Latest articles by Kimberly Lankford
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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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How to Change Your Medicare Advantage Plan Outside of Open Enrollment
insurance If you end up unhappy with the Medicare Advantage plan you signed up for, you may be able to switch before next year's open enrollment.
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Making Changes After a Medicare High-Income Surcharge
retirement Surcharge is based on your last tax return on file.
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What You'll Pay for Medicare Premiums in 2018
Medicare What are Medicare premiums in 2018? The standard premium of $134 for Medicare Part B won't change, but some recipients will still end up paying more.
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Land a Retail Job for the Holiday Season
business Retailers will add hundreds of thousands of seasonal workers for the holidays. How to find a job—and possibly turn it into a permanent position.
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The Big Pension Decision Military Service Members Must Make in 2018
retirement Service members who joined armed forces in recent years must decide whether to stay in the military’s old retirement system or join the new one. Here’s how to choose the system that’s best for you.
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How to Qualify for a Health Savings Account and Trim Your Tax Bill
insurance Health savings accounts provide a triple tax break to consumers. Contribution limits are going up slightly in 2018, but so are deductibles for eligible policies.
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A Child-Care Tax Break for Working Parents
taxes New parents and those with pre-teens can save on taxes (for now) when paying for child care by signing up for an employer's dependent-care flexible spending account.
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10 Things You Need to Know About Health Insurance Open Enrollment
insurance If you're signing up for Obamacare for 2018, you'll have less time to buy coverage for next year, but here's help finding the right policy more quickly.
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Rebuilding Your Home and Finances After Disaster Strikes
insurance Mopping up—and drying out—after the hurricanes was only the first challenge. Now the victims have to struggle through recovery.
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What You Need to Know About Windstorm Coverage
insurance In high-risk areas, you can face equally high costs for wind coverage. But a few smart home improvements can help you save money.
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Charitable Giving Is a Family Affair
spending A donor-advised fund is a tax-savvy way for families to pool their charitable dollars and create the next generation of philanthropists.
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Raising Cash to Make Hurricane Damage Repairs
real estate Many hurricane victims are still waiting for payments from insurers or disaster assistance from FEMA to make home repairs. In the meantime, here are ways to raise money to get fixes under way.
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How to Report a Tax-Free Transfer From Your IRA to Charity
taxes The tax filing rules for qualified charitable distributions can be tricky. You must specify how much of your required minimum distribution is taxable and why part of the distribution is tax-free.
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8 Steps to Picking the Right Medicare Plans During Open Enrollment
Medicare Most people fill Medicare’s coverage gaps by buying a Medicare supplement (medigap) plan and a Part D prescription-drug plan, or they get both medical and drug coverage from a private insurer with a Medicare Advantage plan.
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You Can Contribute More to Your 401(k) in 2018
401(k)s You'll be able to stash an extra $500 in a 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan in 2018. But the maximum annual IRA contribution will stay the same.
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4 Ways RMDs Are Different for 401(k)s and for IRAs
IRAs For both types of retirement account, you need to take required minimum distributions after you turn age 70½. But there are differences in how and when you take the money.
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6 Ways to Prevent Water Damage This Winter
real estate If the worst happens, your homeowners insurance will cover leaks and burst pipes, or water that comes into your home through your roof and windows. But it doesn't cover flooding.
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Medicare Part D Beneficiaries May Pay Less for Prescriptions in 2018
retirement The infamous "doughnut hole," the coverage gap in which you pay a big portion of Part D drug costs, will shrink a bit more next year.
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File the FAFSA Now for More Financial Aid in the 2018-19 School Year
college You can file your Free Application for Federal Student Aid as early as October 1 -- and the sooner, the better.
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How Tax Reform Might Affect Your Roth IRA Conversion
IRAs If converting from a traditional IRA to a Roth makes sense, do it. If tax rates drop, you can undo the conversion later.
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How to Help Victims of Hurricane Maria
spending Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands will be recovering for years from Hurricane Maria's destruction. If you want to help the islands and their residents, check out these charities.
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How Working in Retirement Affects Social Security Benefits
retirement A paycheck can temporarily reduce Social Security payments if you're drawing benefits before your full retirement age.
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Making Charitable Donations From Your Retirement Accounts
401(k)s You can't give your required minimum distribution from a 401(k) to charity without triggering a tax, but you can donate your 401(k) RMD tax-free if you roll the money over to an IRA.
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