Ask Kim

Dear Kim, I found you through Facebook. I grew up in a very old-fashioned family, where my father handled the finances while my mother watched us children and tended to the house.  In my marriage, many of the same patterns have repeated. I’m happy,… Read more »

Dear Kim,  My husband passed this past year. While there is still healing to be done, it wasn’t unexpected. He’s in a better place now and I’m grateful he’s no longer hurting.  All that to say, this is the first tax season… Read more »

Dear Kim, I’m not the most knowledgeable when it comes to finances, but I’m getting married in a few months and my fiancé and I want to do the “right” thing when it comes to our finances. I know that could mean… Read more »

Dear Kim,  My family is going through what I consider to be our hardest time we’ve faced together so far. The doctors confirmed with us last week that my husband has early-onset Alzheimer’s. We’re supposed to tell our kids this weekend. The… Read more »

Dear Kim,  While I was growing up, my parents weren’t always the most money-conscious. They both had good-paying jobs for the time, but it seems like they don’t have much when it comes to savings. They used credit cards to go on… Read more »

Dear Kim,  As I write this message we’re still in January, but 2024 is already proving to be the hardest year yet for me. For reasons I would prefer not to get into, I’ve asked my husband for a divorce. It was… Read more »

Kim, I recently hit my mid-30s, and it hit me like a ton of bricks – I haven’t really thought about retirement. A rep from my company’s human resources department is coming to talk about our options regarding 401(k). I think I… Read more »

Kim, Do you have a standard rule of thumb for monthly withdrawals from your assets for retirement? Meaning a percentage of assets. Also, do you have a standard number a retired couple should project for monthly expenses, provided no mortgage is involved?… Read more »

Dear Kim, My husband and I recently sat down together for dinner (a bit of a rare occurrence). We have two children who are both heavily involved in sports, so it feels like we mostly see each other in passing these days.… Read more »

Dear Kim, My mother passed away recently. It wasn’t entirely unexpected as she had been sick for quite a while, but to say that made things any easier would be a fat lie.  My father passed away a few years ago, and… Read more »

Dear Kim, I feel like I’ve tried to write this message a hundred times now, but it’s hard to describe my situation. I’m still reeling. My husband of 34 years came home one day last month and absolutely blindsided me, asking for… Read more »

Dear Kim, I’m recently divorced. While I was married, I was a stay-at-home mother to our two children, who are now grown and have left the nest for college. The divorce was amicable, so my ex-husband helped me for a bit while… Read more »