing your return electronically and using direct deposit can speed up the process by weeks.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
taxes -
An Overlooked Tax Break for Part-Timers
taxes Semiretired or part-time workers saving money in an IRA or other retirement plan may qualify for an often-ignored tax credit that will lower their tax bill.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
taxes -
Jump-Starting a Health Savings Account With an IRA Rollover
IRAs Federal rules allow you to roll over money from an IRA to an HSA once in your life. But you may forfeit a tax break by doing so.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
IRAs -
E-mails From the IRS -- and Other Signs of a Tax Scam
Scams Identity thieves are getting more sophisticated at tricking taxpayers into revealing their personal information. Here are some scams you may encounter this tax season and ways to tell fact from fraud.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
Scams -
529 Savings Plans Have More Uses -- But States Need to Catch Up
529 Plans The new federal tax law allows families to use 529 college plans to pay tuition for kindergarten through high school. But doing so before state laws are revised to reflect the new rules could trigger a tax and a penalty.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
529 Plans -
Put a Student on the Path to Retirement Without Hurting Financial Aid
retirement Contributing to a young worker's Roth IRA can help a student start saving for retirement, although the timing of this gift could affect financial aid for college.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
retirement -
3 Scenarios That Could Derail Your Retirement
retirement Even the best-laid plans for retirement can suddenly go awry if a major life event strikes.
By Eileen Ambrose Published
retirement -
Are You on Track to Retire?
retirement How to tell if you’ve saved enough to retire when you want, and what to do if you haven’t.
By Eileen Ambrose Published
retirement -
Thrift Savings Plan Withdrawals to Get Easier for Federal Retirees
retirement New rules make it easier to leave money in the low-cost Thrift Savings Plan.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
retirement -
New Tax Law Makes Roth IRA More Appealing to Savers
taxes As the Roth turns 20, the new tax law gives it an edge for savers.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
taxes -
How to Use College Savings to Benefit Children with Special Needs
savings Under the new tax law, families with a 529 college-savings plan can now roll that money into a tax-friendly ABLE account to help a child with a disability.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
savings