Ask Kim

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 »

Dear Kim, I started my own small business last year (yay!) but I’m still navigating the financial side of things (specifically tax season). I’m not entirely sure what I can plan to write off once tax season is here, which makes me… Read more »

Dear Kim,  I tried to be proactive and make a financial plan for myself when I got my first “big girl” job after college. It’s been a few years now, and I’m beginning to realize that I may have outgrown my plan,… Read more »

I’ve relied on my credit card far too much this past year. I’m now in some considerable debt. Nothing life-altering, but I’m going to have to seriously save these next six months to be comfortable again. What would you suggest be my… Read more »

Dear Kim, My parents never talked about money because they didn’t want me and my siblings to worry. While I appreciate the way they protected us, I now realize in adulthood that I don’t know how to handle my OWN money. I… Read more »