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Contributing Editor Kiplinger's Personal Finance
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.
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.
See More From: Ask Kim
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.
Spouses can choose a long-term-care policy with “shared” coverage, giving them a pool of benefits that they can split.
Paying for college will be a little easier if you qualify for one of these two tax credits.
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.
Now is also a good time to check withholding for 2018 taxes.
See More From: Tax Tips
More states are offering tax-friendly accounts that give people with disabilities the tools to build a financial future.
See More From: Financial Planning
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.
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.
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. (In 2017, there were six major hurricanes, ...
See More From: Home Remodeling & Maintenance
With the help of a college or community foundation, you can establish a scholarship in the name of a loved one that will help students in perpetuity.
A new federal law will soon allow everyone to freeze -- and thaw -- their credit report free. A freeze can deter identity theft.
Medicare Part A and Part B, also known as Original Medicare or Traditional Medicare, cover a large portion of your medical expenses after you turn age 65. Part A (hospital insurance) helps pay for inpatient ...
See More From: Medicare
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.
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.
Even if your mortgage company doesn’t require you to get flood insurance, it can be worthwhile to protect against the risk.
See More From: Home Insurance
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.