Latest articles by Kimberly Lankford
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Answers to Questions About Health Savings Accounts and Medicare
retirement We tell you how much you can contribute to an HSA in the year you sign up for Medicare, plus other ways to coordinate HSAs and Medicare.
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Your Neighbor's Burst Pipe Damages Your Townhouse. Now What?
insurance It can take a while to sort out who's at fault, but if you file a claim with your insurer, it will ensure you get the money to make repairs.
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6 Questions Retirees Are Asking About Required Minimum Distributions
retirement When it comes to taking the first required minimum distribution from your IRA or making tax-free withdrawals for charitable donations, the rules can be tricky.
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5 Ways Roth IRAs Help Retirees
retirement The reduction in tax rates under the new tax law could make contributing to a Roth IRA more attractive even for those nearing retirement.
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Make Sure You Have Proof to Support Your Charitable Tax Deductions
taxes In an audit, the IRS may deny your charitable write-offs if you don't have a record of your contributions.
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New Tax Law Offers Added Incentive to Make Tax-Free Transfer of RMDs From Your IRA to Charity
tax law Basic rules for charitable deductions stay the same under the new tax law, but a near doubling of the standard deduction may change people's giving.
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12 Smart Financial Moves for the New Year
retirement Make 2018 the year you take the steps to save money on insurance, reduce your taxes, boost your retirement savings and protect yourself from identity thieves.
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Personal Finance Columnist Kim Lankford's Best Money-Saving Lessons of 2017
retirement How to lower medical costs, support hurricane victims and protect homes from disaster are among the issues readers asked me about most during the past year.
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Will a Credit Freeze Boost Car Insurance Premiums?
insurance In a few states, you may need to thaw frozen credit reports before buying or renewing insurance policies.
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Can Your Adult Child Contribute to a Health Savings Account?
insurance Even if your son is on your family's insurance policy, he may be eligible to contribute to a HSA.
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Why You're Paying More for Car Insurance Now
insurance One big reason: Advanced safety features cost more to repair or replace.
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Talking to Older Parents About Their Plans for the Future
retirement When families are gathered for the holidays is a good time for adult children to broach the subject of their parents' housing and health care plans for the years ahead.
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Smart Ways to Spend Down Your Flexible Spending Account
Healthy Living on a Budget Some employers allow workers to carry over up to $500 in a flexible spending account from one year to the next, while others offer a grace period until mid March. Knowing your deadline will prevent you from losing FSA dollars.
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Charitable Giving Can Begin at Home with a Donor-Advised Fund
Smart Buying Parents and grandparents can launch the next generation of philanthropists by allowing kids to help decide where to donate money from a donor-advised fund.
Smart Buying
