Latest articles by Kimberly Lankford
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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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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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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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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.
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How Much Are Those Old Baseball Cards Worth?
business Depending on the year, condition and, of course, the player, some baseball cards could be worth thousands of dollars.
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How Much Families Can Contribute to a Health Savings Account
insurance You and a spouse can contribute a total of $6,900 to an HSA in 2018, plus a catch-up contribution if you’re 55 or older. And thanks to a quirk in the law, an adult child covered under the family’s high-deductible health policy may also be able to contribute $6,900 to his or her own HSA.
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The Potential Tax Hit When High Earners Convert to a Roth IRA
retirement High earners using a "backdoor" strategy to open a Roth IRA can trigger taxes if they own other IRAs.
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College-Savings Plans Make It Easy to Give a Child the Gift of Tuition
529 Plans Relatives can contribute to a child's 529 college-savings plan, and in many cases they can get a tax deduction on their gift.
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4 Ways to Thwart Elder Abuse
Caregiving Being prime targets for scams, seniors need to be vigilant about protecting themselves.
Caregiving
