Latest articles by Kimberly Lankford
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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5 Last-Minute Ways to Cut Your Tax Bill
taxes The tax deadline is just days away, but you still have time to reduce your tax bill or help a young worker get a jump-start on saving for retirement if you contribute to these five tax-friendly accounts.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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The Long-Term-Care Insurance Dilemma
Long-Term Care Insurance Premiums keep rising, but you may need a policy more than ever.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Lottery Winnings' Impact on Social Security
retirement The sudden windfall won't reduce your benefits. Here's why.
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What's the Penalty for Canceling a Rewards Credit Card?
credit & debt Why you might want to hold on to that account.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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